Categories > Games > Skies of Arcadia > Raiders of the Lost Heart
Chapter 7
"Who are you?"
It was evening. The moon was up, the stars seemed like diamonds against a black pillow of silk. It was a really sweet sight, but the garpa-fruit Aika was eating was sweeter. It tasted very good, and it would keep away their hunger just until tomorrow. It would be unwise to have a gigantic food-feast just before they went to bed. Now all four of them sat in the tavern and talked through all the details about tomorrow's trip while they ate some light snacks. Esteban had said that he had already eaten one meal already that day, so he wouldn't need any dinner. Aika had then said that was a good enough reason to come along with them to the tavern. He had given in, let it be a little reluctantly.
"So," she said. "Feel excited?"
"We haven't started yet," was the non-saying reply.
Maybe he still was angry with that old Brabham. Judging from what she had seen of him until now, someone like Brabham would be a huge pain in what he was sitting on. Esteban had given a description of how and when he had encountered Vigoro and stolen his map. Vyse, Aika and Fina had listened carefully and had also got some laughs.
"So that's why he had to work as a waitress," said Aika.
Generally, Esteban gave an impression of being somewhat passive. But from what he had told them, he had it when it counted. But there was something about him that wasn't right. Something missing. Something important...
"I'm going to get some sleep," said Esteban. "See you tomorrow." He started to walk towards the door.
"See you then," said Vyse.
"Good night," Aika and Fina said in unison.
He nodded shortly in reply and went out of the tavern. They could hear him walking towards the living quarters.
"He's got a point there," Vyse said and stood up. "We'd better turn in too."
"Yes," Fina said and yawned. "I'm feeling really sleepy."
Aika put up her hand as if to form a STOP-sign.
"Hold it."
She stood up and looked out of the window. Esteban could be seen walking up the stairs and enter his room. As the door was closed, she sat down.
"What is it?" Fina asked.
Aika quietly thought over what she would say to them.
"It's just that..." How would she put this? "What do you think of him?"
Vyse and Fina looked a bit puzzled.
"Well," Vyse started and sat down. "He's okay. Maybe not very sociable, but why should he be?"
"What do you mean he shouldn't be!?" Aika said, a bit offended.
"He's a bounty hunter, isn't he?"
"Mercenary, but ...hey how did you know that? Did he tell you?"
"Not really. Remember Lawrence? It's quite obvious, the way he acts."
Yeah, now when he said it. Never willing to do anything he wasn't paid for, always keeping for himself. They were similar indeed, but Aika had seen one difference...
"I think it's more than that," Aika said, choosing her words carefully.
"What would that be?" Fina asked. Had she seen it too?
"What I mean is, how shall I put it... I don't think he's, like, professionally cold. You've seen what he's like. Never willing to talk about anything but the treasure, avoiding contact like nerath-eel. Sure, it's a usual attitude among mercenaries like you said, but not in this case. I don't think he's like that deep down."
"Tell us."
"When we sat in the mess on the way here, I said something about shooting down Black Pirates. That it was a hobby, sort of. And then he called me a murderer. He looked absolutely furious."
Both Vyse and Fina got a worried look on their faces.
"He didn't hurt you or something, did he?" said Vyse.
"No, no, no, don't worry. I don't think he ever would do something like that. 'Cause after that, and here comes my point, I said something like 'I've never seen a mercenary with morals'." She thought back to that scene on the /Delphinus/. "When I had said that, well, he looked like I had walked in on him in the bath or somethin'."
"You mean" said Fina. "just because of what he said?"
Aika nodded.
"Yep. Sure, you don't have to like murders just because you're a mercenary... but in this case... Why does he hide what he really feels? I think it's something deeper."
"Now that you say it," Vyse said, thoughtful. "I thought it was just an attitude. Hmm, this doesn't look good."
"As if he wants to give an impression of being a cold-blooded person, doing anything for some gold?" said Fina. "Just to keep his distance, afraid of showing his true self?"
"Exactly," Aika nodded. "I know, it sounds a little far-fetched... but... everyone can change, can't they?"
Fina turned down her gaze, her emerald-green eyes were filled with a distant sorrow.
"Not everybody," she said, a little sad.
It wasn't hard for them to understand who Fina had meant. Ramirez had been a very close friend to Fina. To see him die at Soltis had scarred her soul. Even if it healed with time, it still ached.
"I know, we didn't have any choice," she continued. "It had gone so far that he couldn't turn away."
"Yes. But, at least he didn't call down the rain until Galcian was killed," said Aika. "Not the one at Valua."
"Only if Galcian had survived... But still, he turned down the orders from the elders in favour of being in liege with Galcian."
"You mean that Ramirez, deep within, saw a chance to spare the world from destruction?" Vyse asked. "By conquering it, instead of destroying it?"
Fina nodded.
"Maybe. I don't think he was all evil inside, I'll never know, but... If only he had arrived at someplace else than Valua."
That's exactly how Esteban is, sort of, thought Aika. Cold as ice on the outside, but deep down he cares! If Ramirez did, that is.
"Maybe he didn't want to do it in the first place," said Vyse. "But if Valua was his first taste of Arcadia..." he let the words fall out into nothingness.
"I guess you're right," Fina said, reflecting. "I remember I was a little suspect myself when I came here from the silver shrine."
Sure, being chased, assaulted and kidnapped by one of Valua's admirals was hardly what Aika would call a good first impression. But, if Dyne's crew hadn't happened to be nearby, and Alfonso had have taken Fina to Valua, would she have become just like Ramirez? No, not Fina! Never! The very thought almost made her shiver.
"What did the elders tell you about the world's people, really?" Vyse asked.
"That I wasn't allowed to trust anyone. They told me that all humans searched for only for material gain, but..." Fina's sad expression faded away and she smiled. "when you refused to turn me over to Galcian, at Valua, I knew then and there that not everybody in this world was like that. And especially not you two."
Aika smiled and laid her hand on top of Fina's.
"We would never."
Without words, Vyse put his hand over Aika's, his fingertips touched the side of Fina's smooth hand. No need for words now. The three friends sat like that for a while, together with each other. Had Esteban had moments like these? Probably not. A small amount of minor played in Aika's mindly orchestra. The way he acted, he most likely scared people off. But no. She felt sure that beneath his hard attitude, he was a good person. He just didn't want to show it. But why? Why had he turned out like this? Just maybe... she could...
"Well, ladies," Vyse started. "Let's go to bed. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He blinked at Aika. "And not just the treasure."
"Who are you?"
It was evening. The moon was up, the stars seemed like diamonds against a black pillow of silk. It was a really sweet sight, but the garpa-fruit Aika was eating was sweeter. It tasted very good, and it would keep away their hunger just until tomorrow. It would be unwise to have a gigantic food-feast just before they went to bed. Now all four of them sat in the tavern and talked through all the details about tomorrow's trip while they ate some light snacks. Esteban had said that he had already eaten one meal already that day, so he wouldn't need any dinner. Aika had then said that was a good enough reason to come along with them to the tavern. He had given in, let it be a little reluctantly.
"So," she said. "Feel excited?"
"We haven't started yet," was the non-saying reply.
Maybe he still was angry with that old Brabham. Judging from what she had seen of him until now, someone like Brabham would be a huge pain in what he was sitting on. Esteban had given a description of how and when he had encountered Vigoro and stolen his map. Vyse, Aika and Fina had listened carefully and had also got some laughs.
"So that's why he had to work as a waitress," said Aika.
Generally, Esteban gave an impression of being somewhat passive. But from what he had told them, he had it when it counted. But there was something about him that wasn't right. Something missing. Something important...
"I'm going to get some sleep," said Esteban. "See you tomorrow." He started to walk towards the door.
"See you then," said Vyse.
"Good night," Aika and Fina said in unison.
He nodded shortly in reply and went out of the tavern. They could hear him walking towards the living quarters.
"He's got a point there," Vyse said and stood up. "We'd better turn in too."
"Yes," Fina said and yawned. "I'm feeling really sleepy."
Aika put up her hand as if to form a STOP-sign.
"Hold it."
She stood up and looked out of the window. Esteban could be seen walking up the stairs and enter his room. As the door was closed, she sat down.
"What is it?" Fina asked.
Aika quietly thought over what she would say to them.
"It's just that..." How would she put this? "What do you think of him?"
Vyse and Fina looked a bit puzzled.
"Well," Vyse started and sat down. "He's okay. Maybe not very sociable, but why should he be?"
"What do you mean he shouldn't be!?" Aika said, a bit offended.
"He's a bounty hunter, isn't he?"
"Mercenary, but ...hey how did you know that? Did he tell you?"
"Not really. Remember Lawrence? It's quite obvious, the way he acts."
Yeah, now when he said it. Never willing to do anything he wasn't paid for, always keeping for himself. They were similar indeed, but Aika had seen one difference...
"I think it's more than that," Aika said, choosing her words carefully.
"What would that be?" Fina asked. Had she seen it too?
"What I mean is, how shall I put it... I don't think he's, like, professionally cold. You've seen what he's like. Never willing to talk about anything but the treasure, avoiding contact like nerath-eel. Sure, it's a usual attitude among mercenaries like you said, but not in this case. I don't think he's like that deep down."
"Tell us."
"When we sat in the mess on the way here, I said something about shooting down Black Pirates. That it was a hobby, sort of. And then he called me a murderer. He looked absolutely furious."
Both Vyse and Fina got a worried look on their faces.
"He didn't hurt you or something, did he?" said Vyse.
"No, no, no, don't worry. I don't think he ever would do something like that. 'Cause after that, and here comes my point, I said something like 'I've never seen a mercenary with morals'." She thought back to that scene on the /Delphinus/. "When I had said that, well, he looked like I had walked in on him in the bath or somethin'."
"You mean" said Fina. "just because of what he said?"
Aika nodded.
"Yep. Sure, you don't have to like murders just because you're a mercenary... but in this case... Why does he hide what he really feels? I think it's something deeper."
"Now that you say it," Vyse said, thoughtful. "I thought it was just an attitude. Hmm, this doesn't look good."
"As if he wants to give an impression of being a cold-blooded person, doing anything for some gold?" said Fina. "Just to keep his distance, afraid of showing his true self?"
"Exactly," Aika nodded. "I know, it sounds a little far-fetched... but... everyone can change, can't they?"
Fina turned down her gaze, her emerald-green eyes were filled with a distant sorrow.
"Not everybody," she said, a little sad.
It wasn't hard for them to understand who Fina had meant. Ramirez had been a very close friend to Fina. To see him die at Soltis had scarred her soul. Even if it healed with time, it still ached.
"I know, we didn't have any choice," she continued. "It had gone so far that he couldn't turn away."
"Yes. But, at least he didn't call down the rain until Galcian was killed," said Aika. "Not the one at Valua."
"Only if Galcian had survived... But still, he turned down the orders from the elders in favour of being in liege with Galcian."
"You mean that Ramirez, deep within, saw a chance to spare the world from destruction?" Vyse asked. "By conquering it, instead of destroying it?"
Fina nodded.
"Maybe. I don't think he was all evil inside, I'll never know, but... If only he had arrived at someplace else than Valua."
That's exactly how Esteban is, sort of, thought Aika. Cold as ice on the outside, but deep down he cares! If Ramirez did, that is.
"Maybe he didn't want to do it in the first place," said Vyse. "But if Valua was his first taste of Arcadia..." he let the words fall out into nothingness.
"I guess you're right," Fina said, reflecting. "I remember I was a little suspect myself when I came here from the silver shrine."
Sure, being chased, assaulted and kidnapped by one of Valua's admirals was hardly what Aika would call a good first impression. But, if Dyne's crew hadn't happened to be nearby, and Alfonso had have taken Fina to Valua, would she have become just like Ramirez? No, not Fina! Never! The very thought almost made her shiver.
"What did the elders tell you about the world's people, really?" Vyse asked.
"That I wasn't allowed to trust anyone. They told me that all humans searched for only for material gain, but..." Fina's sad expression faded away and she smiled. "when you refused to turn me over to Galcian, at Valua, I knew then and there that not everybody in this world was like that. And especially not you two."
Aika smiled and laid her hand on top of Fina's.
"We would never."
Without words, Vyse put his hand over Aika's, his fingertips touched the side of Fina's smooth hand. No need for words now. The three friends sat like that for a while, together with each other. Had Esteban had moments like these? Probably not. A small amount of minor played in Aika's mindly orchestra. The way he acted, he most likely scared people off. But no. She felt sure that beneath his hard attitude, he was a good person. He just didn't want to show it. But why? Why had he turned out like this? Just maybe... she could...
"Well, ladies," Vyse started. "Let's go to bed. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He blinked at Aika. "And not just the treasure."
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