Sever All Ties
Chapter Thirty Three: Negotiations
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.
The following morning, Ganz, Gil, and Jack arrived at the practice yard at 7:45. Their weapons and equipment were already secured, and they were ready for the journey to Borgandiazo. Each regarded the others wordlessly, and they approached the Journey Pig. Gil wore a mysterious smile, and appeared anxious to be gone. Ganz had an air of confidence around him that had been absent while he was serving in the knights. Moments later, the three men appeared outside of the City of Flowers. The capital city of the light elves was hidden deep within the elf region. However, they would have to go even deeper. Lord Zane had told them that JJ, the leader of the green orcs, had hidden himself in the elf region after requesting their help. Jack, Ganz, and Gil quickly made their way through the wetlands behind the City of Flowers, and located the green orc. He was tall, taller than even Ganz. When he saw them approach, the orc instinctively reached for his weapon. Just as he began to raise the giant club over his head, JJ recognized the approaching party as friendly. He set the weapon down, and gestured for the warriors to approach. The orc spoke briefly, telling them that the blood orcs had taken his people as prisoners, and urging them to help free them. Jack and the others reassured the orc leader that they would rescue his friends, and quickly departed. Returning to the City of Flowers, they made their way to the Journey Pig. They quickly appeared at Radiata's Lupus Gate, and proceeded to make their way south through the Adien Region. The sun had barely risen, and there was little activity. Even so, the three companions moved quickly and quietly, attempting to stay out of sight. Once they reached the Ocho Region, the warriors stepped onto the main path once more. When they neared the border to the Desneuf Region, Jack halted their advance. Looking ahead, he saw a group of Radiata Knights guarding the border into the orc nation.
"They're probably here to act as a buffer between the orcs and Radiata," said Jack. "I don't think they're expecting us."
"Of course not," Gil nodded. His ice blade immediately appeared in his hand. "Too bad for them."
"Not this time," Jack replied. This brought a confused look from the light elf. "There's no need. We can slip past them, and reach the orcs faster."
"You're getting soft, Jack," Gil said.
"No," Jack said simply. "It's just not necessary."
"I hate to interrupt, but we really should be moving along," Ganz interjected.
"He's right," Jack said.
With that, the trio stepped off of the path, and stealthily made their way through the tall grass. When they had safely crossed into the Desneuf Region they stepped onto the road once more. There was no fear of encountering humans in the blood orcs' territory, so they could walk freely. Even so, the blood orcs were still hostile, and they all kept their hands on their weapons. Making their way down the winding path, they soon approached the entrance to the orc city. Borgandiazo was, quite literally, a hole in the ground. The orcs built their dwelling by digging down into the ground. The city had been carved into dirt and rock. The only entrance was a thick length of rope, which the three warriors quickly descended. At the bottom, they found themselves on a rotunda, overlooking many more levels. It was clear that they would have to continue their descent if they hoped to find the green orcs.
Descending through the orc dwelling, Jack found himself unable to focus on their task. His thoughts continually returned to the conversation between he and Ridley from the night before. His attempt to rectify the mistakes he had made had not been well received. Though he had tried to reason with her, Ridley would not listen to him. He felt awkward and uncomfortable with his situation. Jack knew that the only thing for him to do was to continue to stand by her side, but he was no longer sure what that meant. He knew that they had both changed a great deal, but wondered how that would affect their interactions.
With these thoughts on his mind, Jack momentarily forgot about the orcs. As he was climbing down one of the nearby ladders, Jack attracted the attention of a blood orc sentry. When he jumped off of the ladder, several orcs were already charging toward him. Jack drew his sword and moved to engage them. The Arbitrator shone as Jack began to attack. His father's sword felt perfect in his hands, dispelling any doubts he had about using it. Ganz scrambled down the ladder, and Gil flew to Jack's aid. The three of them quickly dispatched the group of orcs, and continued down the path, using additional haste. Blood orcs appeared from every direction, yet the swordsmen patiently fought their way to the lowest level of the city. There, the leader of the blood orcs met them. Galvados was tall enough to make JJ seem small. He towered over even the other blood orcs, and wore a vicious smirk. He was seated atop a giant lizard-like creature, and was flanked by two additional warriors.
"Why are you here," the orc asked.
"We want you to release the green orcs and join the non-humans in their battle against Radiata," Jack stated. Galvados simply laughed.
"I don't think so," he said. "You'll have to defeat me."
"I was hoping you'd say something like that," said Jack. "Let's go!"
The bottom of the city was immediately consumed by the sounds of battle. Jack charged toward Galvados, while Gil and Ganz each attacked an orc warrior. Jack quickly found that attacking Galvados was next to impossible. His mount was tall enough that Jack could not attack effectively, though Galvados was able to use his long arms to attack. As he attempted to avoid the orc's attacks, Jack began to form a plan. Rolling to his feet, he used the Arbitrator to cut into the lizard's leg. The beast roared in pain, and tried to use its tail to attack Jack. The young swordsman dove out of the way, shouting for his friends to be careful.
Gil was skillfully dodging the attacks that were directed at him, making use of his speed to counter when the time was right. Ganz had used the reach of his two handed sword to put some distance between he and his opponent. His strength and intelligence were keeping him from being defeated. The rampaging lizard only made their situation more perilous. Ganz and Gil quickly came to Jack's assistance, hacking at the creature's legs. When it stumbled, Jack leapt onto the lizard's back. A series of well-placed attacks caused the creature to fall, and Galvados immediately jumped off. Jack didn't hesitate in charging toward the orc leader. As the orc's club came crashing down, Jack dove to the side. He came to his feet just as the second swing came toward him. Jack's speed saved him, as he got within range and struck. The Arbitrator cut deeply into Galvados' side, and Jack continued to attack. When he fell back, the orc had a series of cuts on his body; several patches of crimson complimented the blood orc's already red skin. However, Galvados didn't even seem phased by Jack's onslaught. He continued to walk forward, preparing his next attack. Jack narrowly avoided the next attack, though he was able to counter. As the fight wore on, Jack became frustrated. Galvados was too slow to hit him, but none of his attacks had been effective in stopping the orc. Out of the corner of his left eye, Jack saw Gil's opponent go down, and was encouraged by his friend's success. Jumping into the air, he left a vertical slash on the orc leader. As he was lunging away, Galvados' weapon clipped Jack's shoulder, sending him sailing across the lower level. The blood orc immediately charged after him with surprising speed. Jack leapt to his feet, forcing down the pain, and prepared to continue fighting.
As he ran forward, Jack saw that Ganz had also defeated his opponent. They were now in a position to defeat Galvados as a team. Rushing at him from three sides, the warriors were able to successfully attack the orc. Soon, Galvados began to show clear signs of weakness. His movements had become sporadic, and he was losing his speed. Jack took a step back and prepared to end the fight. A red-hot flame surrounded him as he prepared his volty blast. Galvados attempted to reach Jack, but Gil and Ganz prevented him from advancing. When Jack was ready, he nodded to his allies.
"Limit Break," he shouted.
Jack rushed toward the orc, and launched into a flurry of sword strokes. His attacks culminated in his launching himself into the air and striking a powerful blow. As he landed, the orc leader fell to the ground. The fight was over. Galvados' allies were dead, but the orc leader himself was only wounded. However, he was unable to rise. Jack strode over to his side, and pointed his sword at Galvados.
"So, are you going to join the non-humans," Jack asked.
"You are strong," Galvados answered. "I will join you."
"Good," Jack replied. "And, you'll need to release the green orcs you took prisoner."
Galvados looked as though he would protest this order, but simply nodded his head. Wordlessly, Jack turned and left Borgandiazo; Gil and Ganz followed behind him. When he had finally reached the surface and the Desneuf Region, Jack continued walking down the road. His thoughts immediately returned to he and Ridley, and what would happen when they returned. Behind him, he heard Ganz call his name. Glancing back, Jack found that he had inadvertently sped up, putting some distance between he and his friends. Jack immediately slowed down so that his former captain could catch up.
"Master Jack, is something the matter," Ganz asked. "You haven't seemed yourself today."
"I haven't been myself," Jack mused. "I don't even know who I am anymore, Captain. I guess I'm just distracted. I…"
Jack trailed off in mid-sentence. They were approaching the border to cross back between the Desneuf and Ocho Regions. Both of his companions were looking at him questioningly. Jack shook his head to indicate that, once again, they would avoid engaging the enemy. He simply wanted to return to Fort Helencia as quickly as possible. The setting sun partially cloaked their movements, and the three warriors quickly slipped past the Radiata Knights. They cautiously made their way back through the Ocho Region and into the Adien Region. By the time they reached the Journey Pig near the Lupus Gate, the sun had completely disappeared, and nightfall helped to mask their movements. Jack wasted no time, immediately reaching out to the Journey Pig and traveling back to Fort Helencia.
Vegeta26: Interestingly enough, I am still writing. Hopefully, you'll excuse the delay; I've been very busy, and this chapter didn't feel like it flowed well at all. The orc mission felt tacked on in the game, and it felt rushed here, which is unfortunate. I finally decided to just get it up, as unsatisfactory as it feels. So, there it is. Thanks to all of you who continue to read and review. Please, don't stop now. Let me know what you think.
Lord Voldios: Always good to hear from you. Rest assured that the chapters to come will be as "dramatic and action packed" as you hope.
Cisqua: Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
MelMuff: I hope you enjoyed the orc adventure, such as it was, and that I'll hear from you again.
Weasel Debater: You've now been enlightened with regard to the orc alliance. Hopefully you found it satisfactory.
aguyuno: Don't worry, I'm still writing. I'm well aware of the fact that some points of my story don't line up 100% with the game, but it's all right as far as I'm concerned. Nothing of this has really been extremely altered, and it has made it possible to write sections that would otherwise have been omitted. I look forward to hearing from you again.