Sever All Ties
Chapter Twenty Nine: Reunion
Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.
Author's Note(s): Words in '…' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. This story will proceed based on the assumption that Jack has joined Ridley on the path of the non-human. This path would inevitably lead him to face his former friends and allies in combat. It is these fights I will illustrate in this story. Some creative liberties will be taken regarding who they face (i.e. Jack will face opponents in this fic that you don't get to face in the game). I hope you enjoy.
Jack regained consciousness in a rush, jolting awake and sitting up quickly. Looking around, he realized he was lying under a tree, with tufts of green grass beneath him. Looking to his left, he saw the back wall of Fort Helencia. He was home, such as it was. A shot of pain ran through Jack, and he became aware of the wound on his chest. Cross' attack had left a huge slash mark in its wake, and the pain Jack felt was increased by his feelings of shame and failure at being vanquished. After all of the work he had done to get to Fire Mountain, he had failed. He had failed to save the fire dragon, failed to keep his promise to Ridley, and failed to defeat Cross. Worse, the revelation that his sister had been drawn into the conflict made his failure all the more devastating.
"I failed," Jack said in a defeated tone.
"Come now, what's all this talk of failure," a familiar voice asked from behind Jack. When he heard the voice, Jack immediately turned around.
"Captain Ganz," Jack exclaimed. Ganz Rothschild, the former Captain of the Rose Cochon Brigade, was standing behind Jack. The younger warrior immediately turned to embrace his Captain Conscious of his former subordinate's wound, Ganz helped Jack get to his feet.
"Easy now," Ganz said slowly. "Can you stand by yourself, Master Jack?
"Yeah, I'm all right," Jack replied. "How are you Captain? Where have you been?"
"That, I'm afraid is a long story," Ganz began. "Which begins the night that you and I petitioned Theater Vancoor for employment. After my unsuccessful attempt at being admitted, I spent some time in the town, before I eventually found employment with two fine women by the name's of Rynka and Flau."
"Wait a minute," Jack interjected. "I know who those two are. You were in the Bandit Guild?!"
"Well, uh, whether or not it suited my particular skill set is not what's important," Ganz stuttered.
"Because it sure didn't," Flau commented. She and Rynka were walking toward Jack and Ganz. Jack marveled at the fluid grace both women displayed as they strode toward him. Flau looked carefree, but Jack knew that she was aware of everything going on around her. Her dark brown eyes didn't miss a single detail. Rynka looked, as always, ready to fight off some unseen enemies. Her cold eyes never seemed to soften in the slightest. Although Jack had never been extremely close to either of them, he had thought himself close enough to have them reveal that his Captain was working with them.
"So, how come you two never told me about Captain Ganz," Jack asked.
"You never asked," Rynka replied.
"Well, yeah, but," Jack started. "Oh never mind. What are you guys doing here? I can't imagine you're here to fight, because we'd be doing it by now."
"Your powers of perception are as sharp as always Master Jack," Ganz remarked. "We're are actually here to do the exact opposite of fighting against you. We are here to help."
"It's no use," Jack replied, suddenly becoming very sober. "The fire dragon is dead, I lost to Cross, and now I found out my sister's been taken."
"You mean, this sister," Flau asked. When she stepped to the side, Jack saw that his sister, Adele, was standing directly behind the bandit.
"Adele," Jack cried out in relief. Ignoring the pain in his chest he ran and embraced his sister. "Adele, are you all right?"
"I'll be fine Jack," his older sister's voice held none of it's usual sharpness today. She was clearly relieved to see her younger sibling. "It's you I was worried about."
"We found out that Cross had taken her while we were stealing from some of the Palace Guards," Rynka explained. "Then, when Ganz wanted to investigate further, we found out even more."
"I wasn't about to let your sister rot in a dungeon," Ganz replied. "But yes, I dare say we found out a good deal more when we investigated Cross Ward's involvement in the recent happenings."
"Like what, something to do with the dwarves," asked Jack.
"No, Jack," said Ganz. His mood had darkened suddenly. "Something to do with us."
"I don't understand," Jack said, scratching his head.
"You remember the mission in which Lady Ridley was injured by the blood orc," Ganz asked. Jack winced at the memory.
"Yeah, unfortunately," Jack nodded as he spoke.
"I was sure you did," Ganz continued. "We discovered that it was Cross who sent those blood orcs to the light elves' homeland. He intended that they should harm the light elves."
"What," Jack asked. "Why would he do that?"
"The attacks would weaken the light elves," Flau began. "Not to mention cause an open conflict between the elves and the orcs. Blood orcs love to fight, so it wouldn't really bother them. Then, Cross would have a little more time and motivation to convince Lord Larks to allow an attack on the elves; particularly when he knew they would reject the trade proposal your Brigade was delivering. The fact that the two of you got involved was apparently a bonus."
"There's nothing he won't stoop to," Jack said. Rage was boiling up inside of him, as he thought of Cross' attempts to cause war and subjugate the other races.
"No, it appears not," Ganz answered. "This is why we thought it would be prudent to come to your aid. And, to free your sister of course."
"Thanks for all of this," Jack said. His smile looked genuine, but it did not touch his eyes. "I just don't know what we can do."
"That is partially out of our hands," Ganz explained. "Lord Zane and Sir Gawain will more than likely determine the non-humans' next move. Miss Rynka and Miss Flau will, unfortunately, be returning to Radiata. Our aiding you would not be well received, and they need to return to the Void community. More than likely, they will continue to provide us with information on the happenings in Radiata, and I certainly cannot imagine that they would face us in combat. Your sister will be returning to her home in the Tria Region, where her friends will keep her hidden from the guards of Radiata. I will be staying with you, Master Jack, and would love nothing more than to fight with you again."
"You've thought this all out," Jack said with a nod.
"Yes indeed," Ganz replied.
"Well, we could always use the extra help," Jack said. "Especially yours, Captain."
"Wonderful, wonderful," Ganz exclaimed. A broad grin had taken over his face, and he looked as if he would jump for joy. Jack suddenly became aware of a change in his captain's attire. Ganz was no longer wearing his armor from the Radiata Knights, but had donned similar armor of an almost green color. This armor bore the same markings as Sir Gawain's, and Jack realized that it was the Rothschild Family Crest; the symbol of the West. This thought reminded Jack of Ganz and his father's relationship.
"Hey, Captain," Jack began. "Uh, Sir Gawain, uh…"
"Is here," Ganz finished the sentence. His mood darkened, but only slightly. "Yes, I know. He and I are going to speak this very evening."
"Oh, okay," Jack nodded.
"Hey you two," Flau interjected. "We're going to have to get out of here soon."
"Yes, Ms. Flau, you're quite right," Ganz nodded hastily. "You two will escort Ms. Adele to her home, and then return quickly to Radiata."
"Sounds like a plan," said Rynka, her eyes on Ganz. "We'll be in touch with you soon."
"You're leaving already," asked Jack. "You just got here, can't you…"
"This is how it has to be," Adele said simply. She stepped closer to her younger sibling. "These two women have risked a lot already in coming here, and I won't have them put in unnecessary danger because of me. You need to stay focused and get everything finished, so that this will all be over. Then, we can catch up. I'm sorry, Jack, but this is the way things are."
"I guess you're right," Jack conceded. He embraced his sister. "I'm sorry for all of this, Adele."
"Don't be," Adele replied. "I know you're making the right choice, and for the right reasons. Take care of yourself, Jack."
"Yeah, I will," Jack said, slowly letting go of his sister. He turned to Rynka and Flau. "Thank you two for all you've done. I appreciate your help."
"Don't sweat it," Flau said with a wink. "Things were getting pretty slow around town anyway."
With these words, the three women all turned and walked across the lawn to the Journey Pig, where they promptly vanished. Jack was suddenly hit by a flood of emotions. It was a relief to know that Adele was all right; knowing that she was safe put his mind at ease. The reappearance of Ganz was a great comfort, as was the support of Rynka and Flau. Not all of his emotions were happy, though. At the same time, he was still worried for his sister. Her safety was not guaranteed, and she would still have to be careful to avoid being captured again. Equally troubling was the thought that Rynka and Flau could be in danger because they had aided him. If there superiors in the Void community discovered what they had done, Jack knew there would be trouble; he didn't even want to think of what would happen if the Radiata Knights found out.
Thinking of the Knights only served to remind Jack of Cross' treachery. Rage bubbled up inside of him at the thought of the haughty Knight Captain, and all of the trouble he had caused. Trouble didn't even seem to describe what Cross had caused. Devastation was the first word that came to Jack's mind. He thought of his dealings with Cross: the fateful mission into the elf lands, his dismissal from the Knights, his sister's kidnapping, and the death of Lord Parsec. Jack felt nothing but hatred at these thoughts. However, they were soon followed with shame. He had been given an opportunity to defeat Cross, and he had failed. Jack's feelings of inadequacy stood out above all of his other feelings. His temporary happiness still paled in comparison to the negative emotions that threatened to overcome him. After several long moments of contemplation, Ganz broke the silence.
"Master Jack," he began. "I'm afraid that I a very urgent matter that requires my attention. I hope you'll excuse me."
"Sure Captain, what's up," Jack asked.
"Well, uh," Ganz stuttered a little. "My father is here, and I must speak with him. It will be the first time we have spoken since he left, and I'm quite nervous."
"I see," Jack said with a nod. "I have a pretty good idea what he'll say Captain. He and I had a pretty deep conversation when we first met. Just hear him out."
"Oh, I fully intend to," Ganz replied. "I'm just rather uneasy about the entire experience."
"You'll be fine," said Jack.
"I suppose I will; thank you Master Jack. Now, I must go," Ganz said. He turned and started to walk away. "I'm sure the Lady Ridley is most anxious to see you."
"I can't talk to her Captain," Jack said. Ganz stopped in mid-stride.
"What do you mean," asked Ganz, turning to face Jack.
"I failed her," Jack answered. "I couldn't keep my promise. How can I tell her that?"
"She will understand," Ganz said gently. He put his arm around Jack's shoulder. "We all fall short from time to time Master Jack. It is the ones who get up and move on who truly become great. Your failure does not mark the end of your journey, but the start of the next part. Let this motivate you to become stronger and better. Lady Ridley will understand, Jack. She will want to know that you are all right. Go and speak with her."
"I will," Jack said with a nod. "Thanks Captain, and I'm sorry to keep you."
"Quite all right," Ganz said as they walked into Fort Helencia.
The two of them walked silently together until they were forced to separate. When they came to a door on their left, Ganz stopped and reached for the doorknob. He made eye contact with Jack, and gave a brief smile before facing the door and turning the knob. Jack continued walking down the hallway until he reached the last door on his right. His heart was racing as he reached out to open the door.
Vegeta26: Well, after a long hiatus, I'm finally back. I do apologize for the wait, but I've had a lot on my plate, so to speak. In any case, I hope that there are still some people out there reading, and that you enjoy this little story of mine. Perhaps you'll let me know what you thing via a review?
Weasel Debater: Cross is an interesting character, but his motivations are fairly basic. Nevertheless, I really do like writing his character. He really sets up a nice contrast with some of the game's other personalities, Jack in particular. Hence the fight. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope I'll hear more from you.
Cisqua: It took me a while, but the story's finally moving again. I hope you continue to enjoy it. I still haven't seen anything that you've posted…
Roxine27-TheBlingGalsRock4eva: Well, it may have taken longer than expected, but the update is here. Let me know what you think.
zigyy553: Thanks for the favorite add, and I hope you're enjoying the story.
MelMuff: It has been quite a while, hasn't it? Nevertheless, I'm still here, and so is the story. Hopefully, you'll stick around and enjoy it. I look forward to hearing from you again.