THE ZODIAC BRAVE ALLIANCE
^ _ ` a b c d e f g h i

Chapter 14: Decisions

Morning came, and the warriors seemed fairly rested from the previous day’s activities, with the exception of Tempest, who seemed to have not slept at all.

Fenris touched her shoulder.

“You okay, Tempest?”

“Yeah, just didn’t sleep well is all.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow today, just a walk, no hiking.”

As the group was about to leave the village, the eldest mage jogged up to them, that is, if a black mage could jog.

“Wait…I think I may have some important information to tell you…about the stones…,”

The group turned to listen to what the little mage had to say.

Clearing his squeaky throat, Vivi proceeded to speak, “This isn’t just the Light Shrine, but all the shrines, once you find them, they’ll test you…that’s the only way you can get the shards. Be prepared, not just physically…spiritually, emotionally, mentally…be ready for the unexpected.”

“And wait up for me!” a loud feminine voice said, “Name’s Rose, I’m gonna join you whether you like it or not!”

“Are you prepared for what lies ahead?” Strife calmly said.

“Prepared? I’m a Red Mage! I’m always prepared.”

“Who do you think you are, anyway!?” Urd blurted out.

Pharda held his hand up and said, “Don’t worry about it, if Rose wants to come with us, I don’t see why not, Strife seems to accept her.”

Urd went eye to eye with Rose, “Just don’t get in my way, little girl…”

Rose smirked, “We’ll see who gets in who’s way first…,”

“Quit arguing! We gotta leave!” Fenris said.

Rose’s smirk turned into an evil smile, “He’s cute when he’s mad.”

At this Andomiel’s face slightly flushed, but he said nothing. Being jealous just wasn’t his style. But as he looked sideways at Rose he noticed a large shadow in the shape of a Lion seemingly following her. He blinked and turned back, and it was gone.

“Huh?” Andomiel scratched his head, but thought he was just seeing things.

Pharda was in the lead following Strife, Tempest, and Urd. Fenris walked between Urd and Rose to keep the two apart, while Andomiel kept the rear of the formation. Andomiel’s thoughts we a jumbled mass of feelings and wondering when Rose walked along side him and broke his thoughts.

“Hey, why are you scrunching your forehead like that? It gives you wrinkles…,”

“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking to myself.”

“Obviously, so what’s so heavy on your mind that it takes your entire forehead to hold it up?”

Andomiel laughed at that. He had never met a woman who was so creative with her words before. And time with Rose seemed to be fun.

“I guess you could say I’m a deep thinker, don’t say much really…”

“You don’t strike me as the type, you talk fine.”

“I guess that’s just how I see myself…,”

“Don’t change the subject, what were you thinking?”

“About how many people are joining us on our mission all of a sudden, you don’t even know what you’re getting into. How can you even trust us for who we are, or even what our reason is for fighting Ajora?”

“I don’t really,” she said slyly, “But that’s part of the fun for me, I trust you as far as I know you, the more I know you the more I trust you. And as far as why I’m going with you…let’s just say I haven’t figured that out just yet…,” her smirk appeared again and she touched his nose making him smile, “Maybe it’s because you’re cute…,”

“You sure are a flirt…,” Andomiel replied. Then glanced away thinking elsewhere, then came back when the thought came to him, “So what’s with you and Urd?”

“I guess you could say I don’t have an affinity towards my own kind…woman-kind that is…I usually travel alone, or when I’m getting paid for work I do.”

“So basically you’re a mercenary?”

“Uh-oh, here we go again with the you’re-a-merc-so-we-can’t-trust-you bit. That is what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”

That was exactly what he was going to say, but he decided to say something else, “Not really, I’ve never really encountered a mercenary before, what’s it like?”

“Well, it’s not easy that’s for sure. You have to scrounge for money at any chance you can, backstabbing others can be a part of the work,” at this she could almost feel Andomiel cringe, “but I’m not like that, I just go where there’s money and honest work.”

“But what if the highest bidder is after you? Is money still important to you?”

She thought for a moment, “If that were true I wouldn’t be with you guys, now would I?”

Andomiel smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, but don’t you even have a clue as to why you’re going with us?”

Rose looked down for a moment, a sadness in her eyes, “….I guess I just don’t know…about me that is…I can only remember my life up to last year…it’s…hard to explain.” She gathered her thoughts, but before she could answer he replied.

“So you follow us thinking maybe we can help you piece your life back together.”

Astonished that he picked up on what she so deeply wanted to say, but was too shy to say anything, she smiled and said with a gleam in her eye, “That’s just between us, okay…,”

“Sure…,” he grinned.

“You know, you’re more than meets the eye, Andomiel.”

“I wish more people would notice that…”

Meanwhile further up in the procession, Urd was whining to Pharda and Fenris about the conversation.

“Look at her! Talking with him as if she’s known him for years…”

“What’s eating you, Urd, you jealous or something?” Fenris said, teasing.

“No…it’s just that why is steely hard Andomiel so taken in with a complete stranger that we’ve only just met.”

Pharda spoke up, “I don’t know for sure, but, if Andy likes her, it doesn’t bother me. Besides, all she’s done is be a little disruptive at the Magic Village, that’s it…,”

“But we don’t know anything about her! Maybe she’s a wanted criminal, or worse, a murderer! We can’t just take along anybody who wants to join us! She hardly knows our mission!”

Tempest, who rarely spoke, glanced at Urd, “Don’t judge her too harshly, Urd, you were skeptical when I first joined, maybe she’ll be a good asset to us…,”

Strife added, “We’ll know if we can trust her when the time comes, for now let’s focus on our goal.”

Pharda spoke up, “Speaking of goals, where do we start looking for the Light Shrine in New Alexandria?”

“The most obvious of places, Old Castle Alexandria itself…,”

“Okay…but how do we get in? I hear the place is run down and full of fiends…,”

“When there’s a will there’s a way...”

“…Oh…,” Pharda replied, wondering what was churning in the black mind of Strife’s.

On to Chapter 15 >>>>

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