Me: Welcome back everybody! This is capitulo dos! Let's see what happens next!
Richter: You already know what happens.
Me: Yeah, but they don't. ;)
Richter: ..Eternal Wings owns nothing besides her characters and this story.
Chapter Two
"-!"
"Don't be alarmed. It's only me," he caught her frantic hands, which were balled into fists and ready to knock someone out.
At the sound of the familiar voice, she relaxed and allowed her guard to drop almost instantly, letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh. It's you. You came."
"Of course I came. Why wouldn't I? But it seems you weren't expecting any visitors." He could no longer suppress his slight smirk and chuckle.
"You scared me half to death and back! Don't sneak up on me like that, you jerk!" She scolded, smacking his arm, but only playfully.
He caught her hand again, but held on this time. "You know you don't mean that."
"Hmph. I'm glad you were able to come. Were you followed?" She intertwined her fingers with his.
"Do you doubt me? Do you think that I would ever put you or the baby in such grave danger?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No, I'm not doubting you. I know you'd never put us in harm's way. I just...I worry about our child. Having to hide like this and live such a lifestyle...it's no good for him," she sighed.
He pressed his lips to her temple and stroked her cheek. She closed her eyes against his comforting touch. "...Where is he?" He finally asked after gently kissing her forehead.
"He's in his crib sleeping," she answered wearily.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. "At this late hour, sleeping is something you should be doing as well."
"But you came all the way here just to see me and the baby...you risked so much, knowing perfectly well what they might do to you if they were to find out..." She rested her head against his chest and returned his embrace with one of her own.
"It's alright. You needn't worry. I'll be here while you sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. Whenever you need me, I will always be there." His voice was soft and gentle, like silk, on her ears and dripped like honey.
"I love you," she heard him say, his perfect voice saturated with love as he raised her chin and brushed her bangs out of her eyes gingerly. She smiled beautifully up at him with loving eyes before reaching up to close her lips on his for a kiss.
"I love you, too, -"
Ariel sprung forward, jolting awake as she pulled frantically at the blankets that were wrapped around her. A cold sweat covered her young body, and her breathing was heavy and uneven from panic. With a sudden outburst of adrenaline running through her veins dangerously, the tired young woman was now shaky and on edge. As more and more time passed but nothing happened, however, Ariel was able to slowly shake away her exhaustion and paranoia.
"...Where am I?" She looked around her surroundings while rubbing her eyes. She seemed to be in some sort of inn, but it was much different from any inn she had stayed at in Cyria. "So, then...I must be in Aselia," she realized as she stood up and stretched.
"...This is a nice inn...but when did I get here...?" Ariel curiously walked around the room. After observing enough details, the Bearer of the Right eventually made her way into the bathroom and freshened up, taking care of her hygiene so that she would wake up fully and be ready to explore this new place.
"I wonder how I even got here..." The Bearer pondered as she walked back into the room she had woken up in. She thought hard and long about what had happened before she woke up – she remembered trying to form a pact with Ratatosk and talking to Symphonia, followed by bright lights and intense noises, but after that, nothing. No matter how hard she thought about it, she was unable to remember anything more.
"Damn...what's with my memory? I've never had bad memory before...usually it's pretty good, to be honest...well, usually, anyway." Ariel cursed silently, reaching up to run her fingers over her amulet.
But instead of feeling the smoothness of the white orb, she felt her bare skin.
Her necklace was gone.
"My necklace! Where could it be? That necklace...it's so important...not only does it have Symphonia's core attached to it, but...! I absolutely have to find it!" The Cyrian mentally panicked before searching the room thoroughly, hoping that maybe she had just taken it off at some point of time, though she was almost positive that she hadn't.
That necklace was so important to her that she had not removed it since the day she received it six years ago.
Realizing that tearing the room apart was doing no good and the necklace was still nowhere to be found, Ariel took a deep breath and attempted to regain her composure. "Okay, stay calm, Ariel...all you have to do is retrace your steps. It's too bad I can't remember anything, though...nnnn, maybe I'll find it if I ask around."
The brunette walked back out of her room and made her way to the front desk. "Hello there, miss. Did you enjoy your stay?" The woman at the front desk asked with a small smile.
Offering a small smile in return, Ariel replied, "Um, yes – I did. I seem to have bumped my head a little too hard, though...would you mind telling me where I am and when I checked in to this inn?"
"It seems you did bump your head. You're in the City of Asgard. You checked in two days ago with two men – one had blonde hair and red eyes and the other had red hair and green eyes. The redhead carried you in, and you were sleeping soundly in his arms – I take it he's your boyfriend?" The woman smiled even wider.
"Boyfriend...? What are you...talking about...?" Ariel blinked in confusion.
"You know who I'm talking about! That tall, handsome man! How long have the two of you been dating? You look absolutely adorable together!" The woman complimented.
"Er...but...I don't have a boyfriend..." Ariel tried to explain, but the woman cut her off, "Aw, you're acting so shy! It's okay, really! Don't be ashamed – he seems like a pretty good catch!"
"...Uh...right. It's too bad I can't agree, though...considering I don't have a boyfriend." Ariel sweat dropped.
"Blonde hair and red eyes...she must be talking about Ratatosk. But...red hair and green eyes? I have no idea who that could have been..." She thought.
The woman's smile vanished, replaced with an expression of worry. "...Oh, my. You might be experiencing amnesia, then...because I'm certain that man is your boyfriend – he acted just like one and even watched over you while you slept! I hope it isn't too bad."
Ariel shook her head. "Oh, no, don't worry about me. I'll be fine – really. Thank you for the generous hospitality!"
"You're welcome. I hope to see you and your boyfriend again soon!" The woman called after Ariel as she walked out the door.
"Is that woman deaf or is she just plain stupid? I don't have a boyfriend, like I told her the first time...!" Ariel sighed. Surveying her surrounds, the brunette noted the weather. "The air seems to be moving and whipping all around me, but it doesn't hurt...it actually feels a little pleasant. Could this be what the Aselians call wind?" She wondered.
The birds chirped happily, and the sky was completely clear without even a single cloud in the sky. The adults worked busily, and the children played nonchalantly. The people of Asgard seemed to be free of care, going about with their businesses and daily routines.
"Asgard...hm. That sounds kind of familiar...could this be the place that he talked so much about? Could this be it...could this be the place where Yuan was born? Is this his hometown?" Ariel wondered, continuing to explore the new area. Everything about the small town absolutely fascinated her – never in her life has she seen so many humans gathered together in one place. Their way of life was simply intriguing.
"Hey, lady! Will you pass us our ball?"
Ariel looked down to see a red ball at her feet before looking up to see a group of children who were waiting on her to toss it back. "Sure." Ariel smiled as she bent down to pick up the ball.
"Thanks!" One of the children smiled happily as the ball was handed to them.
"You don't look like you're from around these parts. Are you a traveler?" Another one of the children asked.
"Yeah... I suppose you could say that," Ariel responded.
"Maybe you should think about settling down here for awhile. They disappeared two years ago, but monsters have suddenly begun to appear again now – it's not very safe to be out and about. Monsters usually don't enter cities and towns, but they do like to roam just about everywhere else."
"I see. Thanks for the warning."
"No problem, lady!"
"...So the monster activity has gone up in this world. That must mean that the Judgment process really was initiated. The mana levels are unbalanced, and Symphonia's core is no longer dormant due to the initiation and not being in the possession of a Bearer...and thus, attracting the unguided monsters of the eight Centurions and beckoning them out of their lairs," Ariel thought as she continued walking in a somewhat dazed state.
"My necklace isn't something that can easily be looked over...it's made out of pure gold and the jewel in the center of the amulet is a pure white orb. Even more than that, it extracts an unusual power that even a human should be able to sense. Maybe the best thing I can do is ask around for it...if anyone in this city saw it, they would definitely notice. The question is, where should I start looking? I have no idea where to begin...it's not like the answer to all of my problems is just gonna bump right into me..."
"Ahhhh! Help! Please, help me!"
Ariel turned around to see a man running into the city with a pack of six raging wolves chasing him. Immediately, she charged towards him and leaped into the air. "Watch out!" She called down to the man as she descended upon the pack, raising her locked hands above her head and slamming them down onto the skull of one of the wolves. The other wolves lunged at her; Ariel blocked two of the wolves before roundhouse kicking the other two. Dodging the massive jaws that snapped at her constantly, Ariel elbowed one of the wolves in its face and kneed the other in its chest harshly. After being beaten up for a while, the wolves began to retreat.
"Get out of here! Shoo! The lot of you should know better than to attack a human!" She scolded the wolves once they calmed down and ran them out of the town.
"Miss...are you okay?" The man who had been targeted asked as Ariel made her way back to him. "Me? Of course. Those wolves were nothing – they were no real threat, just cranky if anything. I wish I didn't have to knock them around the way I did back there, but that's the only way you can get creatures as stubborn as those to listen." Ariel told the man.
"You...weren't afraid of them?"
"Me? Afraid of them? Nah. They were just pups from the looks of it. They hadn't fully grown yet."
"Pups?! But they were almost your size...!"
"I know, but because of the breed they are, when they're fully grown, they'll be at least twice as big. Imagine how big the mother must be."
"..."
Laughing briefly at the man's sudden paleness, Ariel continued, "Anyway, are you okay? You're the one they attacked. Mind telling me what happened?"
"Well, you see... I had been out exploring the area – I'm an adventurer. I stumbled upon an object that seemed to be really valuable and I thought I could probably sell it for a lot, so I picked it up...little did I know I had stumbled into monster territory and the wolves were mad that I had apparently stolen from them..." The man confessed.
"So you took something precious from a wolf's lair while you were exploring? Makes sense. Wolves aren't really the type of creatures to go out of their way to purposely find humans to attack and it's not really their thing to stray into populated areas...but because they're territorial creatures and you took something they claimed as theirs, I would expect no less than for them to pursue you the way they did. Because she didn't pursue you, I'm assuming the mother wasn't there – that makes you an awfully lucky man."
"I know...I've heard about how gruesome those monsters can – look out!"
Before Ariel could turn around to see what the man was talking about, she heard the sound of a creature crying out in agony and being hacked down. Facing the opposite direction now, she saw that one of the wolves had returned and tried to sneak up on her to get revenge, but it was now dead. The one she assumed to be responsible for its death was a man with tanned white skin, long red hair, and emerald green eyes covered by thin, oddly-shaped glasses. He looked to be twenty two years of age, wore a suit of mostly black, and attached to one hip was the sheathe of an irregularly-shaped sword while the sheathe of an irregularly-shaped axe was attached to the other.
"Red hair and green eyes...is this the guy that woman had been talking about? Was he the one who took me to that inn?" Ariel wondered.
"...You should have killed those monsters when you first had the chance." The red-haired man sheathed his weapons.
"I didn't think it would be necessary...I do my best to avoid taking any form of life whenever I feel I can." Ariel responded.
"Avoid taking any form of life? Hmph. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you would've been dead meat - literally. It doesn't matter to a lion if its prey happens to be a vegan – the prey is still its game. That being said, you should stop being so sentimental and try not to be that reckless," he retorted.
"I suppose you're right...I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I'll be more careful," Ariel apologized.
The green-eyed male only nodded in response.
Normally, Ariel would have been high on her guard around a man such as this one, because he was indeed a suspicious character, but she didn't feel the need to be so she let her guard fall. She couldn't sense any danger or threat coming from this man. If anything... His presence was...in a way, it was comforting. Although she had never seen him a day before in her life...something about him seemed kind of...familiar.
"You. You said you took something from those monsters' lair – was it a necklace?" The red-haired man demanded as he faced the man who Ariel had saved.
Timidly, the man nodded. "Um, yes...it was."
"Ah! It must be my necklace! Please, that necklace is very important to me...will you give it back? I really need it...I promised those dear to me that I'd protect it," Ariel told the adventurer.
"That terrible thing has given me nothing but trouble since the moment I found it. That's why I would give it to you, especially since I owe you my life, but... I no longer have it." The adventurer frowned. "You see...I mean, I must have dropped it while I was fleeing...I'm sorry. I really do hope you find it. I wish you the best of luck."
"...My necklace...he was my only hope of finding it..." Ariel whispered sadly as she watched the adventurer walk away. ` `1`` `
"..." The man who had saved Ariel turned away and headed towards the wolf that he had slain.
"Eh? What are you...?" Ariel watched him examine the wolf. After a few minutes of carefully observing it, Richter opened the wolf's massive jaws...and inside of them was the necklace.
"My necklace!" Ariel cried happily as she raced up to the wolf.
"Just as I thought. This wolf must be the oldest and the pack leader in the absence of the mother. That would explain why he was the sole one to come back for revenge. He must have been able to track down that adventurer so efficiently because his scent was on this necklace, which he really must have dropped while fleeing. That's why that man was unable to shake them off and ended up leading the pack of wolves into this city," the red-haired man explained to Ariel as he handed her the necklace.
"The wolves weren't trying to get the necklace back from him seeing as they already had it – they were trying to punish him for invading their territory because they saw it as a challenge. This one must have decided to come back in the name of vengeance because you beat up his pack members."
"I see...well, at least I got this back! Thank you so much!" Ariel chimed happily.
"...Hn. The only reason those monsters were attracted to that necklace is because you weren't wearing it. You're one of the few people who are able to wear that necklace and nullify its beckoning. You need to take better care of that thing," he reprimand her.
"I know. I will," Ariel responded sheepishly as she put her necklace back on.
"Good...I don't have time to babysit." The man stood up, leaving the wolf to be disposed of by someone else.
Once the eighteen year old finished reclaiming what was rightfully hers, she noticed the green orbs that bore into her intensely. Feeling a little uncomfortable under his watchful and quiet gaze, she cleared her throat. "Um...is something wrong? Do you need something, sir?"
Without acknowledging that she had spoken, the redhead silently walked up to Ariel and studied her face carefully, as if searching for answers. She was beginning to feel a little self-conscious because of the strange man's scrutinizing stare and mentally cursed herself – she knew her face was starting to heat up as she slightly stammered, "U-um...ahem. Is there something on my face?"
Seeing something shimmer due to the sun reflecting off of it, Ariel's attention moved slightly to the right. She caught a glimpse of the man's right ear through his long red hair and noticed that he wore a small and mysterious-looking earring with fancy spells and charms delicately carved into it. The earring itself, despite being small and easily hidden by his long crimson hair, was thick and silver.
"Did you catch sight of the earring in my right ear?" He suddenly spoke.
"Um, yeah, I did...what of it?" Ariel looked at the redhead questioningly.
"You're wearing the same exact one...only, it's in your left ear," the twenty two year old noted, pushing her long light brown hair behind her ear with his hand so that the earring would be revealed. Surely enough, it was there. His fingers lingered for a moment, as if trying to figure the small object out.
"Eh? I have a second piercing in my left ear? But that can't be right. I've only gotten my ears pierced once...and even more than that, I don't exactly imagine us to have the same taste in jewelry." Ariel grinned sheepishly up at him.
For a brief moment, her ruby eyes clashed with his emerald ones. Finally, the man brought his lingering hand down to his side.
"Yes...I suppose you're right."
"So...who are you, anyway?"
"Usually when someone wants to know who someone else is, they give their name first."
"Ah, silly me – I forgot my manners. I'm Ariel Irving. And you are?"
"Richter Abend."
"Richter...I see. I woke up here in this city and a woman told me that I was carried into her inn by a man with red hair and green eyes. Were you that man?"
"You don't see anyone else around here who fits that description, do you? It's about time you woke up. You slept for two full days."
"Two days...?! I don't...I don't understand...what's going on?"
"You ask a lot of questions," Richter stated before he turned away. "...You probably have a lot to ask that I can't easily answer because I myself don't know very much. If you want to know so badly, find out for yourself...that is, if you trust me enough to see where I'm going."
"...Well, isn't he friendly? It's true that he must have some sort of goodness in him because he saved me, but his looks seem to be the only good thing going for him right now," Ariel mumbled.
Should she really follow him? Even though he did save her, Ariel still didn't know a single thing about this guy. At that moment, a thought occurred to her – he knew about the necklace, and he knew that she was capable of nullifying its effects. That alone proved that she knew nothing about what he was knowledgeable of or even who he might be. He could be luring her into a trap so that he could kill her off himself. He could even be a secret agent of Cruxis.
Despite knowing just how dangerous and risky the card she had the option of playing was, she also knew that if she continued to stand around, she would lose her only chance of knowing what was going on. If she really was in Aselia, there was no way she could travel on her own and figure things out by herself – she just didn't know enough about itrekgtotkjtjdi geographically. Even more than that, though she knew a lot about its lifestyle and social hierarchy, she would have too much trouble adjusting to this new world without a guide. Accepting the fact that she had no better option, Ariel decided to take the stranger's advice and follow`` him.
She would take a pure leap of faith and risk everything – that much had already been decided.
All she could do now was hope that the red-haired man who had called himself Richter would catch her.
XxXxXxX
"He has long crimson red hair. He has icy emerald green eyes. He wears a freakin' solid black outfit, and he is probably the broodiest person I have ever met. So then why...why is it so hard to follow him when he should stick out like a sore thumb through these crowds of people?! Maybe it's because he just disappears and does whatever the hell he feels like doing at whim every five seconds...I bet he does it just to piss me off...dammit," Ariel mentally griped as she caught sight of Richter once again, determined to keep up with and not lose sight of him this time.
The two eventually came across a long stone stairway that led upward. Without hesitating, Richter silently advanced and walked up the steps. Figuring that she might as well considering the fact that she had already followed him this far, Ariel followed Richter up the stairs as well. Once she reached the top, she saw a large stone dais...
And on that stone dais, the Summon Spirit Ratatosk was waiting.
"Ratatosk," Ariel said softly, watching the Summon Spirit cautiously. Refusing to take even another small step forward, she planted herself firmly in place and readied herself for whatever Ratatosk would throw at her.
"Heh. Took you long enough to regain consciousness. Relax – I'm not going to hurt you. There's too much at stake," Ratatosk responded, dismissing the eighteen year old's distrustful gaze.
"Too much at stake? What do you mean?" Ariel narrowed her eyes.
Sighing, Ratatosk ran a hand through his short blonde hair. "I suppose I have no choice but to try to explain what's happening...after all, you should know just what exactly you've gotten yourself into."
"Even more than that, you can explain what the hell I'm doing here, and why this thing won't come off," Richter interjected, brushing his long red hair aside so that he could point at the earring. "What is the meaning of this, Summon Spirit?"
After staring at the two for a moment, Ratatosk exhaled noisily once more as he sat down on the stone dais. Silence filled the atmosphere as the Summon Spirit thought hard about where he should begin – he had to decide how much he did and didn't need to tell the two. Finally, he spoke up with a pointed gaze in Ariel's direction.
"...Two days ago, you came to the Ginnungagap in hopes of initiating the Judgment process – and just that happened. Now, the Otherworldly Gate is sealed and will not reopen until a Bearer of the Right completes their test so that they may advance and be judged by the goddess herself.
"In order to unseal the Otherworldly Gate so that you may advance, you must obtain the eight Elemental Crystals. This requires you to form a pact with the eight Centurions, who are the protectors of these crystals, and the only one who can summon these crystals forth from the Centurions so that they may be awakened from their dormant slumber is me. I am also the only one capable of reopening the Great Door – that is why a pact is with me is necessary.
"If these conditions are met and a Bearer of the Right is able to go to Symphonia, they will be judged, and if the desire for their goal is strong and something they want with all of their heart and their soul is capable of withstanding Symphonia's power, then a pact will be formed – for better or for worse. What happens after that depends on who ends up forming the pact with Symphonia and what they end up doing with her power."
"I see...but that doesn't explain these earrings and what they mean. Even more than that, it doesn't explain why I was released from Niflheim," Richter pointed out.
"Symphonia decided to release you from Niflheim because now that the Judgment process has begun, you are of no use – the Great Door cannot be opened by anyone but me now due to her power slowly pooling at the focus of the door to act as a seal. She herself is now holding the door close. Also, Niflheim itself has become unstable – if you were to stay in there for much longer, you would have been destroyed," Ratatosk explained to Richter.
"As for those earrings...Symphonia had said that each Bearer of the Right has something called a Guardian Knight and that their hearts will bring them together – a Bearer cannot decide who its Guardian will be and a Guardian cannot decide who its Bearer will be because they are destined for one another regardless of how they feel about it. They could both be female, or of the opposite sex, or of neither sex – whatever has been fated for them. Their relationship together will also determine if they are destined to get romantically involved, become close friends, have a sibling bond, hate one another, et cetera.
"The earring the both of you wear is a symbol of your bond, and neither of you will be able to remove it until the Judgment process is over. Her heart was apparently destined to choose you as her Guardian. You were apparently born for the sole purpose of protecting her. As a result of the initiation of the Judgment process and being her Guardian Knight, you will instinctively feel very protective of her and be able to sense when something is amiss or wrong with her. You will be able to easily track her no matter where she is.
"Because she is your Bearer, she will experience empathy and clairvoyance when it comes to you so that she will be capable of understanding you better than anyone else. She will be more attuned to your emotional safety while you will be more attuned to her physical safety. If the two of you get this attuned to one another, you will be able to hear each other's thoughts and contact one another telepathically. Your minds will be linked, though of course it doesn't mean you have to give into it – you would be capable of closing and opening the mind link at any time.
"Because it is your destiny, neither one of you will be able to walk away from the other without severe consequence. You have no choice but to accept your role in each other's life, at least until this ordeal is over. You will also have to deal with the feelings you will be stimulated with just simply because of your bond with one another. It is natural for a Guardian to feel possessive of their Bearer and for a Bearer to feel dependent on their Guardian because of the bond they share. The entire reason each Bearer has a Guardian is so that they have someone who can help them carry their large burdens and support them on their arduous quest."
"So, then...that must be why. I had gotten a terrible feeling that burned in the pit of my stomach, like something was horribly wrong, like something dear to me was in danger...my instincts took over me and somehow knew where exactly to go...next thing I knew, I had hacked down a monster and protected her. It was because...of this earring..." Richter briefly glanced down at Ariel, still thinking over and processing what Ratatosk had told them.
"So you're saying that my heart chose Mr. Tall-Dark-'N'-Broody right
here to be my Guardian Knight or whatever?" Ariel glanced up at Richter.
.
.
.
"...This must be a mistake. A horrible one. Most definitely." Ariel shook her head with a small, incredulous laugh, as if this whole thing had been a joke.
"Trust me...I'm just ecstatic about this as you are." Richter rolled his eyes.
Giving them an amused look, the Summon Spirit pointed out, "The two of you are going to be stuck with one another for a long time. You might as well learn how to get along."
"Eh, I guess you're right. So, I need to collect the eight Elemental Crystals...I suppose, then, our next move should be to locate the Centurions." Ariel folded her arms thoughtfully.
Ratatosk nodded in agreement. "Yes. That would be the best thing to do. But I'm not following – instead, I'm going to Hima."
"But why? Because you're the Master of the Centurions, the Lord of All Monsters, you would be able to locate the Centurions so much faster than any Bearer could...I know you said I can't form a pact with you until I form a pact with the others, but that doesn't mean you can't give us a little help in finding the Centurions," the eighteen year old argued.
"That's very true. And I know that if I decided to take sides, even though she would probably say I shouldn't, Symphonia would rather me side with the two of you than any of the other Bearers and their Guardians. That's why I will help you in your quest for the Centurions – on one condition, however." Ratatosk locked eyes with the Bearer.
"You must bring to me a mineral called Aionis. I will be waiting in Hima."
Without saying another word, the Summon Spirit walked pasted the Guardian and the Bearer and left, his form slowly retreating from their sight.
"Aionis...I don't really know much about that...it doesn't grow in my home world." Ariel worried her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. How would she find this mineral when she had no idea where to begin to look or what it even looked like?
"...Aionis is located in Heimdall, which is a village in the Tethe'allan side of Aselia. We're currently in the Sylvaranti side of Aselia. Therefore, we should probably save ourselves the back tracking and try to take care of all the Centurions in Sylvarant before we go to get Aionis...since we currently have no option but to travel by foot," Richter informed.
"Eh? Well, okay. You do know the geography of this world better than I do, so I'll take your word for it. But, um...why have you decided to help me?" Ariel tilted her head to the side.
"...Are you deaf? Ratatosk just said that I'm bound to you by the goddess herself – whether I want to be or not, it isn't as though I have much of a say in the matter. I have to help you because that's what the goddess has ordained," Richter replied, also walking away in the same direction that Ratatosk had.
"Well, well. Isn't he friendly?"
Ariel turned to see Yami standing beside of her. She was completely unfazed by this – the Gemini Twins had quite a habit of randomly appearing and disappearing without being summoned, and she was used to it. The brunette sighed, "Yeah, I know. That's exactly what I said. Are you alright? What about Hikari? I woke up unable to remember anything after meeting Symphonia...but I could still feel you and Hikari's presence, so I wasn't too worried about it at the moment. I was busy panicking about losing my necklace, to be honest. "
"That's understandable. That necklace of yours is vitally important to your journey. Yami and I did not appear before you until now because we were still resting. Our power is still somewhat drained, but we'll be fine." It was Hikari's turn to appear out of thin air, standing on the other side of Ariel.
The eighteen year old gave them a worried look. "Are you sure the both of you are alright? I didn't mean to neglect either of you..."
Yami grasped his master's hands in his own and locked eyes with her. "Of course we're alright, dearest Ariel, especially now that we're able to see your lovely face. Even if we became injured, Hikari and I would never abandon you – not even death could separate us from you."
"Stop being an idiot. You're annoying our master." Hikari whacked her counterpart upside his head.
"Now, now, Hikari. Don't be jealous. There's absolutely nothing going on between Ariel and me, honestly." He rubbed his aching head before flashing a suggestive grin in his counterpart's direction. "I know I flirt by nature, but you should know this by now...you're the only woman that I truly love."
"Hm. It's too bad that feeling isn't mutual," Hikari retorted flatly.
"Always playing hard to get, I see. One day, I'll make you admit that I've captured your heart." Yami posed determinedly, making Ariel laugh. They were definitely being their normal selves, the Centurion that she loved and adored so very much.
"...You two really are okay. That makes me...so happy. I wouldn't have known what to do if I had lost either of you." Ariel smiled happily at her Centurion, hugging them both.
"The same goes to you, Ariel." Hikari nodded once the Bearer let go of her and her counterpart. Changing the subject, she continued. "...That man. The one who had been called Richter. Are you sure you wish to work with him?"
"Eh...well...he seems like he can be very short with people...and cold...and even cynical...but I don't think I could say he's bad. After all...he saved my life, helped me find my necklace, and led me here to Ratatosk. He's even going to help me around Aselia so that I can locate the Centurions. I'm indebted to him, and I probably couldn't do this on my own, since I have very little geographic knowledge of this world...that being said, the very least I can do is try to be cooperative," Ariel responded in her Guardian's defense.
"That earring that the two of you wear represents the goddess' will, the force tying you together...that earring was the only reason he saved you, and it's the only reason he's doing all of this for you. If not for that..." Yami trailed off, knowing that his point had been understood.
"Yes, that's true. I know it is. Even so, the fact of the matter is that he did save me and that the goddess does want us to work together to change the natural order...so, at least for the very same reason he's tolerating me, I must tolerate him," Ariel explained.
"I want to believe that Richter is a good person. It could simply be because of this earring I'm wearing, or maybe it's because of Yuan. I used to hate the Aselians so much that I would have sided with the Cyrian Knights without giving it a second thought...and honestly, I still do hold some form of resentment against them...but after meeting Yuan and getting to know him and finally being able to look past the fact that he's from Aselia, I was able to see just how wonderful of a person he truly is...just how kind and loyal he is. It made me realize that not all Aselians could be as terrible as what I envisioned them to be...it made me realize that being from a certain place doesn't determine whether you are good or bad.
"I...I wasn't always like this. Once, I was just as bad as the Cyrian Knights. There was once a time where I was too stubborn to even think about forgiving the Aselians, a time where all I wanted to do was cling zealously to my hatred and see the people of this world suffer in the same ways the people of my world have...but Yuan was the one who changed me. Without him, I wouldn't be the person I am today. He was the one who made me realize that thinking like that would make me no better than them...he was the one who made me realize that the worlds would never change or become any better with people like that in them.
"Yuan was able to help me push past my hatred and anger. That's why, despite my own personal feelings and experiences, I am willing to forgive. I will never forget...and somewhere in my heart, I will probably always hold resentment...but because I want things to change, because I want the worlds to change, because I want people to change, I've found a way to smile and forgive.
"Someone very wise once told me, 'become the change that you wish to see'...I have to set the example for the rest of the worlds – I have to become the change that I wish to see. The worlds will never change if everyone keeps waiting for someone else to do it, because then no one is doing anything. As the Bearer of the Right, changing the natural order is my duty not only to the goddess, but to the goddess' people. But if even the goddess isn't perfect, I'm not perfect – nowhere near it.
"If I don't see it, I may forget it...if I don't see the people of Aselia prove to me their worth, I may lose sight of why it is I'm fighting for them. I want to believe that the Aselians, as a whole, aren't heartless and cruel people even though their world exists at the cost of mine...I want to believe that Richter is one of those Aselians who will prove my hopes to be right. Like Yuan, I want him to be a reminder of why I must save Aselia."
Silence filled the atmosphere between the three as Ariel finished. Neither of the three said anything, allowing the long silence to drag itself out. Ariel could clearly see that the Gemini Twins were thinking about what she had said, trying to process it. She knew it was hard for them to understand, for them to comprehend – after all, if they had not met her...despite being the Centurion of Heart, despite existing for the sole purpose of protect them...they probably would have lost all faith in people, the creatures who had created them, long ago.
"...Mortals are confusing. It's a fact of life that I should probably just go ahead and try to accept. There are many things about mortals that no matter how hard I try, no matter how hard I look...I just can't understand the way they see things. Maybe it's because I'm not standing from the right place, so I can't look at it the way you can...but I suppose this is yet another thing I will never understand about mortals. Especially ones like you," Yami finally spoke up
"Being able to be so trusting and full of hope in spite of everything the Aselians have done to your home world...knowing that the darkness in people's heart has the greater potential to outweigh the light but still wagering your life on the positivity in these people when you yourself have seen very little of it...I'm not sure if that makes you strong, or if that simply makes you a fool." Hikari folded her arms.
"I know you can't understand...almost all of your experiences with people have been so terrible...I wish I could take your pain away. I wish I could make you see things the way I now see them...but please, don't give up. Don't lose faith in people. People can change and people can be good – aren't I proof enough? Yami, Hikari...I know that as a whole, people have disappointed you time and time again...but there's still time. People still have a chance...that's why you can't abandon them," Ariel tried to reason, affectionately stroking both of their cheeks.
"If you'll only give them time...if you'll only give them another chance...you'll see for yourselves what I'm trying to say."
"Perhaps that is true...perhaps you are not the only one like this, the only one who I can call 'good'...but I've grown so tired of disappointment...I'm not sure how many more times I can try to put my faith in people when I know that, eventually, it will be crushed. Again, and again, and again...and again," Yami whispered.
"Together, we are the Centurion of Heart...but separately, I am yin and Yami is yang. Yami deals with the negativity and weakness of the hearts of people, so it is only natural that he is so disappointed and has lost so much faith...but I am the one who deals with the positivity and strength in the hearts of people. When the bad has the tendency to outweigh the good like this...it's only natural that I, too, am discouraged," Hikari murmured.
"I...I'm sorry," was all Ariel could say. She knew that if she were to say that she knew how they felt, it would be a lie. She didn't know what it was like to be abused and taken advantage of by the ones she held intense affection for. She didn't know what it was like to so dearly love an entire group of creatures only for them to betray her love countless times and constantly disappoint her. She didn't know what it was like to have to deal with the inner monsters of mortals. She didn't know what it was like to have gone through a time where she lost complete faith in all people...she just didn't. And she probably never would.
"Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong. It is as you said...if not for you, we would have never been able to regain the little faith we have in people. The glimmering hope Hikari and I possess...if not for you, not even that would exist. We owe it all to you...so long as you live, your ideals will spread. As long as your ideals carry on, Hikari and I will support them and we will try to believe in people," Yami assured the brunette.
"If this is something you truly desire to do, then we will no longer question your judgment. Just know that Yami and I will always support and fight for you. Remember...we are your biggest advocates," The silver-haired maiden reminded her master.
With that, the Gemini Twins vanished into thin air.
Remembering Richter, Ariel took a deep breath and mentally shook herself. Knowing that she should probably get going because she had kept him waiting for more than long enough, she descending back down the long stairway that had led to the stone dais.
Now, she had yet another reason to do this.
She had to restore Centurion Gemini's lost faith in people before it was too late.
For the sake of the goddess' people, failure was something she simply could not afford.
XxXxXxX
"Damn...what's taking her so long?" Richter mentally sighed. He was waiting by the entrance to the City of Asgard for his Bearer. While waiting for her, he had decided to go collect what he believed would be necessary – two small backpacks containing things such as dried and bagged foods, maps, and money. He had even managed to fit in each a decent, but flimsy, blanket – they would be better than nothing on nights that they were unable to afford to stay at an inn.
Tapping his foot impatiently, the half-elf this time voiced his sigh. He had tried to stay in one location so that she wouldn't have such a hard time finding him, but now he was growing restless. He could definitely be doing something more productive with his time – much, much more productive.
"Hey there, handsome. Are you a traveler?"
Richter turned his head to see a woman approaching him with a friendly smile. "You could say that," he responded shortly.
"Have you ever been to Asgard? I've lived in Asgard for all of my life and it's always been a windy city, but the last time it was this windy was when the Vanguard was around. Only twice has Asgard ever experienced windy quite this strong." The female villager began to start a conversation with the redhead. Lucky for her, she had caught his attention when she had said the word 'Vanguard'.
Seeing the look he was giving, she quickly added, "Oh, but the Vanguard is obsolete. They disappeared about two years ago. Some people are gossiping that the strong winds have something to do with what happened in Iselia a few days ago."
"And what is it that happened in Iselia?" Richter raised a curious eyebrow.
"My, you really must not be from around here. Are you from Tethe'alla? Everyone in Sylvarant is talking about it. Two days ago, a bright light was seen descending from the skies and into the direction of Iselia. Ever since, strong winds have been blowing from Iselia's direction, from the northwest, and monsters have begun to appear everywhere. If not for the monsters, I'm sure everyone would be rushing to Iselia to see what happened, but it's just too dangerous and not worth it. No one is traveling for that reason, so I was quite surprised to see a traveler in these parts," the woman explained.
"I see...thank you for the information. I'll definitely keep that in mind while I'm traveling." Richter gave the woman a polite but small smile.
"Are you traveling alone? If that's the case, you should probably settle down here for awhile until everything settles down... If you need a place to stay, I have room, so I wouldn't mind taking you in..." The villager offered. Before Richter could answer, he was interrupted by a feminine voice shouting,
"Richter! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Directing his attention back to the woman as Ariel sprinted up to him, he answered her, "Thank you for the generous offer, but I'm not traveling alone and I also have business to take care of in another city. I appreciate your help, though."
"I see..." The woman's eyes fell on Ariel. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Before Ariel could vehemently object, Richter stopped her and gave her a firm look, "Yes. She is."
"O-oh...I see...she's very pretty." The woman complimented, but disappointment was audible in her voice.
"Um...thank you?" Ariel nodded before giving Richter a confused look.
"Well, I'll let the two of you go off on your way. It was nice meeting you. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Asgard," the woman said to the two before leaving them alone.
"...To answer your question, I told her that because she was obviously attracted to me and going with her first assumption was the easiest way to let her down," Richter explained before Ariel could even get her question out. "Occasionally, I run into women who become smitten with me...just like the woman in the inn beside of us. Using you as an excuse to not let them down any harder than necessary just seemed to be most convenient."
"I see...so you just didn't want to have to reject them and hurt their feelings...hehe, you really are nice, Richter." Ariel smiled up at the redhead.
"Tch. I wouldn't call it being nice. I simply don't want to deal with women and their annoying infatuations or them angrily coming after me for 'breaking their hearts'. Those women don't like me...they're simply attracted to my physical self. If they knew me…if they knew what I was...then surely, they would be disgusted. Just like all the others." Richter turned away, but not before Ariel was able to catch a glimpse of a pained expression shoot across his face.
"'If they knew what I was'...what do you mean by that?" Ariel asked.
Richter paused for a moment, his back turned to her. "...Let's go." Was all he said before he exited the City of Asgard.
"Hn...I suppose he has no intention of telling me...he has no intention of the bond that connects us being anything more than for the sake of the goddess," Ariel thought before trotting after the older man.
"I knew Asgard had been windier than the last time I had came here, but because I've only been to this city once or twice, I wasn't sure if this kind of wind was normal or not," Richter said out loud once Ariel had caught up with him.
"Two days ago, a bright light was seen descending into the area of Iselia, this part of Sylvarant is experiencing strong winds, and monsters have all of a sudden returned to the lands? I don't think it's a coincidence that this all happened in the same day as the initiation of the Judgment process."
"Are you saying all of this has something to do with the Centurion of Wind? Centurion Ventus?" Ariel gasped. She hadn't expected they would be able to find a general location for any of the Centurions this early in the game.
Richter nodded. "More than likely. It makes the most sense. The only way we'll find out, however, is if we head to Iselia and investigate for ourselves."
Me: And that's it!
Richter: It's not too bad...I suppose.
Me: How cold. XD It's probably be more exciting for you if you weren't playing so hard to get, you know. ;)
Richter: Whatever.
Me: So, what do you guys think? It's getting to the more interesting parts, I promise! Read and review, please!