Nights_into_dreams
08-24-2005, 03:42 PM
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is Part I of my mammoth Final Fantasy XI fanfiction, that I finally decided to post here. Warning: This story contains sex, violence, and is a love story...
A bit of background to Final Fantasy XI:
The world it is set in is called Vana'diel. Inside Vana'diel, there are three countries: The Republic of Bastok, The Kingdom of San 'd Oria, The Federation of Windurst. These three kingdoms connect to a place called The Grand Duchy of Jeuno, where our protagonist is from. The story begins on the eve of the Crystal War, which is where these four kingdoms were attacked by several ruthless races who banded together are called beastmen.
A few more notes:
The Japanese in the story is real, but I have purposelly mispelt it. I did this because to a non-native speaker, they aren't going to hear the language correctly, and I felt I had to put that in the story. Second, the Interludes are written from the girl's prespective, and everything she says (until she starts speaking english) is in Japanese. Keep that in mind. Lastly, this is a continuing work. Currently, when you total the Chapters, Aki, and Interludes together, it comes out to be about 42 sections so far, bound up into Five Kasho and Parts. I will be putting each Kasho and Part into a new thread, to make it a bit easier to digest.
Please enjoy, and tell me what you think!
And now...Aishiteru (I Love You).
*****
Part I: Connection (Enishi)
Chapter I-Meeting
***
We met on the top of the world.
I guess all stories have to have a beginning, and no matter how I start, that line always seems to come to mind first when it comes to ours.
We met at the top of the world.
Okay, maybe not exactly at the top of the world, but when you are at the top of the highest mountain in Attowa Chasm, it certainly does feel that way.
I was gazing out at the rising dawn that hung over the desert when she came up silently from behind out what seemed to be nowhere, and sat next to me.
I remembered the hawks circling overhead in lazy circles as the sky faded from a deep purple color slowly into a hue of orange.
We sat together like statues for what felt like hours, side by side, not saying anything, just watching the sun creeping its way up slowly.
Finally, I couldn't take it any longer, and I looked over at her out of the corner of my eye.
The first thing that struck me about her was that she had long black hair tucked beneath an old pointed felt hat that fell down to the ground. Her body wasn?t thin, but wasn't fat at the same time.
She didn't bother to look back at me, but instead tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stare out at the falling sun.
"Utsukushii?" she whispered softly out of the blue, as if to no one in particular.
Her word caught me off guard. She spoke that other language? I have always heard of those that spoke a different language, yet had never encountered one of those people before.
Can she maybe also speak English?
I coughed slightly, and it appeared to catch her off guard once more.
"Ano?..." she said softly, finally turning to look at me.
I pointed out at the horizon with my right hand, to where the sun had almost disappeared behind.
"Beautiful, isn't it? The red, orange, purple, all melding into one beautiful color show. Like someone took a bucket of paint, and splattered it everywhere...it takes my breath away." I spoke slowly, carefully, in the faint hope that she might follow what I am saying.
She shakes her head in slight confusion, and looks at me with slightly squinting eyes.
"Watashiwa eotteelukotoo watashiga kotowa litoshinaekotoo zennendealu. Watashio keyoshinasai"
"You don't understand me?" I said.
The look of further confusion on her face told me all. She couldn't pick up on even a single word of it...
I tried quickly to be able to think of a way to get what I was trying to say through to her, in a way that she would be able to understand?and then a brilliant idea striked me.
I got up slowly, not bothering to brush the dust from my pants where it had gathered from the hours of sitting. I treaded carefully behind her, and then squatted down behind her. I then took her left hand, and immediately felt her stiffen up for a moment.
"Trust me." I say slowly, with no hint of threat in my voice.
She seemed to pick up on the meaning of what I said, and her hand then relaxed in my grip.
I pointed her hand up at the sky.
"Sky." I say that slowly, carefully.
She nods slightly in response, accidentally causing a few stray strands of her long hair to brush against my face.
She smelt like rolanberries.
I then moved her hand over to the glimmering orb that was hanging in the sky.
"Sun."
Again she nodded slightly, and I could swear that I could see the corners of her lips curl upwards slightly, even from behind.
I then took her hand and drew it in a wise brush arc across the sky.
"Beauty."
"aaaaa!" She exclaimed happily.
"Ochilukalaoyobi?otsukushii-shyonikon goosulu shyokunosubite?" she said in those words that I couldn't possibly hope to understand.
Did she get what I was trying to say?
Did my idea work?
She then turned around, and looked at me.
I could see by the look on her face that she had figured out what I was trying to say.
We smiled for a moment at each other, and then she stood up.
She leaned in closely to me, and then whispered into my right ear, "Watashiwa ima ikanakelebanlanaihoshiga soleokisadasuleba, watashiga kakukanelude watashitachiwa? futai aukotoo kotoo."
She pulled back quickly, and then tossed me a wink. She then crossed her arms in front of her in an 'X' position, and closed her eyes while tilting her head skyward.
"Watashio tsulesalinasai." She whispered, and then a black orbish glow of energy came out of her, surrounding her, and then swallowed her whole, causing her to disappear without leaving a trace.
Save the faint smell of rolanberries.
I remember the thoughts going through my head of who was she, and will I ever see her again.
But little did I know at the time?
That was only the beginning.
-fin Chapter I: Meeting
***
Aki II: Futamusua
*****
Two years passed since that day.
I had not seen that girl since she warped away from the dust-ridden peak.
I had wiped her from my mind, and from my memory.
Almost.
**
"Sir, the security arrangements for the Archduke?s arrival into the Archipelago of Tavnazia have been completed, and the guards are at their posts. What is your command?"
The voice came to my tired brain from the newest green in the Ducal Guard. He seemed to be a bright kid, if only a bit too eager to please me at times.
I figured he would last three months here before he quit.
With a flick of my hand, I closed my eyes and sighed gently.
"That will be all soldier. Thank you. If anything happens, keep me posted." I said with a slight trace of tiredness in my voice.
The soldier clicked his heels together at attention, and then gave a snappy salute before leaving.
I strolled slowly down the roadway underneath the heart of the town of Tavnazia, where the various government officials of the Marquisate scurry about on their business.
The past two days?
Just a bunch of minor things, but when put all together, created quite the headache.
The Archduke had decided upon this trip a couple weeks ago, last Lightsday, in order to help to dispel rumors that the beastmen were mobilizing in Davoi, plotting an attempt to take down the Peninsula. Of course, this sudden decision, as usual, was made without him consulting anyone, and of course, was then sprung upon the Gaurd two days ago.
It had been a long two days without any sleep.
It was times like that that I regreted being the head of the Security Task Force to the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Jeuno.
Arranging guard shifts, sweeping the ENTIRE area for bombs and other explosives, and making a few...quiet...arrangements with the heads of the local beastmen tribes to stay away.
I finally arrived at my room, and set my clock to allow me to sleep for six hours, JUST long enough for me to then get back up, shower, and go down to the central hall of the above ground portion of Tavnazia for the welcoming by the Marquisate to the Archduke.
With that accomplished, I fell down onto my royal bed, and immediately passed out.
----
BRRRIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!! BRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!!!!
The unfamiliar sound woke me up with a jolt, and without thinking my right hand grasped the silver dagger from beneath my pillow, and immediately was thrown towards the noise before I even had my eyes open. It embedded itself into the object with a solid thunk, and the sound immediately died.
It was then that I realized what it was that I just killed.
The alarm clock.
Just great?
I struggled out of bed slowly, unwilling to leave its warm embrace between the silk sheets. Dragging myself across the floor (barely) on my two feet, I threw my limp body into the shower and turned it on. The thousand cold needles poked and sliced through my skin, instantly waking me up quicker and making me more alert than even after downing a bottle of foul panama au lait juice.
I forced myself to stay under the sizzling jets for five minutes, then bursted free of that torture and proceeded to dry myself vigorously with a blue towel that I had found on the counter next to me. Shrugging on my white guard armor, I then plucked the gleaming dagger out of the destroyed clock and rammed it into its proper slot on my waistband, and then slide the longer sword version of it into the scabbard on my belt.
Picking up my shield as I leave the room, I flicked off the lights and shut the door.
I walked with purpose up the stairs to the above cambers, and then hurried immediately into the backrooms behind the stage in the main hall. Once there, I checked the security, and assured myself that the men on guard at the entrances and exits are actually THERE and sober.
That complete, I headed directly to the Archduke, where he was quietly sipping at some Windurstian tea. Once at him, I knelt down, my left knee brushing the carpet as I bowed my head.
"My lord."
After a moment, he uttered three single words.
"Rise. And report."
I looked him in the face, being careful to not meet his eyes as I told him that everything was set.
He smiled for a brief moment, and then sat his drink down on a nearby table, the steam wafting out in lazy circles to the ceiling.
"Excellent. And I assume you will be there with me on stage today, just in case someone or something DOES manage to slip by your men?" He paused thoughtfully for a moment then continued. "Remember, men and weapons are not enough to stop someone who is determined to kill me."
His request surprised me. Despite all the various functions and official gatherings that I had planned security for, he had never asked me to be there with HIM in order to protect him.
"But sir...I assure you?" I started to say, but he then cuts me off.
"Excuse me, did you just question my orders?" His voice turned incredibly stern, and I felt his iron gaze bore through me.
"No...no sir. Of course I will be there on stage. As per the Archduke?s request." I stuttered out quickly.
"Excellent. Let's go." With that, he picked up his drink and downed it in one quick gulp, letting the cup fall to the floor as he paceed his way with great importance out onto the stage, with me following him one half step behind on his left.
We came to the center of the stage, and sat down in the two red plush seats provided for us, with the podium between us and the Marquisate.
The first thing that I noticed upon sitting down and looking out upon the crowd that had gathered was HOW many people actually lived in Tavnazia, and had turned out to see the Archduke speak.
How many people and how many threats could exist out there.
My eyes instantly started to scan all the faces present, looking for one that might match a member of the Ducal Guard?s most wanted list of terrorists, or possibly anyone that might act like they would pose a threat. While I didn?t expect to be able to find anyone fitting either catagory here, it would be far better to be safe, rather than sorry...
Engrossed in this, I only faintly noticed that the Marquisate had finished his opening remarks, and had welcomed the Archduke to the podium to talk.
It was then that I saw a faded and torn hat poking out from the shadows on the balcony in the back, and a bit off to the left.
A Mage.
Automatically, my eyes started to track it as the hat started to come came to the marble elaborate railing on the balcony?s edge. The figure?s face and body was obscured by the shadows, but I could barely make out the person's hands.
I saw his or her fingers fall into what I recognized as a forth-tier spell configuration pattern. The mage's hands started to light up with a bright red glow, illuminating the darkness surrounding him or her to the point where I could faintly see the person?'s lips muttering an incantation.
It was when those hands ignited that I realized what the mage was going to do.
Instantly, I quickly tapped the linkpearl twice, signaling to the guards that there was a threat to the Archduke and to close down all exits, and then I theww myself at the Archduke, knocking us both offstage just as the spell went off, blasting a great big hole where the Archduke had stood just one second beforehand.
The crowd started to panic, and without even bothering to look at the archduke to see if he was ok, I drew my sword, and started to charge my way up through the crowd and up the stairs to where that mage was.
I got there, and hacked open the lock into the room with one quick swipe of my blade. I stepped in, and immediately point my sword at the would-be-assassin's throat before I could get a clear image of the mage's face.
"Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta.," the figure said softly, but in a voice clear enough that it rings perfectly in my ears.
It was then when I heard the voice that I recognized the person.
The breath was stolen away from me, as I stood there.
It was her.
The one that I watched the sunrise with.
My eyes adjusted slightly, and I could then make her image out. She looked a bit older, but there was simply no mistaking the long black hair and that faded hat for someone else.
"I don't believe it..." I replied, my brain numbed.
"Watashio shinasai, shikashi watashiwa yuneno mimalikalano watshino ayatsuio asulu?," she then said quietly.
She flicked her black gloved hands at me, and a small yellow light issued out of them into me, and suddenly I found that my muscles unable to move.
She then stepped in close to me, touched my cheek for a moment, and then slipped something that I couldn?t see into my sword scabbard. She smiled at me again, and then took a couple steps back.
"Watashio tsulesalinasai," I heard her say as she crossed her arms in an 'x', and then closed her eyes. A dark aura spewed out from her, and warped her away instantly.
"Sir, did you see who attacked the Archduke?!" the green that I had talked to earlier asked of me with a sense of urgency in his voice as he bursted into the room.
He seemed to freeze for a moment at my nonresponse, then to my surprise, managed to figure out what is wrong with me instantly. I heard him scuffle in his belt for a moment, and then the next thing I knew, he poured a small vial of paralyna into my mouth. The fluid tasted incredibly bitter, but did its job, and within a couple minutes I was able to move again.
"Sir, did you see who attacked the Archduke?" he asked of me again.
I start to say "Yes," but before I could get it out, for some reason that I myself couldn?t figure out, the word died on my lips.
"No, I did not. When I got up here, the mage froze me with a paralyze spell before I could get a good look at the individual. I am sorry?" I say with a tinge of false regret in my voice as I spoke the lie.
The newbie looked crestfallen, and casted his eyes down at the ground.
"Damn...ok then. what are your orders sir?" He asked of me.
I shaked off the last verges of the paralyzation, and I immediately assumed control once more of the situation.
I activated the linkpearl again and left it on so that all the guards can hear my orders.
"I want all the exits sealed to the town, and every residence here searched. Make sure the Archduke gets out of here and is en-route back to the Grand Duchy within ten minutes. I want him safe!" I hastily snapped out into the pearl, "If the attempted assassin is still within these walls, I want that individual captured immediately!"
I tapped off the pearl, and looked at the recruit who was still standing there.
"That includes you too, you know." I grunted out at him.
He froze up and his eyes went wide, before he gave me a nervous salute before he spun around and exited.
It was once that he was gone, that I reached into my sword?s sheath, and pulled out the thing that the girl mage had placed there before she left.
Tilting it into the sunlight, I realized to my surprise that t was a pink flower with a long green stem, that I immediately recognized?
A snow lily?
Why?
That doesn?t make sense at all? Why give me that?
Carefully, I fingered the petals with my fingertips, and then nestled it away carefully in my pant?s waistband, where it won?t get ruined.
As I start to strolled off down the stairs to supervise what I know will be a fruitless search for the mage, one odd thought comes to mind.
Who in Vana?diel is she?...
-fin Aki II: Futamusua
***
Chapter III (Reflections)
****
Two weeks passed since the attempt on the Archduke’s life.
Isn’t it funny how time just seems to slide away…
Drift and drain away...
Quicker and quicker, like water down a funnel...
***
Chapter III: Reflections
***
I fingered the dying petals of the snow lily flower while I laid in my comfortable bed and stared at the cracked ceiling overhead.
The flower by now had began to dry out, making it become more and more delicate as the days pass…
I had also started to dream of her.
The beautiful glow of her eyes.
The raven black hair that flowed down her back.
Since the night after the attack on the Archduke’s life, my life had been hell. Between having to face numerous interrogations, intense questions, and more than one visit from various government officials, I had started to quickly get tired of it all, and was tempted to tell what I knew, just to get them to stop and to leave me alone.
Yet I keep my mouth shut. Day in and day out, never bending, never folding, never giving in to what they think that I might know, yet can’t really prove it.
I don’t understand it…
My eyes focused on the snow lily for a moment.
“And you...my dear...Where were you born into the world at?...” I asked of it wistfully.
I looked at it for a moment, as if expecting an answer where I knew I would receive none.
I delicately placed the flower on my bedside table, brushing the varnished top lightly with my fingertips on accident.
"I don’t even know your name…and yet you torment me.” I paused for a moment and drew a breath in, and then closed my eyes to keep the light from leaking in.
"WHO ARE YOU????!!!!" I shouted on impulse at the top of my lungs as I violently pushed my head further back into my chocobo-down pillow in deep fustration
“Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta…” I heard all the sudden in what I instantly know to be her voice, that start to echo in my ears.
I immediately jolted upright in my bed, and looked around wildly for that faded felt hat, but instead I found nothing.
Just my bed, a couple pictures of my friends, a dresser, and a couple night stands.
Am I going crazy, hearing voices in my head that don’t really exist, in a language that I can’t even understand?!
Those glowing hands…
Falling into position.
I see them when I close my eyes now, every time I try to just blink.
Illuminating her face…
As she is about to attempt to blast the so called leader of the free world into oblivion…
With that thought I sighed gently while rubbing my eyes, and then close them again and lay back down to try to drift off to sleep.
What is wrong with me?
And why are my loyalties to the Archduke suddenly being put on hold for a mage?
Grr...
What kind of spell did that girl cast on me, and how do I possibly break it?...
-fin Chapter III: Reflections
***
Aki IV: Hekugaewake
***
Things only started to get stranger from then on.
More questions rose, and the mystery deepened.
***
"Sir, there is a message from the Optistery Ministry of the Federation of Windurst. It appears that Koruha-Boruha is concerned that the beastmen are starting to gather together at Castle Oztroja outside the Federation, in order to possibly attack the kingdom." The words came from the raspy voice of my office assistant, first class private in the Juenoan Guard.
Two weeks, and one day had passed since I saw her again.
My rough fingertips started to message my temples as I closed my eyes in deep frustration while standing in a position that left me facing the wall away from him.
"Private, please get a notebook, and a writing pencil, and prepare to take a dictation to be sent out immediately back to that taru." I commanded quietly to him.
I heard him fumble in his pockets for his scratchpad and pencil for a couple moments. "Ready, sir!" He said with more than a faint trace of...soldierness...in his voice.
"Dear Minister Koruha-Boruha...", I began slowly, tracing the words that I want to say slowly in my head, putting them together into some sense of order.
"Dear Minister Karaha-Baruha...We at the Grand Duchy of Jeuno have yet to receive any word from our spies within the beastmen empires that they have any designs upon any areas beyond their current borders. Or to put it simply, the Federation of Windurst is safe. If the situation changes, the Grand Duchy will inform the appropriate authorities of your native land about any threat."
I briefly paused, and rocked slightly on the balls of my feet.
"Yours sincerely, yada yada yada, of the Jeunoan Guard, yada yada yada..."
With that, I gave the private a backwards flick of my hand to dismiss him from my office. I heard his feet scuffle along the plush carpet as he retreated softly, and then the ever satisfying click as the door closed shut.
I let out a gentle sigh, and turn around, clenching my hands on the red velvet plush chair at my wooden desk.
I never will understand these tarus…so concerned about their Star Sibyl, believing that everything she says is going to come true. I couldn’t understand why they were so worried about a war for that matter either. The world had entered into a period of peace not seen since before the Elvaan were removed by force from the Quon continent many years ago.
Even the towns of Tavnazia, Selbina, and Mhuara were flourishing, bringing prosperity to their parent countries.
And except for that incident a couple weeks ago in Tavnazia, the world was at peace.
I picked up a slice of a Kazham pineapple that had been left over from the luncheon that I had had brought to me from the soldier’s cafeteria earlier in the day by the private, and then started to nibble at its tangy, but tasty, flesh.
Tasty...
That thought entered my brain as I played around with the yellow flesh on my tongue. I really ought to stop buying those bags of herb seeds covered in rock salt that are so damn addictive...these are so much more healthy for me.
It was with that thought that my office door was slammed open, and in marched five armed paladin gaurds with the distinctive crest that marked them as being part of the Ducal Guard. In between them, they were dragging along with them a person in chains that their armor obsured from my sight.
One stepped forward from the rest, and stands at attention before speaking.
"Sir, we caught this person plotting a conspiracy with the goblins in order to counterfeit the international currency of gil that currently exists. What are your orders sir?"
I quickly looked over at the prisoner, and saw a sniveling geeky looking individual. He nervously tried to adjust his half-shattered glasses that kept trying to fall off his face as he twisted his head from side to side looking around the room. When he wasn’t trying to fix his glasses, he was clasping and unclasping his hands, rubbing them nervously together.
A rather pitiful being.
"What is his name and background?" I inquired of the soldier.
Not wasting a single word, the guard spoke: "Amas Depotana. Employee at Cid’s workshop at Bastok’s Metalworks. Wife, two children. Is bilingual."
It was that last part that caught my ears.
"Is his hands properly restrained with the proper enchantments?" I asked of the man.
He nodded quickly once.
"Fine then, all of you, leave me. I want to ask him some questions. Alone." I gave the command in a tone of voice that does not suggest even a minute tolerance of disobedience in it.
They paused for a moment, and then quickly turned around with the sharp turn that was drilled into them at the academy, upon which they filed out, being sure to close the door behind them without my having to ask them.
I strolled over to the prisoner, stopping two feet away from him, just out of his arm’s reach.
I looked him up and down a couple of times, and then coldly stared into his eyes. He immediately averted his gaze away from me, mostly likely out of fear.
"You are accused of crimes that amount to treason against the Grand Duchy of Jeuno...how do you plea?" I spoke in an emotionless voice to him, not really caring WHAT he said.
He stumbled over the words slightly as he admitted to the crime to me.
"G-G-G-Guilty..."
He then turned his head back to me, and looked me directly in the eyes with bloodshot eyes.
"I had to! No choice. The war is coming…can you not see it?! Can you not feel it in the air?!"
He chuckled softly, that grew into a higher and higher pitch of tone, and that grew louder and louder. He then tilted his head back towards the ceiling and let out a howl.
"The tombs...the tombs...the tombs...the tombs..."
He started to ramble that over and over again, until I slapped him hard across the face. His head twisted to the point where I feared that his neck was going to snap, but instead it just popped back into place.
"Get a hold of yourself man." I commanded of him.
My breath stuttered in my lungs as I closed my eyes, trying to remember the mage’s words perfectly.
"Now tell me this...what does 'Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta…' mean?"
I saw his body suddenly take a entirely different composure, pulling itself into something that seemed to approach sanity. He tapped his finger to his bottom lip and appeared to think for a moment.
"Hmm...that’s an interesting phrase. The closest I can come up to is 'I knew we would meet again..." Is that what you are looking for?"
I don’t bother to give a response, trying to instead remember the other thing that she said to me back in Tavnazia. Unfortunately, only a single fragment comes back to me in any sort of order.
"Then...what does 'yomino mimali' mean?" I ask with a hidden interest in my voice.
He immediately replied without pause. "Why, that means 'keeper of the dreams'. What, you going to interrogate me with phrases? Idiot." He snorted that out at me, with a slightly arrogant tone to his voice.
With that, I stepped back behind my desk, and clicked a small red button on its underside that indicated for the gaurds to come back in.
They came in, and immediately assembled around the prisoner preventing him from escaping.
"He has admitted to treason. I want him placed in the prisons beneath the city streets until the Archduke sees fit to execute him." I say, my mind reeling over what the traitor had said.
The leader nods, and they quickly exit, leaving me along with my thoughts.
"I knew we would meet again..".
"Keeper of dreams..."
I spoke the words, trying to reason them out to myself. How could she know that we would meet again? And what is this "Keeper of the dreams"?
So many more questions, so many more than what I had ten minutes ago, before that piece of garbage had been brought before me.
-fin Aki IV: Helugaewake
***
Chapter V: Orders
***
With the revelation of a plot by the goblins to manufacture fake currency, the top leaders of the Duchy were called together to try to figure out what must be done in order to prevent this goblin conspiracy from being made public, and also in order to try to piece together SOMETHING that might enable us to squash this plot.
Unfortunately, I was forced to come to the meeting, as the ranking member of the Ducal Guard available in Jeuno at the time.
Somedays, I REALLY hate my job…
***
Bored, I shuffled the loose-leaf sheets of paper and charts in front of me, glossing a careless eye over them.
I always hated meetings. Just a bunch of paper pushers, whoring themselves out to the great bureaucracy with mindless drivel…so annoying.
Restlessly, I shifted my armored self around in the wooden chair that was about two sizes to small to accommodate both me and my gleaming metal surcoat. The chair groaned underneath the weight, but thankfully not enough to draw me any unwanted attention that could possibly make the meeting any longer than it had to be.
I could really go for a Kazham pineapple slice right now…those things are so good…and maybe one of those mithra from Kazham dressed in a lil’ black string number serv-
My thoughts were disturbed by the heavy tapping on my right shoulder by that galka, Red Ghost. Head of local Duchy security, it was impossible to hold a meeting about anything relating to the security of Jeuno without him being there. He leaned over and spoke quietly-well as quietly as a galka could-into my right ear.
"Sir, the archduke asked you a question...shouldn’t you respond to him?" He rumbled with his deep voice.
I sit up at attention, slightly flustered. My face turned a slight shade of red, and I nervously looked over at the head of the table, where the Archduke himself had taken time out of his busy schedule to meet with us.
"I’m sorry sir...could you please repeat the question again?" I asked, trying to unsuccessfully hide my embarrassment. My eyes blinked rapidly a couple times as the Archduke frowned slightly at me for a quick instant before his face returned to the absent stone mask that I was used to.
"Soldier, what was it that madman had said to you while in the room with you, when you interrogated him alone?" He asked of me with a slow, almost smug smile in his voice.
My eyes still downcast, I quickly replied: "He said the words 'the tombs...the tombs...' over and over again my sovereign." The words spilled out fast, but perhaps a little bit TOO fast for the Archduke’s liking, because of what he said next…
"Are you sure soldier? Are you sure that is all he said? Did you not question him about anything else?"
My heart started to beat rapidly, threatening to burst in my chest.
Did he know?
I had heard rumors before that he knew everything that happened in the town, even when one thought that they were alone.
That there was more to the Archduke than anyone suspected.
I forced myself to speak slowly, measuring my words out carefully. I didn’t want any trouble from the Archduke, and certainly no more of his questions.
"That was all sir…if you will check the official report that is doubtlessly in front of you, you will find that I had chronicled it in Section C, Subsection 2, Paragraph 1. I believe that I wrote that that was all the words that were exchanged between the two of us during the short time that we were alone together."
He picked up my report from his copy of the papers in front of him, and turned the corners of it with his fingertips.
"Why yes, yes, I see soldier. Of course, forgive me for insinuating that you were anything less than honest."
His apology surprised me, for I was underneath him, and he never had to apologize to such an underling. "A-a-all is forgiven my lord." I sputtered out instantly.
It was then that the mysterious stranger who had been standing somewhat hidden in the shadows finally stepped forward to the table and into the light. He was a man of thirty-ish age with short yellow hair. He was dressed in black robes, with what looked like to be some sort of scanner device wrapping around from behind his head and covering one eye. He carried himself as if he was one on equal level with the Archduke, and had the power to back up his equality. His lips parted, and he spoke with a strong void in his voice, devoid of any emotion.
"The tombs...could his madman…whatever his name was…possibly be talking about Eldieme Necropolis that exists underground beneath Batallia Downs, just outside the exit from Upper Jeuno?"
The next voice to speak up surprised me a bit. Why the Archduke allowed his little brother, Eald'narche, to attend these meetings, I could never figure out.
"Hmmm...do you know of any other tombs in Vana’diel? I certainly do not." His high voice squeaked in my ears, causing me to wince slightly.
Damn kid.
The Archduke only looked his kid brother and nodded his head, causing his white hair to fall into his eyes a bit. "That is true Eald'narche..." He dragged the last syllable of his name out for a moment, and then paused.
He then turned to me, and luckily, I had kept my mind focused on the meeting long enough this time to catch what he said the first time.
"Okay, soldier. I want you to gather three of your best troops, and spread out among the various entrances to the Necropolis from Batallia Downs. One man per entrance. Your mission will be to progress throughout the Necropolis, and see what you can find there. Once that is accomplished, you are to report back here IMMEDIATELY."
He paused for a moment, and then his voice turned stern.
"That means, soldier, that this is only a reconnaissance mission. You are under NO circumstances to interfere with anything that you might find happening. I don’t care if the beastmen are plotting to attack all three kingdoms at once in one week, you DO NOT interfere."
He smiled that smile at me that commanded respect from everyone around him as he drew in another breath and continued.
"Are we clear? I will not have the citizens of Jeuno pounding down the door to my room because someone bothered the tomb of their great grandfather Azekiel or whatever. And in the case that the goblins are really plotting something, I would rather we gather as much information as we can before we annihilate them. There might be more than just a gil conspiracy underfoot and if we can squash any larger plots against the state at the same time as this one, well…all the better for the Duchy."
I nodded sharply once, in acknowledgement.
"Okay then...this meeting is dismissed. May Altana protect you all." He said, pushing his chair back to get up from the table, and then silently strolling out from the room.
I left the room quickly, glad to get away. I then started to navigate the maze of halls that would lead me to the troop barracks, where I would there select the best of my men to head out into the Necropolis.
-fin: Chapter V: Orders
***
Aki VI: Tsukihikali
***
Nighttime strolls along the empty town streets, just barely above the ocean, can always relax one’s soul.
Even if one doesn’t realize he is tired and stressed.
***
It had been a long day…
Choosing soldiers.
Swearing chosen soldiers to secrecy.
Briefing chosen soldiers on secret mission.
Telling them that we leave in two days.
Filling out paperwork, insurance claims on these chosen soldier’s lives should they die, requisitioning gear to be used…
Damn that beauracy.
I stepped down from Ru’Lude Gardens, through the steps into and out of Upper Jeuno to where I finally entered Lower Jeuno.
So empty...
Those are the words that always pass through my mind when I work late. How the only people up at this time of night are either the streetwalkers, or the drunkards for whom the words “last call” mean nothing to at the Merry Minstrel.
My fingertips rounded the edge of the old guide stone as I passed by it and then turned right to travel down the main street. As always, I ignore the black-haired woman dressed in the Vermillion cloak sitting on the edge of the guide stone. In one of her hands she turned an hourglass over and over again, letting the sand always almost run out before she tipped it over again. She never seems to move from that spot, but instead, she only spends her days gazing outwards towards town and, as if she is waiting for someone to come take her away.
At least, that is what I want to think.
The cool nighttime air picked up a slight mist from the sea spray just off the town’s edge, rolling the Undertaker’s wind inland. I felt my brow start to become damp, and I tried to wipe it clean to no avail. Eventually, I just gave it up as I slowly descended the first step of stairs past the Auction House.
It was then that I saw the midget elvaan underneath frantically waving at me from the bottom of the stairs.
"Sir!," he said in a high pitched tone of voice. His shaggy white hair bobbled up and down as he then started to jump up and down, trying to get my attention.
I went down the rest of the stairs and stopped before him. I then looked down, and chuckled softly for a brief moment before replying.
"Yes, what is it Satmanda?"
He looked up at me with that quite-eager-to-please look on his face, as all personal home assistants are trained to do at wherever personal home assistants were trained at. I think I had heard once that they were trained in some small school off in Tsahya. Bleh, where it was that they trained mul…er…personal home assistants into some sort of decent shape of helping to cater to my personal needs, they did a DAMN fine job of it.
"Sir! I have polished your combat armor, and then sent it off to the military alchemy department. They called earlier, and said something about having a new product that they would like to try out some new product...Are you going on a new mission, sir?"
He rambled this entire speech out at me in one breath, for where it would normally take two or three for any normal person or elvaan.
I debated for a moment if I should tell him the truth about WHY the alchemy department wanted my armor and about my mission, but I decided against it. The fewer people that know about this, the better. It WAS something ordered by the leader of Jeuno himself after all.
"No, Satmanada...no new mission. Just those alchemy geeks wanting to test out a new play toy of theirs, I guess." I said in a convincing tone. Well, to me at least.
The elvaan paused for a moment placing a curled finger to his chin and nodded twice.
"Ah, I understand now. Do you have anything of yours on hand that I should take into safe keeping for you now?" He held out both of his tiny hands out in front of him, cupped together to catch whatever few trinkets that I might drop. I had had this assistant for many years, and I trusted him with my things implicitly, even to the point where I didn’t mind handing him items that were worth millions in gil.
I fumbled around in my pockets for a moment, and eventually I pulled out the half-eaten bag of dried Kazham pineapple slices that I had bought from the vending machine earlier. I had bought them with the intention of eating them on my way to the barracks where I had picked out the soldiers that I would be taking along with me to the Necropolis.
The light from the diamond-shaped light overhead caught the plastic bag as I turned it over to make sure it was closed tightly, and proceeded to shine back in a broken pattern of light into my eyes as I then carefully placed it into Satmanda’s hands. The elvaan looked at it briefly, and then hid it away in some pocket of his blue robes.
"Thank you sir. Is that all for tonight?" He asked of me.
Without saying anything, I nodded. He started to then walk off into the shadows before a question sprung into my mind from nowhere.
"Actually...Satmanda...walk with me for a bit…there is something I want to ask you." My voice lacked the authority and command that I used when I was talking to those in lower rank standing than me, but still carried the suggestion that it was not meant to be a request, and therefore should not be disobeyed.
Instantly he slunk back from the darkness and came to my side. He carried himself one-half step behind me on my left as I stepped off the open roadway, and into where the pedestrians normally are the only ones to walk. Eventually, we come to an overpass that covers a set of descending steps into yet another roadway of Lower Jeuno. No one had walked up there in ages, as was obvious from all the dirt and grime that had accumulated up there. Once both my assistant and I were up there, I turned around and stared out to sea, feeling the mist brush across my face.
Ten minutes passed before I started to speak.
"Satmanda...do you think that there is a war coming?"
I felt the surprise in how he reacted, even with me not turning around. I heard the shuffling of his feet as he took a couple steps backwards away from me.
"War sir?...That’s impossible...The world has been at peace for a while now. If you are worried about the beastmen, I am sure they are just stirring up a bit of trouble like they normally do every so often. They weren’t born from Her tears after all, so they like to remind us that they exist every so often."
He paused, then jumbled out to what seemed to be a half-apology for his words.
"Of course, if you know differently sir, than I am sure that my opinion is just that, an opinion, and thus not worth being taken seriously. Why do you ask sir, if you don’t mind me asking that of you?"
"No reason, just wondering, that’s all. A mere passing fancy, you might say." I felt reassured at Satmanda’s words. He did communicate directly with the various citizens of the other three kingdoms in a more direct way than I ever bothered to want to. And I knew that because of this, he would, of all the people in Jeuno, know for certain if war was in the air.
"Is that you wanted to ask me sir?" He asked of me in a very polite tone of voice.
Looking over my left shoulder at him, I nodded.
"Then may I have leave, sir?"
Once more, I nodded, my hair falling into my eyes.
He crossed his arms in front of him, closed his eyes, and then looked skyward. "Take me home" he then said in that pitch of voice that took a long time for me to get used to. As I watched, he then disappeared in a flash of blackness, leaving behind no trace save a few footprints.
I then stared back out at the sea, and at the moonlight that hung overhead, showing itself upon the waters.
-fin: Aki VI: Tsukihikali
***
Chapter VII: Choices
***
I remember a story I was once told about the man who wrote a certain famous play.
The man sitting down at his Millionaire’s Desk started to pen out his play, and finally reached the climax of it.
To be, or not to be, tha-
One of the most memorable lines of all dramatic literature to be ever placed in any library across Vana’diel, being penned…
And the writer has to stop to sharpen his pencil.
Would it have turned out differently if he hadn’t had to hesitate?
I wonder about that sometimes.
***
"All right men, get ready." My voice crackled through the orangish-yellow linkpearl that I had secured to my armor. "Once we are inside, total silence. I would rather not wake any dead that might happen to be wondering about."
A smile broke across my face as soft chuckles flooded the pearl. After a brief moment, I turned serious again.
"Okay men, invis up."
With that, I reached into my small pouch on my side, and pulled out a small jar. I unscrewed the metal lid and dipped two fingers into it, feeling the sticky power inside trap itself onto them. I then pulled my fingers out and exposed them to the light where the materials caught my eye, and I finally saw what the big fuss about this stuff in the alchemy department: the powder shimmered for a moment, and then turned my fingers completely invisible to my eyes.
Ummm,...wow...those Jeuno alchemists sure know how to make one hell of an invention when they want to.
Gradually, I started to rub the powder all over myself, making more and more of me disappear, until finally, I was totally invisible.
Just earlier today, I had tried on the armor that my assistant had sent off to the alchemists also. Apparently, while the armor was there, the alchemists applied some sort of experimental oil into the joints that was supposed to reduce and remove virtually all friction, in order to make my every move seem like it was soundless.
But before I left, the alchemy department was sure to warn me that both inventions would dry up and flake off within a couple hours, or if I made excess movement such as drawing my sword and/or fighting. They had forced upon me some extra bottles of oil and a couple extra jars of powder before I was permitted to leave their lab.
Mentally, I pushed these thoughts away, and started to focus on the task at hand.
Out of the four entrances to enter into the Necropolis from, I had drawn the northern most one in lottery, which was totally fine with me. With any luck I would find nothing and therefore I could then go back home to my roaring fireplace.
I took a deep breath and then headed into the Necropolis where immediately upon descending the steps, the stench of death raped my nostrils banishing any sense of life from them. Getting to the bottom, I realized that the rotting, decaying bodies were each barely a foot underneath a marble slab, with few, if any, tombstones to mark who these people were. The graverooms were lit up with a series of candles along the walls that never seemed to go out, or ever seemed to grow any shorter no matter how much time may have passed.
Quietly, I started to probe each of the rooms that I came to as I descended further into the maze with the only excitement I could find was maybe a rat here or there. After about an hour of searching and exploring, I found myself in front of a huge wooden door that had a handle partially broken off. The brass hinges were rusty, and it looked like no one had dared to venture up to or beyond this point for a long time.
Swallowing up my courage and pushing away my fear, I tried to open the door as slowly and carefully as I can to prevent any noise from being made.
Key word there, tried.
Instead of opening quietly as I had hoped, the door instead creaked open with a loud screech. If I wanted the element of surprise...weeellll...I just lost it.
Pushing it open all the way, I stepped then stepped into the room, and quickly found that there was no one there. Scanning around, the first thing that I noticed was that there were three other doors leading into this room.
The archways of each of the other three doors were decorated with what looked like to be some sort of sculpture or relief above each. Around the room, I saw perverse version of a purple woman with ice on her lips, a fiery red beast whose very skin seemed to ignite the air around him, and a monster who had the tide flowing around his blue body. Looking up above my own door, I found a bearded old man with a gaze that could probably even make the bravest galka shiver in fear and obedience. The paint on these figures was chipped and cracked, as if someone had painted them long ago and then forgot about them, leaving these reliefs to slowly die at the end of time. Next to these sculptures were more of those eternal candles that never seemed to burn out, that served to only illuminate the grand majesty of each wall piece.
Even if I didn’t know who or what these beings were, they were truly a sight to behold.
Finally tearing my eyes away from the wall sculptures, I looked at the rest of the room. All I saw were several pits of what looked like to be powdered gravel arranged in a grid-like shape that filled the room, leaving just enough room for a person to squeeze in between them on a tiny, broken, stone walkway.
If they chose that way.
Myself, I just ignored the path and started to walk over the pits, the only mark of my passage being my feet leaving twin fine imprints on the shredded gravel. I made my way slowly across the room, until my left foot was poised above the center pit of the room, and when I placed my foot down…
And were I fell straight through the pit, my body landing in a crumpled heap after a short drop onto a dusty floor.
Immediately, I sprang up, my hand on my sword’s hilt as my eyes took in the room quickly.
If there was trouble, then I would be ready to give ‘em hell.
But after a moment, I realized there was nothing there just like in the room above me, and my hand relaxed on my blade.
Slightly.
Spying a small tunnel right next to me, I turned into it and then started to travel along it. It curved up and down a few times, and I almost tripped over a few narrow cracks in the ground as I made my way though. I noticed that the walls were made up of broken bricks, once more lined with those candles that never seemed to grow any shorter no matter how long they burned.
After a few more twists and turns, I finally come upon an awful sight.
Mixed in with the skulls and decayed bodies of people long passed, were rows upon rows of machinery in front of me all pumping out currency with a quiet efficiency, and depositing each individual piece into a giant sack. There were already several bags lining the walls already, most likely getting ready to be laundered out into the Vana’diel economy.
I walked past the equipment, still covered in invisible powder and my armor oiled up, picking my way so not to brush up against anything. Once I worked my way past all the machines, I happened upon a narrow passage with no end in sight set in the back of the room
Could this be where the leader of this little enterprise is? If I could positively ID the person, I could then make a satisfactory report to the Archduke and hopefully get this little counterfeit ring busted up.
Traveling down this new path, I started to hear faint sounds of what sounded like a sword clanging against the ground, and…a spell being cast?
Immediately, I picked up the pace, and hurried my way to the end, where my eyes fell upon two figures.
One was a dark figure, his skin as black as the midnight sky, and his hair as white as the new moon. He was a tall elvaan, and swung what I recognized as a great sword, most likely a Zweihander. He drew the sword back keeping his empty, cold eyes focused on…
Her.
She was sprawled down on the ground in front of the dark elvaan. Her face was bleeding from a cut that ran down the side of her face on her right cheek, and she looked like she was bruised pretty badly in several places from where she had been hit by someone, most likely the elvaan. I watched as she tried to conjure a spell with nervously shaking hands, but the glow sparked out before she could totally finish the incantation.
Looking into her face, I found that her eyes were wide with a shivering fear, her pupils quivering while totally focused on the being before her. Gazing deep into them, I realized that she looked like the very life force was almost totally drained out of her, leaving behind only the tiniest husk of her being. Her breath was laborious, and she coughed, spitting up a small amount of blood.
My hand went to my sword in order to draw it, but it was then that I paused.
Do I dare disobey my orders?
I was explicitly ordered to not interfere with anything that I might find here, but instead to report it all back to Jeuno and the Archduke.
If I attacked this...being...I would be committing an offense that would be easily comparable to treason, and would therefore at least net me a very neat dishonorable discharge along with prison for life.
Is this girl worth it?
She has caused me nothing more than misery, and caused me several problems that I still have to deal with.
The elvaan kicked her in the ribs, and I heard the sound of a couple of ribs snap.
I should just turn around and walk away. No one would miss this girl, most certainly not me.
The elvaan then grinned, and drew his sword back over his head and started to swing it downwards to finish her off.
Clang.
My sword caught the Zweihander’s edge and held it still, just inches above her face.
"That’s enough. If you want to kill her, you are going to have to deal with me first."
-fin Chapter VII: Choices
***
Aki VIII: Mine
***
Dying to defend someone.
Or be willing to at least.
What causes people to be willing to do that?
Is it just a common human bond, a natural instinct to protect the ones that are weaker than you, a job requirement…
Or is there something more?
***
"That’s enough. If you want to kill her, you are going to have to deal with me first."
The words rang from my throat, full of confidence as I knocked his blade away from her and stepped in between the two of them in one smooth step. The prism powder started to flake off in larger and larger chunks, revealing my determined face in splinters at a time.
I drew my sword back a bit, in order to cover the girl should the elvaan decide to try to attack her again, and then glared deep into the dark being’s eyes where I found two glowing golden circles empty of emotion or pity for anything living being. My grip tightened on my sword and I started to speak, not trying to conceal any hint of threat in my voice.
"If you want her, you will have to try to get to her over my cold, dead ass."
The elvaan just smiled a firm lipped smile, and then it let a deep throaty noise escape from its lips that sounded like the rattling breath of the dead.
It took a second for me to realize it was laughing at me.
Behind me, I started to hear her breath growing shallower and weaker with every passing second.
"I mean it. I’ll die to protect her if need be. I am a paladin after all, and the white knight always protects the girl in distress in the stories."
It didn’t respond to my comment, but instead made a feint with its weapon at my midsection. Whipping my sword downwards, I neatly parried the attack and then responded with one of my own that slipped into its guard and gave it a gash on its right arm. To my surprise it didn’t bleed, or even seem to notice the wound at all.
What th-
Before I could complete my thought, the elvaan went on the offensive, switching sword posture styles rapidly and raining down upon my blows that I was only barely able to deflect over and over again. The ringing of the dull metal as out swords met and parted over and over again carried out throughout the room, accenting the light being reflected off of our swords by the eternal candles that also lit up the walls of this room.
It pushed me further and further back, until I was about to be up against a wall. A sudden adrenaline rush came over me, and I took the offense, pushing him further and further back until he WAS up against a wall, with no place to. It then realized it was trapped, but it no fear showed on its face.
“Die.” the elvaan spoke. The words startled me as they passed through its lips, for I had thought it couldn’t speak.
It was too late when I noticed that in its offhand, it had drawn a small dagger that slipped into my guard and the blade of which had hit one of the few weak spots in my armor, the spot where a leather mesh bound two pieces of metal together on my shoulder. The dagger slit through the mesh instantly and cut deeply into my shoulder, causing me to almost drop my weapon in anguish. The bright red blood started to pour out, staining my freshly cleaned armor as it ran down its sides.
Blinking the tears away, I madly swung at the wall, only to hit what turned out to be a shadow of the monster. Turning around quickly, I found I was just in time to receive another blow to the stomach from the flat of the elvaan’s main weapon. I doubled over this time and fell to the ground, upon which I found that I was starting to spit up blood.
The warm metallic taste of it helped to firm my resolve, and I grew even more determined to defeat this being no matter what.
Then out of my red-misted eyes, I saw it turn away from me and walk a short distance away to where she was.
It was going to kill her. Kill her, and then kill me.
No...
NO!
I propelled myself upwards, ignoring the pain that started to immediately shoot through me. I drew my sword back as I started to charge towards the being, with the full intention of skewering it, to move it away from her, to leave her alone.
The next three seconds played out in slow motion, at least, that is how it always seemed to me no matter how many times I replay it in my head.
It raised its great sword above its head, and without hesitation started to swing it downwards to the girl’s bared throat.
Five steps away.
Its sword was half way down to her.
It was then that my sword’s tip started to glow, and I noticed faintly that the charge was drawing its source from me.
The sword touched her throat.
As I then slammed home the blade into the elvaan, something strange happened. What I could only describe as a kaleidoscope of colors radiated out from the tip, with sparks flying out from the impact. Then in the centre of the colored glow came a circle of darkness that grew bigger and bigger, seeming to only be bound by the rainbow. The darkness and rainbow grew bigger and bigger, until it literally sucked the elvaan and its sword into it. With that, the colors and blackness disappeared, leaving no trace behind of the dark elvaan or his weapons.
My soul felt drained, and my body felt like it was on the verge of dying.
But that didn’t matter.
I did it.
I saved her.
Barely conscious of anything, I picked the girl up in my arms, and carried her through another passage, past rooms of weapons, armor, and food, the floor littered with the shattered remains of destroyed crystals. I stepped over dead goblins, no doubt killed by the newly deceased dark elvaan itself. Eventually, I came to a flight of stairs and I slowly absconded them with the girl, each step finally starting to take its toll on my body.
Finally, I reached the top and the exit with it and broke free of that damned place.
It was then that we fell into the snow and I passed out.
-fin Aki VIII: Mine
***
Chapter IX: Names
***
Faintly, slowly, I opened my eyes.
"He’s coming around Doctor." I heard this voice from what seemed like to be a far off place, as my eyes saw streaks of color run through them, much like when someone spills a bucket of paint down the side of a building and the splash of colors runs all the way down.
I blinked a couple of times, and gradually the blurs become faces of two elvaans standing over me. One was dressed in a white lab coat, and the other was wearing a green top. Immediately, I reached for where I knew my sword would be sheathed, but instead I found nothing.
A sense of panic started to overwhelm me. Where was I? What happened?
Where is...
"The girl I came here with. Where is she??!!" The desperation cracked my voice, making the sounds only come out half-way intelligible. I tried to fumble my way up and off of the bed, but my hands were too clumsy and fat-feeling to let me.
The two elvaans both gave me a strange look for a moment.
"Don’t move, the reason you feel the way you do is because of the anesthetic we had to give you. That was quite a nasty fight you got into there soldier."
The white lab coat said that.
"The girl, where is she?" This time, I could see that the two elvaans actually understood me.
"The girl?...oh, the girl! She is in the bed next to you. She’s slowly recovering...we think she might make it. She had drained almost all of her mana out of her sometime earlier, and as a result her spirit was almost dead."
A look of evident confusion must have overcome my face, as the taller of the two elvaans held up a hand, stilling any questions that might be bubbling up inside of me for the moment.
"You must not be too familiar with the ways of magic casting. You see...when a mage casts a spell, he or she has to draw upon their own lifeforce to cast the spell. This lifeforce is what we in the medical community have termed to be called ‘mana’. The more mana you expend casting spells, the closer and closer your lifeforce comes to being extinguished. It has been proven that mana replaces itself slowly overtime, but no one is quite sure how or why."
He paused.
"However...if you cast too much magic at once, and if your lifeforce is drained dry...your spirit dies. And if your spirit dies...the body dies. For after all…the body cannot live without the spirit." He cracked something of a faint smile.
"However for this lovely lady friend of yours, she did expend quite a great deal of mana but just enough was behind that some medicines known to help encourage the recovery of mana were administered to her when your two bodies were found."
My head began to swim with all the information that I was being told.
"We were found?...by who?...when?..." I mumbled out.
"Some expedition in glacier that was heading further into the Northernlands. They radioed in for help on your link pearl and stayed long enough to make sure that the call for help was received before leaving you. This was about two weeks ago."
"And the girl…where is she?..."
"We were going to move her in just a moment in fact. Please excuse us Commander Dimitri." The elvaans started to move away from me to what must have been her bed on the other side of the curtain that I just realized was there next to me.
"No."
I somehow force myself upwards, and knock down the curtain dividing the beds as I crawled out of bed, and then stand up fully. It fell to the ground with a large clatter, as I look at the two doctors with quiet madness in my eyes. I placed a hand on the girl’s bedside where she seemed like she was still passed out and steadied myself before speaking again
"No one touches her. Are we clear?"
The fire in my eyes must have convinced them to agree with me, for the time being at least for they both pulled back instantly, and then left the room.
I felt my breath start to grow longer and longer as I then ran my fingers through her hair gently, feeling her long black hair flow like silk between my rough fingertips.
Her eyes started to stir, and gradually she fully opened them. Her green eyes sparkled against her pale skin, and she smiled widely up at me. The fingers on her left hand started to draw their way up to where my hand was clamped on her bedside and eventually rested on top of it.
"Ohiyo..." She whispered to me.
"Hello to you too." I said with a weak smile on my face. My free hand caressed her cheek lightly in circles as I started to talk to her, even though I knew she wouldn’t understand.
"That was quite a fight you were in…but what were you doing down there?"
She just got a look of confusion on her face, and then raised an eyebrow. I could tell that she was still very tired and weak, but she wasn’t going to show it in front of me.
She then rose up her right hand, and gently poked me in the chest with her index finger.
"Commander Dimitri."
She then giggled gently, the air seeming to be sucked out of her soul in fits and bursts.
"Hajimemash*te. Watashiwa…Hitomi desu. Dozo Yoloshiku."
She then pointed at herself.
"Hitomi."
With that, I nodded my head and smiled.
"Hitomi...a very pretty name."
It was then that the doctors came back in the room, this time flanked by two members of what I recognized to be part of the Ducal Guard.
One of them gave me a crisp salute, and stepped forward at attention as I tore my eyes away from the girl towards these intruders.
"Sir! Your presence is required now at the Archduke’s private chambers."
I blinked my eyes a couple of times quickly.
"But why soldier?..."
He paused for a moment, to find the right words for what he was about to say next.
"The beastmen have attacked sir…and you are being court martialed for disobeying direct orders from the state."
-fin Chapter IX: Names
-fin Aish*teru (I Love you): Part I- Connection (Enishi)
A bit of background to Final Fantasy XI:
The world it is set in is called Vana'diel. Inside Vana'diel, there are three countries: The Republic of Bastok, The Kingdom of San 'd Oria, The Federation of Windurst. These three kingdoms connect to a place called The Grand Duchy of Jeuno, where our protagonist is from. The story begins on the eve of the Crystal War, which is where these four kingdoms were attacked by several ruthless races who banded together are called beastmen.
A few more notes:
The Japanese in the story is real, but I have purposelly mispelt it. I did this because to a non-native speaker, they aren't going to hear the language correctly, and I felt I had to put that in the story. Second, the Interludes are written from the girl's prespective, and everything she says (until she starts speaking english) is in Japanese. Keep that in mind. Lastly, this is a continuing work. Currently, when you total the Chapters, Aki, and Interludes together, it comes out to be about 42 sections so far, bound up into Five Kasho and Parts. I will be putting each Kasho and Part into a new thread, to make it a bit easier to digest.
Please enjoy, and tell me what you think!
And now...Aishiteru (I Love You).
*****
Part I: Connection (Enishi)
Chapter I-Meeting
***
We met on the top of the world.
I guess all stories have to have a beginning, and no matter how I start, that line always seems to come to mind first when it comes to ours.
We met at the top of the world.
Okay, maybe not exactly at the top of the world, but when you are at the top of the highest mountain in Attowa Chasm, it certainly does feel that way.
I was gazing out at the rising dawn that hung over the desert when she came up silently from behind out what seemed to be nowhere, and sat next to me.
I remembered the hawks circling overhead in lazy circles as the sky faded from a deep purple color slowly into a hue of orange.
We sat together like statues for what felt like hours, side by side, not saying anything, just watching the sun creeping its way up slowly.
Finally, I couldn't take it any longer, and I looked over at her out of the corner of my eye.
The first thing that struck me about her was that she had long black hair tucked beneath an old pointed felt hat that fell down to the ground. Her body wasn?t thin, but wasn't fat at the same time.
She didn't bother to look back at me, but instead tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stare out at the falling sun.
"Utsukushii?" she whispered softly out of the blue, as if to no one in particular.
Her word caught me off guard. She spoke that other language? I have always heard of those that spoke a different language, yet had never encountered one of those people before.
Can she maybe also speak English?
I coughed slightly, and it appeared to catch her off guard once more.
"Ano?..." she said softly, finally turning to look at me.
I pointed out at the horizon with my right hand, to where the sun had almost disappeared behind.
"Beautiful, isn't it? The red, orange, purple, all melding into one beautiful color show. Like someone took a bucket of paint, and splattered it everywhere...it takes my breath away." I spoke slowly, carefully, in the faint hope that she might follow what I am saying.
She shakes her head in slight confusion, and looks at me with slightly squinting eyes.
"Watashiwa eotteelukotoo watashiga kotowa litoshinaekotoo zennendealu. Watashio keyoshinasai"
"You don't understand me?" I said.
The look of further confusion on her face told me all. She couldn't pick up on even a single word of it...
I tried quickly to be able to think of a way to get what I was trying to say through to her, in a way that she would be able to understand?and then a brilliant idea striked me.
I got up slowly, not bothering to brush the dust from my pants where it had gathered from the hours of sitting. I treaded carefully behind her, and then squatted down behind her. I then took her left hand, and immediately felt her stiffen up for a moment.
"Trust me." I say slowly, with no hint of threat in my voice.
She seemed to pick up on the meaning of what I said, and her hand then relaxed in my grip.
I pointed her hand up at the sky.
"Sky." I say that slowly, carefully.
She nods slightly in response, accidentally causing a few stray strands of her long hair to brush against my face.
She smelt like rolanberries.
I then moved her hand over to the glimmering orb that was hanging in the sky.
"Sun."
Again she nodded slightly, and I could swear that I could see the corners of her lips curl upwards slightly, even from behind.
I then took her hand and drew it in a wise brush arc across the sky.
"Beauty."
"aaaaa!" She exclaimed happily.
"Ochilukalaoyobi?otsukushii-shyonikon goosulu shyokunosubite?" she said in those words that I couldn't possibly hope to understand.
Did she get what I was trying to say?
Did my idea work?
She then turned around, and looked at me.
I could see by the look on her face that she had figured out what I was trying to say.
We smiled for a moment at each other, and then she stood up.
She leaned in closely to me, and then whispered into my right ear, "Watashiwa ima ikanakelebanlanaihoshiga soleokisadasuleba, watashiga kakukanelude watashitachiwa? futai aukotoo kotoo."
She pulled back quickly, and then tossed me a wink. She then crossed her arms in front of her in an 'X' position, and closed her eyes while tilting her head skyward.
"Watashio tsulesalinasai." She whispered, and then a black orbish glow of energy came out of her, surrounding her, and then swallowed her whole, causing her to disappear without leaving a trace.
Save the faint smell of rolanberries.
I remember the thoughts going through my head of who was she, and will I ever see her again.
But little did I know at the time?
That was only the beginning.
-fin Chapter I: Meeting
***
Aki II: Futamusua
*****
Two years passed since that day.
I had not seen that girl since she warped away from the dust-ridden peak.
I had wiped her from my mind, and from my memory.
Almost.
**
"Sir, the security arrangements for the Archduke?s arrival into the Archipelago of Tavnazia have been completed, and the guards are at their posts. What is your command?"
The voice came to my tired brain from the newest green in the Ducal Guard. He seemed to be a bright kid, if only a bit too eager to please me at times.
I figured he would last three months here before he quit.
With a flick of my hand, I closed my eyes and sighed gently.
"That will be all soldier. Thank you. If anything happens, keep me posted." I said with a slight trace of tiredness in my voice.
The soldier clicked his heels together at attention, and then gave a snappy salute before leaving.
I strolled slowly down the roadway underneath the heart of the town of Tavnazia, where the various government officials of the Marquisate scurry about on their business.
The past two days?
Just a bunch of minor things, but when put all together, created quite the headache.
The Archduke had decided upon this trip a couple weeks ago, last Lightsday, in order to help to dispel rumors that the beastmen were mobilizing in Davoi, plotting an attempt to take down the Peninsula. Of course, this sudden decision, as usual, was made without him consulting anyone, and of course, was then sprung upon the Gaurd two days ago.
It had been a long two days without any sleep.
It was times like that that I regreted being the head of the Security Task Force to the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Jeuno.
Arranging guard shifts, sweeping the ENTIRE area for bombs and other explosives, and making a few...quiet...arrangements with the heads of the local beastmen tribes to stay away.
I finally arrived at my room, and set my clock to allow me to sleep for six hours, JUST long enough for me to then get back up, shower, and go down to the central hall of the above ground portion of Tavnazia for the welcoming by the Marquisate to the Archduke.
With that accomplished, I fell down onto my royal bed, and immediately passed out.
----
BRRRIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!! BRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!!!!
The unfamiliar sound woke me up with a jolt, and without thinking my right hand grasped the silver dagger from beneath my pillow, and immediately was thrown towards the noise before I even had my eyes open. It embedded itself into the object with a solid thunk, and the sound immediately died.
It was then that I realized what it was that I just killed.
The alarm clock.
Just great?
I struggled out of bed slowly, unwilling to leave its warm embrace between the silk sheets. Dragging myself across the floor (barely) on my two feet, I threw my limp body into the shower and turned it on. The thousand cold needles poked and sliced through my skin, instantly waking me up quicker and making me more alert than even after downing a bottle of foul panama au lait juice.
I forced myself to stay under the sizzling jets for five minutes, then bursted free of that torture and proceeded to dry myself vigorously with a blue towel that I had found on the counter next to me. Shrugging on my white guard armor, I then plucked the gleaming dagger out of the destroyed clock and rammed it into its proper slot on my waistband, and then slide the longer sword version of it into the scabbard on my belt.
Picking up my shield as I leave the room, I flicked off the lights and shut the door.
I walked with purpose up the stairs to the above cambers, and then hurried immediately into the backrooms behind the stage in the main hall. Once there, I checked the security, and assured myself that the men on guard at the entrances and exits are actually THERE and sober.
That complete, I headed directly to the Archduke, where he was quietly sipping at some Windurstian tea. Once at him, I knelt down, my left knee brushing the carpet as I bowed my head.
"My lord."
After a moment, he uttered three single words.
"Rise. And report."
I looked him in the face, being careful to not meet his eyes as I told him that everything was set.
He smiled for a brief moment, and then sat his drink down on a nearby table, the steam wafting out in lazy circles to the ceiling.
"Excellent. And I assume you will be there with me on stage today, just in case someone or something DOES manage to slip by your men?" He paused thoughtfully for a moment then continued. "Remember, men and weapons are not enough to stop someone who is determined to kill me."
His request surprised me. Despite all the various functions and official gatherings that I had planned security for, he had never asked me to be there with HIM in order to protect him.
"But sir...I assure you?" I started to say, but he then cuts me off.
"Excuse me, did you just question my orders?" His voice turned incredibly stern, and I felt his iron gaze bore through me.
"No...no sir. Of course I will be there on stage. As per the Archduke?s request." I stuttered out quickly.
"Excellent. Let's go." With that, he picked up his drink and downed it in one quick gulp, letting the cup fall to the floor as he paceed his way with great importance out onto the stage, with me following him one half step behind on his left.
We came to the center of the stage, and sat down in the two red plush seats provided for us, with the podium between us and the Marquisate.
The first thing that I noticed upon sitting down and looking out upon the crowd that had gathered was HOW many people actually lived in Tavnazia, and had turned out to see the Archduke speak.
How many people and how many threats could exist out there.
My eyes instantly started to scan all the faces present, looking for one that might match a member of the Ducal Guard?s most wanted list of terrorists, or possibly anyone that might act like they would pose a threat. While I didn?t expect to be able to find anyone fitting either catagory here, it would be far better to be safe, rather than sorry...
Engrossed in this, I only faintly noticed that the Marquisate had finished his opening remarks, and had welcomed the Archduke to the podium to talk.
It was then that I saw a faded and torn hat poking out from the shadows on the balcony in the back, and a bit off to the left.
A Mage.
Automatically, my eyes started to track it as the hat started to come came to the marble elaborate railing on the balcony?s edge. The figure?s face and body was obscured by the shadows, but I could barely make out the person's hands.
I saw his or her fingers fall into what I recognized as a forth-tier spell configuration pattern. The mage's hands started to light up with a bright red glow, illuminating the darkness surrounding him or her to the point where I could faintly see the person?'s lips muttering an incantation.
It was when those hands ignited that I realized what the mage was going to do.
Instantly, I quickly tapped the linkpearl twice, signaling to the guards that there was a threat to the Archduke and to close down all exits, and then I theww myself at the Archduke, knocking us both offstage just as the spell went off, blasting a great big hole where the Archduke had stood just one second beforehand.
The crowd started to panic, and without even bothering to look at the archduke to see if he was ok, I drew my sword, and started to charge my way up through the crowd and up the stairs to where that mage was.
I got there, and hacked open the lock into the room with one quick swipe of my blade. I stepped in, and immediately point my sword at the would-be-assassin's throat before I could get a clear image of the mage's face.
"Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta.," the figure said softly, but in a voice clear enough that it rings perfectly in my ears.
It was then when I heard the voice that I recognized the person.
The breath was stolen away from me, as I stood there.
It was her.
The one that I watched the sunrise with.
My eyes adjusted slightly, and I could then make her image out. She looked a bit older, but there was simply no mistaking the long black hair and that faded hat for someone else.
"I don't believe it..." I replied, my brain numbed.
"Watashio shinasai, shikashi watashiwa yuneno mimalikalano watshino ayatsuio asulu?," she then said quietly.
She flicked her black gloved hands at me, and a small yellow light issued out of them into me, and suddenly I found that my muscles unable to move.
She then stepped in close to me, touched my cheek for a moment, and then slipped something that I couldn?t see into my sword scabbard. She smiled at me again, and then took a couple steps back.
"Watashio tsulesalinasai," I heard her say as she crossed her arms in an 'x', and then closed her eyes. A dark aura spewed out from her, and warped her away instantly.
"Sir, did you see who attacked the Archduke?!" the green that I had talked to earlier asked of me with a sense of urgency in his voice as he bursted into the room.
He seemed to freeze for a moment at my nonresponse, then to my surprise, managed to figure out what is wrong with me instantly. I heard him scuffle in his belt for a moment, and then the next thing I knew, he poured a small vial of paralyna into my mouth. The fluid tasted incredibly bitter, but did its job, and within a couple minutes I was able to move again.
"Sir, did you see who attacked the Archduke?" he asked of me again.
I start to say "Yes," but before I could get it out, for some reason that I myself couldn?t figure out, the word died on my lips.
"No, I did not. When I got up here, the mage froze me with a paralyze spell before I could get a good look at the individual. I am sorry?" I say with a tinge of false regret in my voice as I spoke the lie.
The newbie looked crestfallen, and casted his eyes down at the ground.
"Damn...ok then. what are your orders sir?" He asked of me.
I shaked off the last verges of the paralyzation, and I immediately assumed control once more of the situation.
I activated the linkpearl again and left it on so that all the guards can hear my orders.
"I want all the exits sealed to the town, and every residence here searched. Make sure the Archduke gets out of here and is en-route back to the Grand Duchy within ten minutes. I want him safe!" I hastily snapped out into the pearl, "If the attempted assassin is still within these walls, I want that individual captured immediately!"
I tapped off the pearl, and looked at the recruit who was still standing there.
"That includes you too, you know." I grunted out at him.
He froze up and his eyes went wide, before he gave me a nervous salute before he spun around and exited.
It was once that he was gone, that I reached into my sword?s sheath, and pulled out the thing that the girl mage had placed there before she left.
Tilting it into the sunlight, I realized to my surprise that t was a pink flower with a long green stem, that I immediately recognized?
A snow lily?
Why?
That doesn?t make sense at all? Why give me that?
Carefully, I fingered the petals with my fingertips, and then nestled it away carefully in my pant?s waistband, where it won?t get ruined.
As I start to strolled off down the stairs to supervise what I know will be a fruitless search for the mage, one odd thought comes to mind.
Who in Vana?diel is she?...
-fin Aki II: Futamusua
***
Chapter III (Reflections)
****
Two weeks passed since the attempt on the Archduke’s life.
Isn’t it funny how time just seems to slide away…
Drift and drain away...
Quicker and quicker, like water down a funnel...
***
Chapter III: Reflections
***
I fingered the dying petals of the snow lily flower while I laid in my comfortable bed and stared at the cracked ceiling overhead.
The flower by now had began to dry out, making it become more and more delicate as the days pass…
I had also started to dream of her.
The beautiful glow of her eyes.
The raven black hair that flowed down her back.
Since the night after the attack on the Archduke’s life, my life had been hell. Between having to face numerous interrogations, intense questions, and more than one visit from various government officials, I had started to quickly get tired of it all, and was tempted to tell what I knew, just to get them to stop and to leave me alone.
Yet I keep my mouth shut. Day in and day out, never bending, never folding, never giving in to what they think that I might know, yet can’t really prove it.
I don’t understand it…
My eyes focused on the snow lily for a moment.
“And you...my dear...Where were you born into the world at?...” I asked of it wistfully.
I looked at it for a moment, as if expecting an answer where I knew I would receive none.
I delicately placed the flower on my bedside table, brushing the varnished top lightly with my fingertips on accident.
"I don’t even know your name…and yet you torment me.” I paused for a moment and drew a breath in, and then closed my eyes to keep the light from leaking in.
"WHO ARE YOU????!!!!" I shouted on impulse at the top of my lungs as I violently pushed my head further back into my chocobo-down pillow in deep fustration
“Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta…” I heard all the sudden in what I instantly know to be her voice, that start to echo in my ears.
I immediately jolted upright in my bed, and looked around wildly for that faded felt hat, but instead I found nothing.
Just my bed, a couple pictures of my friends, a dresser, and a couple night stands.
Am I going crazy, hearing voices in my head that don’t really exist, in a language that I can’t even understand?!
Those glowing hands…
Falling into position.
I see them when I close my eyes now, every time I try to just blink.
Illuminating her face…
As she is about to attempt to blast the so called leader of the free world into oblivion…
With that thought I sighed gently while rubbing my eyes, and then close them again and lay back down to try to drift off to sleep.
What is wrong with me?
And why are my loyalties to the Archduke suddenly being put on hold for a mage?
Grr...
What kind of spell did that girl cast on me, and how do I possibly break it?...
-fin Chapter III: Reflections
***
Aki IV: Hekugaewake
***
Things only started to get stranger from then on.
More questions rose, and the mystery deepened.
***
"Sir, there is a message from the Optistery Ministry of the Federation of Windurst. It appears that Koruha-Boruha is concerned that the beastmen are starting to gather together at Castle Oztroja outside the Federation, in order to possibly attack the kingdom." The words came from the raspy voice of my office assistant, first class private in the Juenoan Guard.
Two weeks, and one day had passed since I saw her again.
My rough fingertips started to message my temples as I closed my eyes in deep frustration while standing in a position that left me facing the wall away from him.
"Private, please get a notebook, and a writing pencil, and prepare to take a dictation to be sent out immediately back to that taru." I commanded quietly to him.
I heard him fumble in his pockets for his scratchpad and pencil for a couple moments. "Ready, sir!" He said with more than a faint trace of...soldierness...in his voice.
"Dear Minister Koruha-Boruha...", I began slowly, tracing the words that I want to say slowly in my head, putting them together into some sense of order.
"Dear Minister Karaha-Baruha...We at the Grand Duchy of Jeuno have yet to receive any word from our spies within the beastmen empires that they have any designs upon any areas beyond their current borders. Or to put it simply, the Federation of Windurst is safe. If the situation changes, the Grand Duchy will inform the appropriate authorities of your native land about any threat."
I briefly paused, and rocked slightly on the balls of my feet.
"Yours sincerely, yada yada yada, of the Jeunoan Guard, yada yada yada..."
With that, I gave the private a backwards flick of my hand to dismiss him from my office. I heard his feet scuffle along the plush carpet as he retreated softly, and then the ever satisfying click as the door closed shut.
I let out a gentle sigh, and turn around, clenching my hands on the red velvet plush chair at my wooden desk.
I never will understand these tarus…so concerned about their Star Sibyl, believing that everything she says is going to come true. I couldn’t understand why they were so worried about a war for that matter either. The world had entered into a period of peace not seen since before the Elvaan were removed by force from the Quon continent many years ago.
Even the towns of Tavnazia, Selbina, and Mhuara were flourishing, bringing prosperity to their parent countries.
And except for that incident a couple weeks ago in Tavnazia, the world was at peace.
I picked up a slice of a Kazham pineapple that had been left over from the luncheon that I had had brought to me from the soldier’s cafeteria earlier in the day by the private, and then started to nibble at its tangy, but tasty, flesh.
Tasty...
That thought entered my brain as I played around with the yellow flesh on my tongue. I really ought to stop buying those bags of herb seeds covered in rock salt that are so damn addictive...these are so much more healthy for me.
It was with that thought that my office door was slammed open, and in marched five armed paladin gaurds with the distinctive crest that marked them as being part of the Ducal Guard. In between them, they were dragging along with them a person in chains that their armor obsured from my sight.
One stepped forward from the rest, and stands at attention before speaking.
"Sir, we caught this person plotting a conspiracy with the goblins in order to counterfeit the international currency of gil that currently exists. What are your orders sir?"
I quickly looked over at the prisoner, and saw a sniveling geeky looking individual. He nervously tried to adjust his half-shattered glasses that kept trying to fall off his face as he twisted his head from side to side looking around the room. When he wasn’t trying to fix his glasses, he was clasping and unclasping his hands, rubbing them nervously together.
A rather pitiful being.
"What is his name and background?" I inquired of the soldier.
Not wasting a single word, the guard spoke: "Amas Depotana. Employee at Cid’s workshop at Bastok’s Metalworks. Wife, two children. Is bilingual."
It was that last part that caught my ears.
"Is his hands properly restrained with the proper enchantments?" I asked of the man.
He nodded quickly once.
"Fine then, all of you, leave me. I want to ask him some questions. Alone." I gave the command in a tone of voice that does not suggest even a minute tolerance of disobedience in it.
They paused for a moment, and then quickly turned around with the sharp turn that was drilled into them at the academy, upon which they filed out, being sure to close the door behind them without my having to ask them.
I strolled over to the prisoner, stopping two feet away from him, just out of his arm’s reach.
I looked him up and down a couple of times, and then coldly stared into his eyes. He immediately averted his gaze away from me, mostly likely out of fear.
"You are accused of crimes that amount to treason against the Grand Duchy of Jeuno...how do you plea?" I spoke in an emotionless voice to him, not really caring WHAT he said.
He stumbled over the words slightly as he admitted to the crime to me.
"G-G-G-Guilty..."
He then turned his head back to me, and looked me directly in the eyes with bloodshot eyes.
"I had to! No choice. The war is coming…can you not see it?! Can you not feel it in the air?!"
He chuckled softly, that grew into a higher and higher pitch of tone, and that grew louder and louder. He then tilted his head back towards the ceiling and let out a howl.
"The tombs...the tombs...the tombs...the tombs..."
He started to ramble that over and over again, until I slapped him hard across the face. His head twisted to the point where I feared that his neck was going to snap, but instead it just popped back into place.
"Get a hold of yourself man." I commanded of him.
My breath stuttered in my lungs as I closed my eyes, trying to remember the mage’s words perfectly.
"Now tell me this...what does 'Watashiwa watashichiga futatabiaukotoo sh*tteta…' mean?"
I saw his body suddenly take a entirely different composure, pulling itself into something that seemed to approach sanity. He tapped his finger to his bottom lip and appeared to think for a moment.
"Hmm...that’s an interesting phrase. The closest I can come up to is 'I knew we would meet again..." Is that what you are looking for?"
I don’t bother to give a response, trying to instead remember the other thing that she said to me back in Tavnazia. Unfortunately, only a single fragment comes back to me in any sort of order.
"Then...what does 'yomino mimali' mean?" I ask with a hidden interest in my voice.
He immediately replied without pause. "Why, that means 'keeper of the dreams'. What, you going to interrogate me with phrases? Idiot." He snorted that out at me, with a slightly arrogant tone to his voice.
With that, I stepped back behind my desk, and clicked a small red button on its underside that indicated for the gaurds to come back in.
They came in, and immediately assembled around the prisoner preventing him from escaping.
"He has admitted to treason. I want him placed in the prisons beneath the city streets until the Archduke sees fit to execute him." I say, my mind reeling over what the traitor had said.
The leader nods, and they quickly exit, leaving me along with my thoughts.
"I knew we would meet again..".
"Keeper of dreams..."
I spoke the words, trying to reason them out to myself. How could she know that we would meet again? And what is this "Keeper of the dreams"?
So many more questions, so many more than what I had ten minutes ago, before that piece of garbage had been brought before me.
-fin Aki IV: Helugaewake
***
Chapter V: Orders
***
With the revelation of a plot by the goblins to manufacture fake currency, the top leaders of the Duchy were called together to try to figure out what must be done in order to prevent this goblin conspiracy from being made public, and also in order to try to piece together SOMETHING that might enable us to squash this plot.
Unfortunately, I was forced to come to the meeting, as the ranking member of the Ducal Guard available in Jeuno at the time.
Somedays, I REALLY hate my job…
***
Bored, I shuffled the loose-leaf sheets of paper and charts in front of me, glossing a careless eye over them.
I always hated meetings. Just a bunch of paper pushers, whoring themselves out to the great bureaucracy with mindless drivel…so annoying.
Restlessly, I shifted my armored self around in the wooden chair that was about two sizes to small to accommodate both me and my gleaming metal surcoat. The chair groaned underneath the weight, but thankfully not enough to draw me any unwanted attention that could possibly make the meeting any longer than it had to be.
I could really go for a Kazham pineapple slice right now…those things are so good…and maybe one of those mithra from Kazham dressed in a lil’ black string number serv-
My thoughts were disturbed by the heavy tapping on my right shoulder by that galka, Red Ghost. Head of local Duchy security, it was impossible to hold a meeting about anything relating to the security of Jeuno without him being there. He leaned over and spoke quietly-well as quietly as a galka could-into my right ear.
"Sir, the archduke asked you a question...shouldn’t you respond to him?" He rumbled with his deep voice.
I sit up at attention, slightly flustered. My face turned a slight shade of red, and I nervously looked over at the head of the table, where the Archduke himself had taken time out of his busy schedule to meet with us.
"I’m sorry sir...could you please repeat the question again?" I asked, trying to unsuccessfully hide my embarrassment. My eyes blinked rapidly a couple times as the Archduke frowned slightly at me for a quick instant before his face returned to the absent stone mask that I was used to.
"Soldier, what was it that madman had said to you while in the room with you, when you interrogated him alone?" He asked of me with a slow, almost smug smile in his voice.
My eyes still downcast, I quickly replied: "He said the words 'the tombs...the tombs...' over and over again my sovereign." The words spilled out fast, but perhaps a little bit TOO fast for the Archduke’s liking, because of what he said next…
"Are you sure soldier? Are you sure that is all he said? Did you not question him about anything else?"
My heart started to beat rapidly, threatening to burst in my chest.
Did he know?
I had heard rumors before that he knew everything that happened in the town, even when one thought that they were alone.
That there was more to the Archduke than anyone suspected.
I forced myself to speak slowly, measuring my words out carefully. I didn’t want any trouble from the Archduke, and certainly no more of his questions.
"That was all sir…if you will check the official report that is doubtlessly in front of you, you will find that I had chronicled it in Section C, Subsection 2, Paragraph 1. I believe that I wrote that that was all the words that were exchanged between the two of us during the short time that we were alone together."
He picked up my report from his copy of the papers in front of him, and turned the corners of it with his fingertips.
"Why yes, yes, I see soldier. Of course, forgive me for insinuating that you were anything less than honest."
His apology surprised me, for I was underneath him, and he never had to apologize to such an underling. "A-a-all is forgiven my lord." I sputtered out instantly.
It was then that the mysterious stranger who had been standing somewhat hidden in the shadows finally stepped forward to the table and into the light. He was a man of thirty-ish age with short yellow hair. He was dressed in black robes, with what looked like to be some sort of scanner device wrapping around from behind his head and covering one eye. He carried himself as if he was one on equal level with the Archduke, and had the power to back up his equality. His lips parted, and he spoke with a strong void in his voice, devoid of any emotion.
"The tombs...could his madman…whatever his name was…possibly be talking about Eldieme Necropolis that exists underground beneath Batallia Downs, just outside the exit from Upper Jeuno?"
The next voice to speak up surprised me a bit. Why the Archduke allowed his little brother, Eald'narche, to attend these meetings, I could never figure out.
"Hmmm...do you know of any other tombs in Vana’diel? I certainly do not." His high voice squeaked in my ears, causing me to wince slightly.
Damn kid.
The Archduke only looked his kid brother and nodded his head, causing his white hair to fall into his eyes a bit. "That is true Eald'narche..." He dragged the last syllable of his name out for a moment, and then paused.
He then turned to me, and luckily, I had kept my mind focused on the meeting long enough this time to catch what he said the first time.
"Okay, soldier. I want you to gather three of your best troops, and spread out among the various entrances to the Necropolis from Batallia Downs. One man per entrance. Your mission will be to progress throughout the Necropolis, and see what you can find there. Once that is accomplished, you are to report back here IMMEDIATELY."
He paused for a moment, and then his voice turned stern.
"That means, soldier, that this is only a reconnaissance mission. You are under NO circumstances to interfere with anything that you might find happening. I don’t care if the beastmen are plotting to attack all three kingdoms at once in one week, you DO NOT interfere."
He smiled that smile at me that commanded respect from everyone around him as he drew in another breath and continued.
"Are we clear? I will not have the citizens of Jeuno pounding down the door to my room because someone bothered the tomb of their great grandfather Azekiel or whatever. And in the case that the goblins are really plotting something, I would rather we gather as much information as we can before we annihilate them. There might be more than just a gil conspiracy underfoot and if we can squash any larger plots against the state at the same time as this one, well…all the better for the Duchy."
I nodded sharply once, in acknowledgement.
"Okay then...this meeting is dismissed. May Altana protect you all." He said, pushing his chair back to get up from the table, and then silently strolling out from the room.
I left the room quickly, glad to get away. I then started to navigate the maze of halls that would lead me to the troop barracks, where I would there select the best of my men to head out into the Necropolis.
-fin: Chapter V: Orders
***
Aki VI: Tsukihikali
***
Nighttime strolls along the empty town streets, just barely above the ocean, can always relax one’s soul.
Even if one doesn’t realize he is tired and stressed.
***
It had been a long day…
Choosing soldiers.
Swearing chosen soldiers to secrecy.
Briefing chosen soldiers on secret mission.
Telling them that we leave in two days.
Filling out paperwork, insurance claims on these chosen soldier’s lives should they die, requisitioning gear to be used…
Damn that beauracy.
I stepped down from Ru’Lude Gardens, through the steps into and out of Upper Jeuno to where I finally entered Lower Jeuno.
So empty...
Those are the words that always pass through my mind when I work late. How the only people up at this time of night are either the streetwalkers, or the drunkards for whom the words “last call” mean nothing to at the Merry Minstrel.
My fingertips rounded the edge of the old guide stone as I passed by it and then turned right to travel down the main street. As always, I ignore the black-haired woman dressed in the Vermillion cloak sitting on the edge of the guide stone. In one of her hands she turned an hourglass over and over again, letting the sand always almost run out before she tipped it over again. She never seems to move from that spot, but instead, she only spends her days gazing outwards towards town and, as if she is waiting for someone to come take her away.
At least, that is what I want to think.
The cool nighttime air picked up a slight mist from the sea spray just off the town’s edge, rolling the Undertaker’s wind inland. I felt my brow start to become damp, and I tried to wipe it clean to no avail. Eventually, I just gave it up as I slowly descended the first step of stairs past the Auction House.
It was then that I saw the midget elvaan underneath frantically waving at me from the bottom of the stairs.
"Sir!," he said in a high pitched tone of voice. His shaggy white hair bobbled up and down as he then started to jump up and down, trying to get my attention.
I went down the rest of the stairs and stopped before him. I then looked down, and chuckled softly for a brief moment before replying.
"Yes, what is it Satmanda?"
He looked up at me with that quite-eager-to-please look on his face, as all personal home assistants are trained to do at wherever personal home assistants were trained at. I think I had heard once that they were trained in some small school off in Tsahya. Bleh, where it was that they trained mul…er…personal home assistants into some sort of decent shape of helping to cater to my personal needs, they did a DAMN fine job of it.
"Sir! I have polished your combat armor, and then sent it off to the military alchemy department. They called earlier, and said something about having a new product that they would like to try out some new product...Are you going on a new mission, sir?"
He rambled this entire speech out at me in one breath, for where it would normally take two or three for any normal person or elvaan.
I debated for a moment if I should tell him the truth about WHY the alchemy department wanted my armor and about my mission, but I decided against it. The fewer people that know about this, the better. It WAS something ordered by the leader of Jeuno himself after all.
"No, Satmanada...no new mission. Just those alchemy geeks wanting to test out a new play toy of theirs, I guess." I said in a convincing tone. Well, to me at least.
The elvaan paused for a moment placing a curled finger to his chin and nodded twice.
"Ah, I understand now. Do you have anything of yours on hand that I should take into safe keeping for you now?" He held out both of his tiny hands out in front of him, cupped together to catch whatever few trinkets that I might drop. I had had this assistant for many years, and I trusted him with my things implicitly, even to the point where I didn’t mind handing him items that were worth millions in gil.
I fumbled around in my pockets for a moment, and eventually I pulled out the half-eaten bag of dried Kazham pineapple slices that I had bought from the vending machine earlier. I had bought them with the intention of eating them on my way to the barracks where I had picked out the soldiers that I would be taking along with me to the Necropolis.
The light from the diamond-shaped light overhead caught the plastic bag as I turned it over to make sure it was closed tightly, and proceeded to shine back in a broken pattern of light into my eyes as I then carefully placed it into Satmanda’s hands. The elvaan looked at it briefly, and then hid it away in some pocket of his blue robes.
"Thank you sir. Is that all for tonight?" He asked of me.
Without saying anything, I nodded. He started to then walk off into the shadows before a question sprung into my mind from nowhere.
"Actually...Satmanda...walk with me for a bit…there is something I want to ask you." My voice lacked the authority and command that I used when I was talking to those in lower rank standing than me, but still carried the suggestion that it was not meant to be a request, and therefore should not be disobeyed.
Instantly he slunk back from the darkness and came to my side. He carried himself one-half step behind me on my left as I stepped off the open roadway, and into where the pedestrians normally are the only ones to walk. Eventually, we come to an overpass that covers a set of descending steps into yet another roadway of Lower Jeuno. No one had walked up there in ages, as was obvious from all the dirt and grime that had accumulated up there. Once both my assistant and I were up there, I turned around and stared out to sea, feeling the mist brush across my face.
Ten minutes passed before I started to speak.
"Satmanda...do you think that there is a war coming?"
I felt the surprise in how he reacted, even with me not turning around. I heard the shuffling of his feet as he took a couple steps backwards away from me.
"War sir?...That’s impossible...The world has been at peace for a while now. If you are worried about the beastmen, I am sure they are just stirring up a bit of trouble like they normally do every so often. They weren’t born from Her tears after all, so they like to remind us that they exist every so often."
He paused, then jumbled out to what seemed to be a half-apology for his words.
"Of course, if you know differently sir, than I am sure that my opinion is just that, an opinion, and thus not worth being taken seriously. Why do you ask sir, if you don’t mind me asking that of you?"
"No reason, just wondering, that’s all. A mere passing fancy, you might say." I felt reassured at Satmanda’s words. He did communicate directly with the various citizens of the other three kingdoms in a more direct way than I ever bothered to want to. And I knew that because of this, he would, of all the people in Jeuno, know for certain if war was in the air.
"Is that you wanted to ask me sir?" He asked of me in a very polite tone of voice.
Looking over my left shoulder at him, I nodded.
"Then may I have leave, sir?"
Once more, I nodded, my hair falling into my eyes.
He crossed his arms in front of him, closed his eyes, and then looked skyward. "Take me home" he then said in that pitch of voice that took a long time for me to get used to. As I watched, he then disappeared in a flash of blackness, leaving behind no trace save a few footprints.
I then stared back out at the sea, and at the moonlight that hung overhead, showing itself upon the waters.
-fin: Aki VI: Tsukihikali
***
Chapter VII: Choices
***
I remember a story I was once told about the man who wrote a certain famous play.
The man sitting down at his Millionaire’s Desk started to pen out his play, and finally reached the climax of it.
To be, or not to be, tha-
One of the most memorable lines of all dramatic literature to be ever placed in any library across Vana’diel, being penned…
And the writer has to stop to sharpen his pencil.
Would it have turned out differently if he hadn’t had to hesitate?
I wonder about that sometimes.
***
"All right men, get ready." My voice crackled through the orangish-yellow linkpearl that I had secured to my armor. "Once we are inside, total silence. I would rather not wake any dead that might happen to be wondering about."
A smile broke across my face as soft chuckles flooded the pearl. After a brief moment, I turned serious again.
"Okay men, invis up."
With that, I reached into my small pouch on my side, and pulled out a small jar. I unscrewed the metal lid and dipped two fingers into it, feeling the sticky power inside trap itself onto them. I then pulled my fingers out and exposed them to the light where the materials caught my eye, and I finally saw what the big fuss about this stuff in the alchemy department: the powder shimmered for a moment, and then turned my fingers completely invisible to my eyes.
Ummm,...wow...those Jeuno alchemists sure know how to make one hell of an invention when they want to.
Gradually, I started to rub the powder all over myself, making more and more of me disappear, until finally, I was totally invisible.
Just earlier today, I had tried on the armor that my assistant had sent off to the alchemists also. Apparently, while the armor was there, the alchemists applied some sort of experimental oil into the joints that was supposed to reduce and remove virtually all friction, in order to make my every move seem like it was soundless.
But before I left, the alchemy department was sure to warn me that both inventions would dry up and flake off within a couple hours, or if I made excess movement such as drawing my sword and/or fighting. They had forced upon me some extra bottles of oil and a couple extra jars of powder before I was permitted to leave their lab.
Mentally, I pushed these thoughts away, and started to focus on the task at hand.
Out of the four entrances to enter into the Necropolis from, I had drawn the northern most one in lottery, which was totally fine with me. With any luck I would find nothing and therefore I could then go back home to my roaring fireplace.
I took a deep breath and then headed into the Necropolis where immediately upon descending the steps, the stench of death raped my nostrils banishing any sense of life from them. Getting to the bottom, I realized that the rotting, decaying bodies were each barely a foot underneath a marble slab, with few, if any, tombstones to mark who these people were. The graverooms were lit up with a series of candles along the walls that never seemed to go out, or ever seemed to grow any shorter no matter how much time may have passed.
Quietly, I started to probe each of the rooms that I came to as I descended further into the maze with the only excitement I could find was maybe a rat here or there. After about an hour of searching and exploring, I found myself in front of a huge wooden door that had a handle partially broken off. The brass hinges were rusty, and it looked like no one had dared to venture up to or beyond this point for a long time.
Swallowing up my courage and pushing away my fear, I tried to open the door as slowly and carefully as I can to prevent any noise from being made.
Key word there, tried.
Instead of opening quietly as I had hoped, the door instead creaked open with a loud screech. If I wanted the element of surprise...weeellll...I just lost it.
Pushing it open all the way, I stepped then stepped into the room, and quickly found that there was no one there. Scanning around, the first thing that I noticed was that there were three other doors leading into this room.
The archways of each of the other three doors were decorated with what looked like to be some sort of sculpture or relief above each. Around the room, I saw perverse version of a purple woman with ice on her lips, a fiery red beast whose very skin seemed to ignite the air around him, and a monster who had the tide flowing around his blue body. Looking up above my own door, I found a bearded old man with a gaze that could probably even make the bravest galka shiver in fear and obedience. The paint on these figures was chipped and cracked, as if someone had painted them long ago and then forgot about them, leaving these reliefs to slowly die at the end of time. Next to these sculptures were more of those eternal candles that never seemed to burn out, that served to only illuminate the grand majesty of each wall piece.
Even if I didn’t know who or what these beings were, they were truly a sight to behold.
Finally tearing my eyes away from the wall sculptures, I looked at the rest of the room. All I saw were several pits of what looked like to be powdered gravel arranged in a grid-like shape that filled the room, leaving just enough room for a person to squeeze in between them on a tiny, broken, stone walkway.
If they chose that way.
Myself, I just ignored the path and started to walk over the pits, the only mark of my passage being my feet leaving twin fine imprints on the shredded gravel. I made my way slowly across the room, until my left foot was poised above the center pit of the room, and when I placed my foot down…
And were I fell straight through the pit, my body landing in a crumpled heap after a short drop onto a dusty floor.
Immediately, I sprang up, my hand on my sword’s hilt as my eyes took in the room quickly.
If there was trouble, then I would be ready to give ‘em hell.
But after a moment, I realized there was nothing there just like in the room above me, and my hand relaxed on my blade.
Slightly.
Spying a small tunnel right next to me, I turned into it and then started to travel along it. It curved up and down a few times, and I almost tripped over a few narrow cracks in the ground as I made my way though. I noticed that the walls were made up of broken bricks, once more lined with those candles that never seemed to grow any shorter no matter how long they burned.
After a few more twists and turns, I finally come upon an awful sight.
Mixed in with the skulls and decayed bodies of people long passed, were rows upon rows of machinery in front of me all pumping out currency with a quiet efficiency, and depositing each individual piece into a giant sack. There were already several bags lining the walls already, most likely getting ready to be laundered out into the Vana’diel economy.
I walked past the equipment, still covered in invisible powder and my armor oiled up, picking my way so not to brush up against anything. Once I worked my way past all the machines, I happened upon a narrow passage with no end in sight set in the back of the room
Could this be where the leader of this little enterprise is? If I could positively ID the person, I could then make a satisfactory report to the Archduke and hopefully get this little counterfeit ring busted up.
Traveling down this new path, I started to hear faint sounds of what sounded like a sword clanging against the ground, and…a spell being cast?
Immediately, I picked up the pace, and hurried my way to the end, where my eyes fell upon two figures.
One was a dark figure, his skin as black as the midnight sky, and his hair as white as the new moon. He was a tall elvaan, and swung what I recognized as a great sword, most likely a Zweihander. He drew the sword back keeping his empty, cold eyes focused on…
Her.
She was sprawled down on the ground in front of the dark elvaan. Her face was bleeding from a cut that ran down the side of her face on her right cheek, and she looked like she was bruised pretty badly in several places from where she had been hit by someone, most likely the elvaan. I watched as she tried to conjure a spell with nervously shaking hands, but the glow sparked out before she could totally finish the incantation.
Looking into her face, I found that her eyes were wide with a shivering fear, her pupils quivering while totally focused on the being before her. Gazing deep into them, I realized that she looked like the very life force was almost totally drained out of her, leaving behind only the tiniest husk of her being. Her breath was laborious, and she coughed, spitting up a small amount of blood.
My hand went to my sword in order to draw it, but it was then that I paused.
Do I dare disobey my orders?
I was explicitly ordered to not interfere with anything that I might find here, but instead to report it all back to Jeuno and the Archduke.
If I attacked this...being...I would be committing an offense that would be easily comparable to treason, and would therefore at least net me a very neat dishonorable discharge along with prison for life.
Is this girl worth it?
She has caused me nothing more than misery, and caused me several problems that I still have to deal with.
The elvaan kicked her in the ribs, and I heard the sound of a couple of ribs snap.
I should just turn around and walk away. No one would miss this girl, most certainly not me.
The elvaan then grinned, and drew his sword back over his head and started to swing it downwards to finish her off.
Clang.
My sword caught the Zweihander’s edge and held it still, just inches above her face.
"That’s enough. If you want to kill her, you are going to have to deal with me first."
-fin Chapter VII: Choices
***
Aki VIII: Mine
***
Dying to defend someone.
Or be willing to at least.
What causes people to be willing to do that?
Is it just a common human bond, a natural instinct to protect the ones that are weaker than you, a job requirement…
Or is there something more?
***
"That’s enough. If you want to kill her, you are going to have to deal with me first."
The words rang from my throat, full of confidence as I knocked his blade away from her and stepped in between the two of them in one smooth step. The prism powder started to flake off in larger and larger chunks, revealing my determined face in splinters at a time.
I drew my sword back a bit, in order to cover the girl should the elvaan decide to try to attack her again, and then glared deep into the dark being’s eyes where I found two glowing golden circles empty of emotion or pity for anything living being. My grip tightened on my sword and I started to speak, not trying to conceal any hint of threat in my voice.
"If you want her, you will have to try to get to her over my cold, dead ass."
The elvaan just smiled a firm lipped smile, and then it let a deep throaty noise escape from its lips that sounded like the rattling breath of the dead.
It took a second for me to realize it was laughing at me.
Behind me, I started to hear her breath growing shallower and weaker with every passing second.
"I mean it. I’ll die to protect her if need be. I am a paladin after all, and the white knight always protects the girl in distress in the stories."
It didn’t respond to my comment, but instead made a feint with its weapon at my midsection. Whipping my sword downwards, I neatly parried the attack and then responded with one of my own that slipped into its guard and gave it a gash on its right arm. To my surprise it didn’t bleed, or even seem to notice the wound at all.
What th-
Before I could complete my thought, the elvaan went on the offensive, switching sword posture styles rapidly and raining down upon my blows that I was only barely able to deflect over and over again. The ringing of the dull metal as out swords met and parted over and over again carried out throughout the room, accenting the light being reflected off of our swords by the eternal candles that also lit up the walls of this room.
It pushed me further and further back, until I was about to be up against a wall. A sudden adrenaline rush came over me, and I took the offense, pushing him further and further back until he WAS up against a wall, with no place to. It then realized it was trapped, but it no fear showed on its face.
“Die.” the elvaan spoke. The words startled me as they passed through its lips, for I had thought it couldn’t speak.
It was too late when I noticed that in its offhand, it had drawn a small dagger that slipped into my guard and the blade of which had hit one of the few weak spots in my armor, the spot where a leather mesh bound two pieces of metal together on my shoulder. The dagger slit through the mesh instantly and cut deeply into my shoulder, causing me to almost drop my weapon in anguish. The bright red blood started to pour out, staining my freshly cleaned armor as it ran down its sides.
Blinking the tears away, I madly swung at the wall, only to hit what turned out to be a shadow of the monster. Turning around quickly, I found I was just in time to receive another blow to the stomach from the flat of the elvaan’s main weapon. I doubled over this time and fell to the ground, upon which I found that I was starting to spit up blood.
The warm metallic taste of it helped to firm my resolve, and I grew even more determined to defeat this being no matter what.
Then out of my red-misted eyes, I saw it turn away from me and walk a short distance away to where she was.
It was going to kill her. Kill her, and then kill me.
No...
NO!
I propelled myself upwards, ignoring the pain that started to immediately shoot through me. I drew my sword back as I started to charge towards the being, with the full intention of skewering it, to move it away from her, to leave her alone.
The next three seconds played out in slow motion, at least, that is how it always seemed to me no matter how many times I replay it in my head.
It raised its great sword above its head, and without hesitation started to swing it downwards to the girl’s bared throat.
Five steps away.
Its sword was half way down to her.
It was then that my sword’s tip started to glow, and I noticed faintly that the charge was drawing its source from me.
The sword touched her throat.
As I then slammed home the blade into the elvaan, something strange happened. What I could only describe as a kaleidoscope of colors radiated out from the tip, with sparks flying out from the impact. Then in the centre of the colored glow came a circle of darkness that grew bigger and bigger, seeming to only be bound by the rainbow. The darkness and rainbow grew bigger and bigger, until it literally sucked the elvaan and its sword into it. With that, the colors and blackness disappeared, leaving no trace behind of the dark elvaan or his weapons.
My soul felt drained, and my body felt like it was on the verge of dying.
But that didn’t matter.
I did it.
I saved her.
Barely conscious of anything, I picked the girl up in my arms, and carried her through another passage, past rooms of weapons, armor, and food, the floor littered with the shattered remains of destroyed crystals. I stepped over dead goblins, no doubt killed by the newly deceased dark elvaan itself. Eventually, I came to a flight of stairs and I slowly absconded them with the girl, each step finally starting to take its toll on my body.
Finally, I reached the top and the exit with it and broke free of that damned place.
It was then that we fell into the snow and I passed out.
-fin Aki VIII: Mine
***
Chapter IX: Names
***
Faintly, slowly, I opened my eyes.
"He’s coming around Doctor." I heard this voice from what seemed like to be a far off place, as my eyes saw streaks of color run through them, much like when someone spills a bucket of paint down the side of a building and the splash of colors runs all the way down.
I blinked a couple of times, and gradually the blurs become faces of two elvaans standing over me. One was dressed in a white lab coat, and the other was wearing a green top. Immediately, I reached for where I knew my sword would be sheathed, but instead I found nothing.
A sense of panic started to overwhelm me. Where was I? What happened?
Where is...
"The girl I came here with. Where is she??!!" The desperation cracked my voice, making the sounds only come out half-way intelligible. I tried to fumble my way up and off of the bed, but my hands were too clumsy and fat-feeling to let me.
The two elvaans both gave me a strange look for a moment.
"Don’t move, the reason you feel the way you do is because of the anesthetic we had to give you. That was quite a nasty fight you got into there soldier."
The white lab coat said that.
"The girl, where is she?" This time, I could see that the two elvaans actually understood me.
"The girl?...oh, the girl! She is in the bed next to you. She’s slowly recovering...we think she might make it. She had drained almost all of her mana out of her sometime earlier, and as a result her spirit was almost dead."
A look of evident confusion must have overcome my face, as the taller of the two elvaans held up a hand, stilling any questions that might be bubbling up inside of me for the moment.
"You must not be too familiar with the ways of magic casting. You see...when a mage casts a spell, he or she has to draw upon their own lifeforce to cast the spell. This lifeforce is what we in the medical community have termed to be called ‘mana’. The more mana you expend casting spells, the closer and closer your lifeforce comes to being extinguished. It has been proven that mana replaces itself slowly overtime, but no one is quite sure how or why."
He paused.
"However...if you cast too much magic at once, and if your lifeforce is drained dry...your spirit dies. And if your spirit dies...the body dies. For after all…the body cannot live without the spirit." He cracked something of a faint smile.
"However for this lovely lady friend of yours, she did expend quite a great deal of mana but just enough was behind that some medicines known to help encourage the recovery of mana were administered to her when your two bodies were found."
My head began to swim with all the information that I was being told.
"We were found?...by who?...when?..." I mumbled out.
"Some expedition in glacier that was heading further into the Northernlands. They radioed in for help on your link pearl and stayed long enough to make sure that the call for help was received before leaving you. This was about two weeks ago."
"And the girl…where is she?..."
"We were going to move her in just a moment in fact. Please excuse us Commander Dimitri." The elvaans started to move away from me to what must have been her bed on the other side of the curtain that I just realized was there next to me.
"No."
I somehow force myself upwards, and knock down the curtain dividing the beds as I crawled out of bed, and then stand up fully. It fell to the ground with a large clatter, as I look at the two doctors with quiet madness in my eyes. I placed a hand on the girl’s bedside where she seemed like she was still passed out and steadied myself before speaking again
"No one touches her. Are we clear?"
The fire in my eyes must have convinced them to agree with me, for the time being at least for they both pulled back instantly, and then left the room.
I felt my breath start to grow longer and longer as I then ran my fingers through her hair gently, feeling her long black hair flow like silk between my rough fingertips.
Her eyes started to stir, and gradually she fully opened them. Her green eyes sparkled against her pale skin, and she smiled widely up at me. The fingers on her left hand started to draw their way up to where my hand was clamped on her bedside and eventually rested on top of it.
"Ohiyo..." She whispered to me.
"Hello to you too." I said with a weak smile on my face. My free hand caressed her cheek lightly in circles as I started to talk to her, even though I knew she wouldn’t understand.
"That was quite a fight you were in…but what were you doing down there?"
She just got a look of confusion on her face, and then raised an eyebrow. I could tell that she was still very tired and weak, but she wasn’t going to show it in front of me.
She then rose up her right hand, and gently poked me in the chest with her index finger.
"Commander Dimitri."
She then giggled gently, the air seeming to be sucked out of her soul in fits and bursts.
"Hajimemash*te. Watashiwa…Hitomi desu. Dozo Yoloshiku."
She then pointed at herself.
"Hitomi."
With that, I nodded my head and smiled.
"Hitomi...a very pretty name."
It was then that the doctors came back in the room, this time flanked by two members of what I recognized to be part of the Ducal Guard.
One of them gave me a crisp salute, and stepped forward at attention as I tore my eyes away from the girl towards these intruders.
"Sir! Your presence is required now at the Archduke’s private chambers."
I blinked my eyes a couple of times quickly.
"But why soldier?..."
He paused for a moment, to find the right words for what he was about to say next.
"The beastmen have attacked sir…and you are being court martialed for disobeying direct orders from the state."
-fin Chapter IX: Names
-fin Aish*teru (I Love you): Part I- Connection (Enishi)