Okay, here we go. Got some of this chapter from a Within Temptation song. So yeah.
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???'s POV
The rain was hiting my face hard as I rode through the storm.The horse was moving unusually fast for riding through puddles of water. Usually it would slow down, but not this time..Another roar of thunder came after a streak of lighting shot across the sky.
I turned around to make sure there was nobody or nothing following me. O rode for a few moments until a sheet of lightning enveloped the land around me. My horse momentarily hesitated, when I caught sight of movement in front of me. I looked and saw multiple shadows form around me,
"Shit," I breathed as I realized I was surrounded by demons. I couldn't necessarily define what kind they were but I squeezed my horse and urged it to jump over the monsters with a bit of a headstart.
I continued the last stretch and dodged the storm demons that surrounded me. After what seems like forever, I finally found myself at the house which was thankfully an inn. I dismounted my horse and walked into the inn, which was named the Shiny Water Inn, I mentally groaned at the poor name. I kept my hood up as I enter and got myself a room, and a guarded stable. There was no way I'd lose my horse.
"Did you want something to drink?" I turned around and saw a young girl standing there, possibly a few years younger than I. I shook my head as she questioned further,"Why do you have your hood up, mister? I mean if you are a mister?"
"I am a mister, but I choose to keep my identity on the downlow, now go along and serve your tables, don't want to keep some of these brutes waiting." She nodded her head and went along her buisiness as I turned around the to the inn keeper.
"How long until the nearest city?"
"Only about half a day's ride if you head towards the setting sun. But the amount of demons on Lightwood Path, it could take longer." I nodded my head and thanked the man as I made my way to the upstairs where my room was.
After washing my face off, I sighed as I changed out of my soaked traveling clothes and into dry sleepwear. The rooms weren't fancy but they were enough. I went under the covers and soon fell asleep.
[Name]'s POV
You were currently making breakfast as Ava and Terra came into the room in deep discussion.
"Terra, are you sure? That's not an easy job," Ava said as Terra shook his head,
"I'm sure, nothing's easy anymore anyway."
"What are you talking bout?" You asked as you cooked the eggs a bit more. Ava sighed,
"Well, Terra wants this job,and um, I'm not sure how to explain it." Zack soon came in with Hope by his side. The ravenette shook his head,
"Terra wants to be the hand of sorrow." The room was quiet as you took in what you just heard. You turned to the brunette with a hand on your hip,
"Hand of sorrow, for King Xemnas. Really?You know what that job means, right?" Terra didn't answer as confusion was written on Hope's face. Ava sighed,
"Well, can't do much about it. You know you won't be able to back out right?" Terra nodded his head as you began dishing up everybody's plates. It was a quiet meal and you ate quickly. Hope was also done when you were done, so you dragged him along to do your chores and head into town.
For awhile, you two walked in complete silence. Until Hope broke the silence,
"So, how does this hand of sorrow and other social statuses work. I'm not even sure about it." You sighed,
"I'm not sure if I can explain as well as I'd like, but I'm sure I can explain it well enough." You took a deep breath,
"Well, the Hand of Sorrow, it's like the king's right hand man. Only those who have knight's blood, and can prove it, can become this. But even though it's the king's right hand man, he doesn't get bathed in luxuries.It's quite the opposite. The hand of sorrow does the dirty work, so he might be assigned assainations. It's a tough life. They devote themselves entirely to the king, like a priest to the church. No life, no love, no getting out."
"No way to get out at all?" Hope asked as you shrugged,
"There's a rumor that the way to get out is death or a deathly battle with all of the king's top officers. They really just exclude themselves from society. Village rumors say the Hand of Sorrow just becomes corrupt in the end, maybe even driven in madness to take his own life."
"Oh, and Terra wants to do that?!" Hope exclaimed as you sighed,
"Unfortunately, I'm not sure what's going on in his head." You cleared your throat as you began,
"Anyways, social statuses. The very top of the system is the King and Queen, obviously. You have our kingdom we live in, plus two others that are a few days ride away. We live in Hollow Kingdom, there's also Middle and Nox Kingdom. Kings, in order of how I listed kingdoms:King Xemnas,King Sephiroth and Queen Edea.
"Now, queens and kings are at the top.Next are, obviously the clergy. Prince and princessess, then you have viceroys and vicereines, archduke and archduchess, a duke and duchess, marquess and marchioness, earl or count and countess, viscount and viscountess, baron and baroness then lords and lady."
"Okay,"Hope started,"So Xemnas's officers, are they all lords and lady or up in the ranks?"
"The older guys are all Barons, so Luxord, Xigbar,Vexen,Xaldin and Lexaeus. The rest of them are just lords and lady. Actually I think Larxene is a Countess."
"So what exactly is a Baron?"
"A person who gets his title by military achievements or by honorable service, appointed by usually the king," You explained,"Then a Countess,
it's just a high title for someone not of royal blood but still important."
"Okay, well how about the other kingdoms, who are some important people and their titles?" You thought for a moment trying to remember,
"Well, King Sephiroth, his council is mostly made of his sons, Princes Kadaj,Loz,Yazoo," you stepped over a puddle of mud,"Queen Edea and Duke Cauis, he's not very old, despite his title."
Hope just nodded as you two continued walking along the muddy path that led to town. You two remained quiet, but soon you heard a sound of hooves. As you froze up, Hope gave you a curious look. But soon, he too heard the hooves.
"That's something unusual at this time. No officers should be on guard, at least not at this time." You explained starting to get worried. Knowing Hope is a wanted thief in at least three villages (you overheard him talking to Zack earlier).
You looked back and saw a black horse with a hooded figure on its back. The two of you stepped off to the side of the muddy road, giving the rider and its animal room, hoping they wouldn't run you over.
As the rider came closer, the horse started to slow down until it came to a stop right beside the you and Hope. You were about to start running from the strange character but soon he started talking,
"What is the name of this village?" Clearing your throat you replied,
"The name is Bastion village, where the King of the Hollow Kingdom lives." You said as Hope spoke first,
"What is your name?" The man on the horse was quiet for a moment,
"That,does not matter. It shall be better if you knew not my name." You sighed,
"Alright, what are you. Fugitive, refugee, hunter, blade master." Hope elbowed you,
"[name]." The man sighed,
"It does not matter. I shall just be staying here for a few days. Where is a good inn?" You took your time on answering,
"There is the Blue Chocobo on the side of the village closest to the river. It's one of the inns owned by the Strife family. Quite good is it," you continued,"Take the long way around the village, not straight through the market. The guards will not like a strange man on horseback with his face hidden."
"Thank you. Good day to you." The man gave his horse a little squeeze and continued towards the city in a trot. Hope looked at you curiously,
"Do you usually get visitors like that?"
"We get a lot of travelers but none like him." You said as you continued walking down the path. The rest of the walk was quiet as you entered town,"Hope, put up your hood. They will still probably look for you."
The light haired boy did as you said and you two were soon in the main marketplace. You quickly made your way to the carts you needed supplies from so you wouldn't risk being in the town any more longer than you should.
While Hope was focusing on something in a cart, you were looking around the area. Your eyes landed on a boy probably a little bit younger than you. He kept looking at Hope, and soon the boy was running and yelling,
"It's the thief from yesterday!"
"Shit," you mumbled,"A courier. Hope, we gotta go. Now."
You began to lead Hope through the town. But not on the main streets, just on the little paths between houses.
Walking at a brisk pace ahead of Hope you kept looking back causing you to run into something. Or someone. You were a little worried til you saw you had ran into a girl your age with short auburn-ish hair.
"Oh, I am so terribly sorry!" She said as you sighed,
"No, it is alright. We were just trying to,uh, avoid people." Hope crossed his arms then looked at the girl who looked like she didn't know what to expect.
"Who are you?" He asked as the girl avoided making eye contact with either of you.
"Kairi. I actually live with the nuns. I'm actually not supposed to even be outside the fence. First time actually."
"What happens if they find you out?" You asked feeling sorry for this girl who had to stay inside a specific area.
"I don't know. Perhaps have to confess then spend more time having to listen to Sister Aniga's lecture."
"Sounds unfortunate." You said as Kairi sighed. You thought for a second,"Hey, this was your first time though. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow and we can walk around town!" You saw her face light up,
"Really? That's great! Oh thank you!! What is your name?"
"Oh, [Name], sorry." Kairi was about to say something when she looked like she had forgotten something,
"Oh no. I apologize I must be off!"
She soon turned and ran off, picking her long black dress off the ground as she ran.
"Which way did they go, boy?" You heard a voice from around the corner. Exchanging glances with Hope, you ran.
"Hey, stop! You know you are wanted!"
Rounding a corner, you two suddenly were pulled into a tool shed that was attached to the side of a house.
A hand covered your mouth as you saw darkness. You were about to bite the person's hand when he whispered.
"Don't move."
A few moments later the voices of the guards soon disappeared and you three were out of the shed. You noticed it was the hooded man from before, and you were thinking you recognised his voice.
"Hope,right? The thief? I think there is more than stealing going on with you. Did you kill somebody?By the way I left something in your basket."He whispered the last part to you as his warm breath tickled your ear.
"Who are you?" You asked as the man stayed quiet with his hood over his face,"Fine, be quiet. Let us go Hope."
Finally you two were on your way home and you hoped nothing else would happen. But of course you were wrong and were met by an ambush of frog demons. You cursed as you held the basket of goods in one hand, and only a small dagger in the other.
After Hope took care of most of them with his boomerang, you were soon back at the house. Digging through the basket you found a piece of some type of paper rolled up into a scroll.
You looked around to make sure nobody was watchig you. As you hesitantly grabbed the scroll. The rough feeling of the parchment was unfamiliar to you.
As you unrolled the message, you couldn't help to wonder who that man was. You stared at the paper for quite awhile, wondering what it was gonna say. Because at that momet you remembered that you could't read.
You groaned in frustration, as you stared at the strange scribbles that seemed to float across the surface. Not wanting to ask Zack if he could try to read it, mostly cause you wanted to avoid the questions. There was only one other person who could read and that was Terra.
So you stuck the scroll into your dress and headed out to find Terra, so he could read this to you and hopefully figure out more about this mysterious man.
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yikes...that was terrible..didnt feel like any of that was flowing..oh well anyways....any guess on who the mysterios man is?and is Hope really just a thief??