Note: Song reference chapter, especially with the last scene. "A Forest" by The Cure was major inspiration.
Aliasse slipped out of the old campus building early in the morning, with no destination in mind. The normally carefree girl wanted to wander around campus, without a single worry. She wondered where everyone was, but then she realized she was out before sunrise. Still, she wished to be around people, particularly Avan, Zeri, and Cosette.
What were other people like to be around? Aliasse was used to being on her own for so long, seeing the students hang out with each other made her feel like something was missing from her life. She was a stranger in a strange land. Detachment and sadness took hold within her, as the young girl looked within herself. She thought her mama was all she needed, but then people befriended her. How did she approach people? The thoughts eluded the young girl. She was told that she didn't need friends, but the connections felt comforting. How did people make friends? Perhaps she didn't know.
Then again, she befriended Erik. He was a grumpy fellow, but she found him fun to be around.
Sure, Aliasse and Avan didn't start off on the best of terms, but all was good in the end. She thought he was a big red meanie who chased her at night, but he turned out to be a lovable goofball. Cosette was a kind person who didn't mind how different this young girl was from the rest.
Her new friends were good people.
Zeri.
The blue haired young man wearing glasses. He seemed so distant and quiet. While he hung around Avan and Cosette, she didn't really get to know him as well as those two. What was it about him?
She sensed the strong loneliness he carried with him. Even though she saw him around people, she wanted to make better sense of him. Maybe he kept a lot of things to himself. Zeri wasn't cheerful like Avan and Cosette, but he didn't seem to shy away from her. Maybe he didn't know how to make friends? She wondered if it was the right question to ask. Then again, she wasn't used to making friends, yet it came so easily to her.
Did he go through life alone like she did? Aliasse often struggled with loneliness and would do anything to be around other people.
Was there a side to him she didn't know about? There had to be.
Aliasse was raised to be a human weapon and her upbringing affected the way in which she saw people. While she often sought the approval of her mama, the only human being she knew well for a good part of her life, other humans were absolute strangers. Yet, she liked being around them. The cheerful young girl and the Valkyria warrior were two different sides of the same person. Did other people have different personas like she did? She wasn't the only one, that much she knew.
Aliasse then looked at the hooded robe she was wearing. How she wished she could get rid of it. While her mama explained why she needed to keep a low profile, the young girl cared little, only wearing it to get her approval. When she showed her face to Avan, Zeri, and Cosette, what did she realize? People didn't run away in fear. Those three didn't treat her different because of her silver hair and red eyes. To them, she was simply a young girl. It felt nice.
Perhaps Aliasse could befriend Zeri?
Maybe there was a way to get him to open up to her.
She had an idea.
Why not try on a school uniform?
The young girl went inside the gym and sneaked into the female locker room. Since it was still so early outside, nobody was around. There, she rummaged through the various lockers for a school uniform to wear. She tried on various sizes until she eventually found a pair that fit her well enough.
Aliasse loved how the clothes felt on her. The blue blazer and plaid skirt made her feel like the other students, right at home with them. She had the right idea all along.
Nobody would mind if some clothes went missing, right?
On a restless night, Juliana sat on her bed curled up while she held a pillow. Normally, she prided herself on her good sleeping habits. After all, a well-rested person was a successful person.
Countless thoughts however kept her up late. Most, if not all, involved Zeri.
"Juliana, you need me more than you realize."
His words refused to leave her mind.
Why did she become afraid of Zeri at that moment?
She was Juliana Everhart, the daughter of one of the most prominent aristocratic houses within Gallia. She was raised to be a leader and saw herself as the chosen one, destined for greatness. While she was normally brash and stubborn and not afraid to show it, she played it out in specific ways to maintain her public persona. There were certain things she did that were simply an act, in contradiction to her actual self. She wanted people to know that she was better than them. Whether people admired her or couldn't stand her didn't matter, she wanted the attention more than anything else. In high society, where reputation mattered, she maintained this persona.
Because she was so competitive, she was no stranger to feuding with people. To be a noble simply wasn't enough, she needed to prove herself. Fear of people was supposed to be below her social standing. If she faltered in front of everyone, would anyone take her seriously? She'd be nothing without her reputation. Only self-loathing would remain, and she wanted to do anything to keep it from taking ahold of herself. She needed to show who was in charge.
Only that damned Darcsen struck fear into heart during their last encounter. He carried such a threatening aura about him. There was the way he made her feel so small by comparison. Even though he was taller than her physically, normally she more than compensated with her presence and the way in which she stood her ground, but it didn't happen that time. Maybe it was the way he stood so close to her and the tone in which he spoke. She never ran away from an encounter because she didn't want to appear a coward in front of everyone. For once, she wanted to, and she almost did, but his intimidating presence overrode her response to flee until he all but told her to go.
What was she supposed to do, squirm her legs? That would've been too unbecoming of her, because it would show any sense of attraction toward him, of which she was convinced she had none whatsoever. When she bit her lip, she meant to hide any emotions showing overt vulnerability. It was absolutely nothing like those steamy romance novels she sometimes flipped through out of mere curiosity, in which the protagonist bit her lip in eager anticipation of the passionate lovemaking with the love interest with whom she became involved. It must have been the cold tone of his voice, the intense look in his icy eyes, and everything else in between.
He wouldn't dare act like this if it were just the two of them, right? Maybe she'd have lost the restraint to show any body language that belied the persona she wanted to maintain. He'd probably push her against a wall, or pin her to the ground, or a combination of both. Whether he'd shout at her or whisper into her ear made no difference. She'd want to slap him, but either he'd grab her by the wrist or take the slap, but still glare at her all the same.
Why the hell was her imagination running wild?
She put the thoughts aside.
Juliana was still by herself in her dorm room. She thought about how she didn't want to rely on others for her success. If she depended too much on people, she'd see herself as a lesser person. It's why she barely had anyone she could call a close friend. She learned to be selective and sometimes distrustful of people because she sensed some of them wanted to associate with her only due to her status and nothing more. In addition, she had almost no connection whatsoever with commoners due to her upbringing. Because of all of this, she had very few people in whom she could confide. How could she deal with this? Maybe she wanted to have tea time with some of the people she actually got along with, like Marion and Alexis, who were always happy to have her company. Relax, partake in pleasant conversations, not worry about much, and sip good tea. Other people she got along could join in.
Maybe Juliana wanted a sense of belonging. She should be content where she was in Class A, and for good reason, because she was well-respected as the class chair, but she often thought about Class G. There was never a dull moment with the students of Class G, and even though she berated them, they never bored her. Maybe she wanted to talk to Hubert. Even though he wasn't her homeroom teacher, she knew him from all the times he'd visit the estate, among other places. Hubert often wished she was in Class G, and while circumstances worked out the way they did, she still respected him.
Juliana had a combat drill to get ready for tomorrow against Class G. While it was going to be an easy victory, the problem was dealing with the idiot Avan. How was he related to Leon? Let him talk all he want, and she'll talk back to red-haired ignoramus. He had charisma, she'll give him that much.
The night wasn't getting any earlier and further thoughts would only keep her up longer. She tried to get some sleep.
Zeri walked through the campus courtyard, like any other morning. As usual, he crossed paths with Juliana. This time however, she kept her distance more than usual, probably related to their encounter from the other day. Even though he noticed her trying to play it off by being cool and distant when she greeted him with an icy stare, he sensed that she was hiding her nervousness.
He looked around his surroundings to take his mind off Juliana and to avoid staring back at her. In the background was Lotte, equipped with a camera around neck, along with a notepad and pencil.
What was she up to, with a grin on her face? Most likely doing a scoop on them both.
Sooner or later he'd find out when the latest edition of the Lotte Insider went fresh off the press and onto newsstands across the school. He told himself that he didn't care about her kind of journalism, but even he read the Lotte Insider out of curiosity, to see what she'd come up with.
He looked back to Juliana and wondered how to approach her, or if it was even worth it.
The answer?
Not worth it this morning.
There was a combat drill to get ready for, and Zeri needed to meet up with his classmates to discuss the game plan to the best of their ability.
Class G gathered around Avan at the drill grounds for the huddle.
"As you all know, we are facing Class A for the combat drill today," Avan said.
"Oh no," several people said in unison. While they knew their opponents ahead of time, they knew exactly what it meant for them.
Zeri shrugged his shoulders. "Unfortunately, I want to agree with the reactions of my classmates, but I want to remain level-headed about our game plan."
"We're going to lose badly, I know it, and I don't want to be out there," Raymond said. Despite him being in clear view of everyone else, he still hid behind the nearest person out of nervousness.
Morris voiced his pessimism. "So help us when Juliana shows up."
Magari raised her hand to speak. "We'll heal up and evacuate people whenever things get rough. Juliana is intimidating, though knowing my history with her, she'll probably ignore me, like she usually does."
Zeri nodded. "I can vouch for her. Juliana will be too busy going after me to give her any thought." His face softened when he turned to speak to her. "You'll have nothing to worry about with me around." Magari's smile made him feel better.
Rene patted Magari on the shoulder. "We got you covered," she reassured her.
"You know it!" Reiner boasted. "Ain't nobody going to mess with you!"
Nichol raised his hand. "What if I run into Franca on the drill grounds?"
"Hope for the best," Morris said. "You should probably run."
"Whatever happens, happens, man. We're going to get our butts kicked, we get this over with, we move onto other things. I'll hang out at the base camp in the meantime," Joachim said.
"Your laid back attitude amazes me, really," Mischlitt responded matter of fact. "Not like we'll win, I agree."
Zeri looked around at his classmates. "Alright, everyone, I'm glad that we all voiced our opinions on Class A. We still need to come up with some sort of plan for taking on Class A, no matter our chances. Avan, any ideas?"
"We'll hang on as long as we can, possibly take out some from their side. I really didn't think things through, so do your best everyone!" Avan exclaimed.
"As much confidence as Avan instilled in me, he's still right. I wish we put aside time in advance to discuss and then come up with a substantial gameplan, but we are not going to throw the match. That's what everyone else expects." Logic was absent from most of his classmates, but he tried to make the best of the situation. "I'll make things easy to understand. Some of you will stay behind at the base camp. Avan and I will capture a nearby camp so we have another place to hold onto. As far as everyone else goes, I'll defer to Avan."
"I gotta appreciate my man Zeri for giving me things to work with." He chuckled in the face of a surefire loss. "Lotte, you'll scout the area to see what Class A is up to. Erik, you'll defend the camp as best you can. Alexis will back you up. Reiner and Mischlitt, you can run interception on anyone coming our way. Marion and Rene, you'll provide firepower and push toward Class A's base camp. Cosette will be around to provide aid. Zeri and I will capture a nearby camp and set up our position."
"We'll carry each other as best we can through this." Zeri looked at his watch. "Just a few minutes to go until go time. Everyone get ready."
The huddle was over and the students of Class G got into their starting positions.
The seconds ticked.
"Yeeeehaaaaaaaaw, I'm taking the stage!" Anisette loaded her submachine gun and ran off.
Zeri looked dumbfounded. This was not supposed to happen. She already blew the plan with her gung-ho attitude.
"Right behind you! Rene, we're taking off!" Reiner shouted. Both of them left the base camp without much consideration for what they were supposed to do.
So much for the plan.
Marion looked at Alexis, "I dare say, things will be grim out there and I prefer not to join everyone. I'd much rather keep you company."
"Of course, you're always welcome to be with me. I'll keep you safe," she told her.
Marion hugged Alexis. "I knew I could count on you."
Meanwhile, Erik grumped, sat down, and turned away opposite from the field. "Let me know if anything gonna happen. I'm going to rest, because I don't wanna deal with anyone."
Zeri should have known better about people taking this match seriously. Did they care about winning or losing? They were doing whatever they wanted. At least some people stayed behind to defend the camp.
Avan approached Zeri and put a shoulder around him. "Let's give it our best. We got each others backs. We ride together, we die together." Zeri wouldn't welcome anyone getting into his personal space with the original plan falling apart, but he didn't mind Avan and he took whatever reassurance he could get.
"I can rely on you, I mean it, and you wouldn't know what to do without me" Zeri said.
Despite all the chaos and disorderliness of his classmates, he trusted Avan. They grew close within the short amount of time they already knew each other, from the time they first met right before the start of the school year to now. Avan stood up for him against Juliana when he didn't have to, and even though Zeri was a bit embarrassed about it back then, he appreciated him. That alone cemented their friendship, and it only grew closer from there. He wanted to think more about Avan, but with the combat drill already becoming a disaster, he needed to take action.
Zeri grabbed Avan and made a run for it. They stopped at a pile of sandbags to crouch, take cover, and scan the area. Nobody was around. Their classmates were already on ahead and their opponents hadn't shown up yet.
"I think we'll have an easy time with the camp, with the way things are going," Avan said.
"I'll take anything competent we do during this drill," Zeri replied.
They looked at their weapons, then looked ahead at the camp. "It's not too far off," Avan remarked. "Follow me."
"Right after you."
Soon enough, they arrived at the camp, which was completely empty, and captured it.
"Well that was easy," Avan said as he sat down onto the ground.
Zeri scanned the area with concern. "Too easy. If they come for our camp, we'll hold onto it as long as possible."
"We aren't going down without a fight, that's for sure."
"I admire your attitude, Avan."
"Yeah!"
Okay, hear me out. If you think about it, if I'm the legs of Class G, then you're the arms of Class G."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I go for it, and you hit hard!"
"I'll take your word for it. Maybe the words will make more sense later on and I'll think you're a genius, looking back."
Avan chuckled. "I like you, Zeri."
"You too." Zeri paused for a moment. "Avan, you should look over to see what's happening."
Out in the distance, they saw several of their classmates run toward the camp.
"Uhhhh, guys, this is looking bad, like really bad," Rene said. "We tried to charge the camp, but things went worse than we imagined. We stopped more than halfway through, in the middle of the field, to rethink things. Maybe we expected Class A to lure us into their base camp and then attack, but they got aggressive and clashed with us. Now we're on the run. So much for stopping in the middle of an open field."
Zeri wanted to ask how things could get any worse, but he knew better than to curse an already bad situation.
"We should run back to the camp to make sure it's not taken," Avan said.
"Sounds like a plan," Zeri replied.
"I'll stay at this camp and tend to some of our classmates, you two go on ahead," Cosette said.
Avan and Zeri nodded. When they reached the base camp, they saw Mischlitt with Erik, Marion, and Alexis.
"Glad to see you guys!" Avan said.
"I take it things are looking bad," Erik commented.
"About as expected," Zeri responded. "Say, Mischlitt, I didn't expect you to take position, but it's appreciated."
"I thought the base camp could use some more defense," she said.
"And it probably won't change a thing." It was as nice as Marion was going to say about her Darcsen classmate.
"You're only saying that because she's a Darcsen." Erik grunted. "Hmph. I want to at least get a few shots in."
"At least I feel smart for staying here and defending the camp," Mischlitt said.
"Glad that you all had the right idea by holding on," Zeri said.
Avan and Zeri joined the four on the lookout for their inevitable loss.
"Say, Alexis, why did you bring your sword?" Avan asked.
"I feel more comfortable with it," she responded.
Mischlitt looked at Alexis with disdain. "Keep telling yourself that. I have my shotgun on standby."
"Here they come!" Avan shouted and readied his rifle.
Several Class A students charged in and opened fire on the base camp. The Class G students moved out of cover from the sandbags and returned fire, with the hope that they bought enough time for reinforcements to come. Nobody showed up however. As soon as they realized that their opponents weren't moving in, they noticed other students from their left and right sides closing in. There was no way getting out of this situation.
Zeri signaled for surrender and the match was called. The Class G students on standby, including Magari, convened at the base camp.
Avan was dejected, but tried to maintain his good spirit. "We may have lost, but we gave it our all. Good work, everyone. Raymond and Joachim, want to fetch the rest of our classmates and bring them back over here?"
"You got it, man," Joachim said.
"Sure thing," Raymond said as well.
When both left, Magari went to Zeri and checked up on him. "Are you feeling okay? Nobody hurt you too much?"
It pained Zeri to see Magari worried like this, so he reassured her. "Nothing more than a scratch here and there. Some of our classmates got it worse, but Avan looked out for me."
"Glad to hear! And thank you Avan, for looking out for Zeri, it means a lot."
"It's no problem, he's my pal, after all," Avan said and then chuckled. "Anyone messes with him, they mess with me. Zeri's in good hands."
"A friend of Zeri is a friend of mine!" Magari felt comfortable, which meant a lot to Zeri.
He was glad to have people he could call friends. There was Avan, one of the first people he got to know at Lanseal. Of course, there was Magari, his longtime friend from back in Randgriz. He then looked at his other classmates, who had grown to like him. Sometimes, Zeri found it too easy to get wrapped up with himself and think he was all alone, but he knew better. He then looked at Mischlitt. While she wasn't the most verbal, she appreciated his company. She nodded. He then saw Raymond and Joachim return with the remaining classmates.
Unfortunately, Zeri then noticed Juliana approach the base camp with a sword and shield.
Time to deal with her.
"About time you showed up. I'm surprised you waited this long. I thought you'd lead the charge and defeat Class G than to make your classmates do your bidding. If I didn't know any better, I thought you were afraid of me. Say whatever you need to, go on your tirade, go on."
"First of all, I am not afraid of you, Darcsen. You'd have to do a lot to intimidate me. Second of all, while I am the most skilled person on this field, my classmates needed a chance to show how good they are. Wouldn't be fair for me to steal all the glory. Third, I'm better than you and every one of you losers, and you know it."
Zeri knew Juliana was lying about the first point, based on their encounter in the Class G homeroom. Nobody else in his class knew that because of how well she masked her feelings, but he sensed it up close and personal due to his familiarity with her. He decided against pushing the matter.
"I appreciate you getting to the point. Is the sword and shield for show? Good to know a practice drill matters so much to you."
"I'll let you know I'm good with this sword and shield. Do you wish to challenge me?"
"I would love nothing more than to challenge you, but preferably not after we just lost this combat drill. This sort of match needs a proper place and time."
"You want to avoid me."
"I prefer you getting to the point than to hold us all up with your words. Let's be real, you just go as a Fencer on the drill grounds because you're so confident you don't need to go with any other class to defeat Class G. My main class may be a Shocktrooper, but you're not the only one who can excel at any other class." Zeri was probably called a bluff because he actually didn't test for any other classes, but he rode on his confidence on doing so later. Maybe he'd talk to Hubert about the matter.
"I like an open challenge. Pick a class, and I will take you on."
"If that's the case, then I'll be a Fencer just to deal with you."
"If you weren't so familiar with swords, I'd call you a fool."
"I'm glad you perceive me no fool."
"Unlike some of your classmates, like Hardins over there."
Avan shouted, "Not cool, Juliana!" He went over to Zeri and patted him on the shoulder. "You got this, man."
"You pick a time and place, and I will agree to it." Zeri said.
"Let's make things interesting," Juliana said. "You and Class G somehow make it all the way to the Laevatein Cup finals and you beat Class A, I will put the championship cup on the line for a one-on-one match against you."
"Challenge accepted."
Avan looked shocked. "Whoa buddy, you sure about this?"
"I'm absolutely certain," Zeri told him. "The Laevatein Cup is a Class G effort, but this is personal."
"You hear that, Juliana? Class G is gonna get good, just you wait when we get to the finals! We will make Zeri's challenge happen, with the power of this class! We're all behind him!" Avan's motivation got his classmates to cheer Zeri on.
Juliana looked over at Avan. "I better understand why you're the class chair, Hardins. I cannot deny your charisma. I will now have to take you seriously."
"Thank you for giving Avan some respect for once," Zeri said. "I hope this is the beginning of you seeing him on the same level as yourself."
"You and Hardins are special, I will give you that much. I wonder how you two will go from here. Until next time, I will see myself out."
With that, Juliana was gone.
Avan had arm around Zeri's shoulder and addressed the rest of Class G. "Let's all head back. You did great, everyone." He sent back everyone in a good mood, and regardless of what happened during the drill, that mattered.
Juliana's words bestowed respect upon both Avan and Zeri, an acknowledgment of their friendship, of the team they made together. Even if she didn't address Avan by his first name, like how she refused to call Zeri by his name in front of everyone, her gesture was significant. Class G believed in these two. This was the power of Avan and Zeri. They were ready to take on the challenges yet to come their way.
Zeri walked through a forest covered in a heavy fog. He kicked up the occasional leaves and treaded the sometimes dewy grass. For who knew how long by this point, he didn't know how deep he was into the trees, nor did he gave much thought to his bearings. Logic and reason didn't apply in this setting, where he ran on instinct, as he heard the voice of a woman calling his name. He swore the voice belonged to Juliana, but he wanted to know for himself.
Juliana normally refused to call him by his name out loud around other people. When she actually said his name, it was only spoken softly to him alone and nobody else. It made him wonder if he was hearing the voice in his head, but since he was by himself, he didn't know. There was no time to rationalize, he sometimes broke into a run whenever the voice called out to him, before it quieted down.
He looked into the trees and thought he saw someone out in the distance, but with the heavy fog, he couldn't tell. Maybe it was his mind wanting this person to be there. Only his instinct pushed him forward, until the voice no longer called his name.
Suddenly he stopped, but it was too late. Juliana was never there. He was in a forest, all alone. It was always the same, he was running into nothing, again and again and again.
Aliasse appeared through the trees. What was she doing here? She looked just as lost as him. Was she pursuing someone, like he was?
Zeri woke up. Thankfully, he was still in his dorm room. He laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. The dream weighed heavily on his mind.
Was Zeri chasing someone far out of his reach? It felt that way. What exactly was he seeking to accomplish in the way he was pursuing his goals? He couldn't answer. How did it explain Aliasse showing up in his dream? He wished he knew. Was she dreaming the same thing about pursuing someone or something impossible? Now that he thought about it, he barely knew Aliasse. The dream was telling him he should get to know her better, however awkward the encounter would be.
There was more to the dream that he wanted to think about, but he wanted to fall back asleep. The night would eventually pass, and he'd wake up the following morning to go about his entire day.
The forest would eventually call to him, into the trees.
Aliasse remained on his mind for the rest of the night.
Who exactly was she?
Note: I guess I can talk about some behind the scenes with the fic.
Early on, I wanted to see how much I could change around with the setting of Lanseal, to see how much I can introduce from real life military academies into the school setting. Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but I wanted to see what I could do different.
So I read a book to get some ideas. "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point" by Dave Lipsky. Good book, worth checking out. It's where I got the idea to work in the plebe system and I think it adds some dimension to what I'm doing here.
Actually, I don't think I changed much around with Lanseal. Still, the book gives me a sense of what else I can do with this story.
Oh right, the school year thing. It made more sense to start the school year in August than January like the game did.
I didn't know how the Armored Tech and Fencer class were going to translate into writing, so I introduced shotguns into the story as a close range weapon. Then I realized, with this chapter, I can still work in the swords for the Fencer class. Hey, if the Final Fantasy games can have different weapons and magic coexist, I can get away with it here.
Now, with our main cast, Zeri, Aliasse, and Juliana. I really liked going into their inner thoughts and working out my interpretation of their characters. I consider Aliasse to be the deuteragonist of the story, the second most important character behind Zeri. Of course, Juliana is still important. After all, she's the rival turned eventual love interest.
Look forward to a lot of Aliasse in the next chapter!
