Promise (A VenturianTale Fanfiction)

The Place Where We Got Really Drunk At

The vineyards were ripe with dark bundles of fruits, which were being collected by nearby farmers in straw hats. Their gloves and boots were made of expensive leather, and their clothing of fine linen. Probably bought with the money they earned from selling wine.

As the group trekked further into the main part of town, the more merchants gathered at the street's edge, calling out their best bargain and ringing bells and other such things to catch people's attention.

"Wine! Fresh wine! Stomped fresh just today!"

"Only grapes of finest vines! Pick and stomp and you've got wine!"

Ghost caught Toast trying to sneak away and sample a drink or two, to which he scolded, "We're here for Maloney's stuff. That's it. You want something else? Come back here at your own risk."

The Bank was a glorious golden pavilion, surrounding by still, pristine, and mirror-like water with the occasional falling flower drifting into it. The bountiful grapevines curling up towards the top of the pavilion had several bunches of grapes hanging off their brambles, looking like they'd been ripe for centuries. Ghost was kind of confused as to how or who kept this place so clean and tidy. He could sense a presence of many, many people, but it just wasn't there. In the middle of the whole mess, who sat upon a maroon-colored pillow, was the Collector. A small boy, shaved down to his scalp and wearing some sort of white wrapping eyed the group, his small coal-like eyes darting across each person, before closing his eyes and saying in a rather bored tone, "Proceed."

Everyone took a few steps in, before the Collector stood up suddenly, screeching. "No! Only... The strongest. The wisest. And the swiftest."

As if by force, Toast, Tea, and Ghost stepped forward, while the others took three steps back. The Collector nodded numbly.

"I will give you three minutes to go over your strategy. Commence."

Ghost looked nervously at Toast, who was fumbling through his backpack. He took out his bird whistle.

"Sir, I'll need you to attack the Collector. Make sure he doesn't attack Tea. Tea, you'll have to hold back. I don't know if you'll be able to fight physically. I'll do my part. Don't worry, I'm not getting cold feet just yet."

Ghost nodded, grabbing the first two knives he could reach for. Honestly, he was kind of scared. Honestly, he wanted to run. Honestly, he wondered why he was risking his life for the sake of a few belongings.

"Ready? Go!"

The three charged at the Collector, who stood up, his charcoal like eyes flashing white for a moment, before reverting back to normal.

"Fools! If you so desire to be put to your grave, so be it!"

Actually, no, Mr. Collector dude. I just wanted to go home.

Tea stayed back, towards the edge of the pavilion as Toast instructed, and Ghost kept the Collector from trying to kill anyone but himself. Toast was no where to be seen, but in truth, he was full of surprises, so Ghost didn't question it.

This went on for a while, until Ghost wanted to pass out out of fatigue. The Collector just wouldn't die, the damned kid. "T-Tea! Johnny! Help, I-I don't think I can hold up any more!"

"Ghost!" Tea shrieked, "Throw me one of your knives! Quick!"

Ghost slid his old, ordinary jackknife in Tea's direction, who snatched it up and hurled it at the roof. The knife pierced the soft gold, cutting one of the larger vines and causing it, as well as its huge bundles of grapes the size of golf balls, to fall on top of the Collector. The Collector disappeared exactly the moment before the grapes would've crushed him.

"Ghost, watch out!"

Ghost looked up, and saw a huge bundle of vines and grapes coming right towards him.

A couple of whistles to Ghost's left caught his attention, but he couldn't focus on anything for long, because as soon as he knew what was coming at him, he was already riding it.

Toast had used his bird whistle. They were riding a Chocobo.

The bird made a hard left, then halted.

"Everyone off!"

They all dismounted, Ghost falling over on his side more than anything. The chocobo gave a final whistle, before departing and running away, hopping over the water surrounding the Bank and disappearing into oblivion.

"What was that?" Toast looked at Ghost, laughing.

"A chocobo. I got the whistle from that creepy kid, Spencer."

Milk. Ghost needed milk to spit out at Toast's face.

"And how, exactly, does a kid like that get his hands on something from a game?"

Toast shook his head, shrugging. "I don't know. But it saved your life, so you shouldn't really question it." Ghost looked over to the pile of vines and grapes on the emerald encrusted floor, where the Collector sat on top of it all on his maroon pillow, clapping.

"Well done, adventurers. For nearly defeating I, you shall be rewarded with four items, in which you have lost. Name these lost objects, and they shall be yours."

Tea stepped forward, saying first, "First of all, we want Maloney's belongings back."

Ghost trotted up next to her, "Next, we want Piper's money."

Toast hesitated, taking a long moment to stare daringly at the child, "Finally, we want Aquaman."

"Aquaman? What is this 'Aquaman' you speak of?"

"He's our friend, who deceased during the overtaking of all the dimensions during Thanksgiving. We want him back."

The Collector sighed impatiently, saying adamantly, "I do not carry souls or spirits or Ka's or bodies. I am only a collector of lost items. And only lost items." Toast huffed, holding up his index finger to supposedly silence him arrogantly, "Aquaman's spirit is lost, and is indeed, in fact, an item. You must have it, for if you don't, you can't explain how you have several of your dead enemies take care of your pavilion, here."

Ghost looked around the golden sanctuary, catching a ripple in the air every so often, like what happens to air when you light a fire or something.

"Impressive. You have outsmarted and defeated me. For this, I grant you your wish. This Aquaman of yours will be given to you in the form of the knife that you have to ownership. The young lady transporting it will arrive with it shortly, as well as the other things you have requested."

The three turned to leave, when the Collector called out, sounding somewhat angered. "You have one more item! You've only named three, do you wish to only retrieve the items you've so named, or name one last object of your choosing?"

No one said anything for a while, until Toast spoke up.

"We want whiskey. Lots of celebration whiskey."