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year 5, quarter 3
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Caius nodded his head as he began to walk. Vordun followed alongside him and Caius motioned for Declan to come along.
"The Original Sin is a group of bandits that we have had problems with for some time" Caius explained quickly. "We've been disrupting their operations across the country and now they're coming for us. But we've been trying to hit them harder before they can. They are split into three lieutenants and a leader. It used to be four, but the forth, Darlene, was the head of their human trafficking operations. We took her out of the picture recently, and I was able to procure a list of their common buyers, as well as find out the names and operations of the other lieutenants. What I've been doing here is hunting down the names on the list, and shutting down the trading of human beings across Serentestra. That man was one of their buyers.
As for the collars... If I was to guess, the mage responsible for enough magic to imbue those collars, is their head of magical operations, Charon. Who's existence we found out about recently. He's been teaching many of their members magic... Which has been a problem for us. We still haven't been able to find him, but once we do... With Darlene and Charon out of the picture, their trading of slaves will likely grind to a halt."
Caius stopped in front of a tavern, before looking first to Vordun. "Hunt. I'll get you dessert" He told the dragon, who seemed to understand the command and took flight, flying out of the city and into the distance. It wasn't fair if Caius got to eat and Vordun didn't. But Vordun was too big for the taverns now. He then looked to Declan.
"I was planning to grab a bite. We can talk about your recruitment inside should you wish to join me. If you are still interested, that is."
Caius smiled softly at that. But it was only a small smile. His mood had still been heavily stagnated by Vivi's story earlier. No kid should go through what he had gone through. Especially not with how young the kid seemed to be.
"That sounds nice" He spoke quietly. "Maybe one day, when I'm ready to retire. When I feel like this world's people can get on without me running around keeping an eye out" He added. He didn't know if that day would ever come. But it was a nice pipe dream. "Maybe you could try and find a way to do it with magic?" He suggested when Vivi brought up that his hands wouldn't fit being a blacksmith. "I don't know how much your magic capabilities stretch, but it's always worth looking into if you think it's possible, right?"
Of course he wanted to do cooking, so that was just Caius offering potential scenarios. If he enjoyed cooking, he should cook!
Vivi brought up that before he came here, he had to fight to keep everyone from dying and Caius nodded his head knowingly. He didn't want to bring up that he'd done so himself, he'd talked enough of himself already. Vivi seemed to hope that he wouldn't have to fight so much here, and he would be able to have this chance, perhaps with his friends. "Well, if anyone says they know a Vivi, I'll tell them you're around" He spoke softly. A small comfort, but it was worth a try.
Vivi was right though, it was getting late. And the later it got, the colder it would get. Caius nodded his head as he got up, patting Vordun's head. Vordun seemed ready to sleep, so he supposed it was a good time to head into the inn. When Vivi brought up sleeping on a chair in the inn though, Caius shook his head. He fished out enough gil to afford a room and handed it to Vivi, plus a bit extra for him to eat in the morning.
"That's for the inn. And to eat when you wake up" Caius pointed out as he headed for the inn. "Good night, Vivi. I hope you find what you're looking for. Don't hesitate to come find me if you need help. Look for the Dragonblades in Torensten if you need me."
Caius just bowed his head. Low. Head slammed into the back of Vordun's neck. Believe it or not, Caius had realized full well Gilgamesh had fallen. How? Because how hard was it to figure out that if he wasn't talking, he was probably gone? Luckily they had just flown over a lake, so Caius wasn't in any serious rush to catch him. Slowly, Vordun would fly down at Caius' command. Once he was sure that the big idiot had resurfaced (If he didn't, Caius would either wait or go and get him himself), he dismounted and repeated what he said before. But blunter. Caius had done everything that he could in order to accommodate for Gilgamesh being an idiot, but apparently nothing could prepare for Gilgamesh's level of idiocy.
"The crag. That way" He spoke up as he pointed toward it. "Keep going forward when you get there. Torensten. Port City. Stay there. Avoid Provo. Provo is plague town. Plague town bad."
Caius was visibly annoyed, but the idiot would just get himself killed if he didn't at least intervene here. Well, at least the question was answered as to where to drop him off. With that, Caius re-mounted the saddle and motioned for Vordun to head back to the forest. Once there, they would take a trophy from the creature as well as things that could be sold. The trophy Caius took was nothing but a small tentacle, anything else would stink up his abode to high hell. But anything else he took for selling could be used for materials, he was sure, and thus would fetch value. Especially for a more rare kind of Malboro.
Once done, Caius and Vordun would take off. After the battle, they were far too tired to do much exploring of the forest. They would need to come back another time, he decided. It was better to retreat to Torensten for now to rest and recuperate before returning.
As the idiot in hulking armor approached, Caius remembered what he had said earlier and immediately sat up, letting out a low growl as even while tired, he managed to summon his sword into his hand, using it to begin to prop himself up. Long blonde locks drenched in sweat and his body language telling of fatigue, it was unlikely he would be able to do so for long. But he would defend himself if need be. Vordun sensed Caius' anxiety and let out a much more intimidating growl toward Gilgamesh protectively.
But it seemed it was unnecessary. Caius quirked a brow in confusion when the man would suddenly begin bellowing about giving them permission to take from the corpse of the beast, as though he had killed it himself. The old Caius would have just threatened to kill him and told him to buzz off, but... Well, apparently meeting someone special changes things for a lot of people and Caius apparently was no exception.
But of course the fool wanted something in exchange. Luckily it was no big deal, he just wanted to know where the next town was. Caius nodded his head as he got to his feet. "Vordun" Caius spoke toward the creature as he pointed toward Gilgamesh. Vordun seemed to understand what Caius meant as he let out a roar and lunged forward. Picking up Gilgamesh in his talons, Vordun would flap his wings and fly into the air. Caius tossed his weapon upwards and warped forward, landing on Vordun's back and holding on tight.
In truth, Gilgamesh was just too large and bulky for Vordun to reliably hold both him and Caius (Who was sizeable himself, though fairly lean) on his back, so Caius had improvised. Once they were high up enough, Caius would point forward.
"See that crag? Head toward it and keep going forward. That will take you to Torensten, the port city. If I were you, I'd avoid Provo. Unless you like the idea of catching the plague."
With how stupid he was, Caius felt it good to point that out in particular. Speaking of stupid, Caius tapped Vordun on the shoulder that had one of the talons holding him, and Vordun tightened his grip on Big Red.
"I'm going back to take some materials from the beast to sell and pay for the materials I used to slay it. If you want us to drop you somewhere close to that crag-" (And he hoped he chose soon, the smell was starting to make him want to vomit again) "-Then make your decision now."
He hadn't seen the guy hold a hand out to help him, or he would have taken it even if most likely he was some kind of hallucination. Caius pulled himself out of the sand and cocked his head to the side, trying to get some of the sand out of his hair and ears with an irritated growl. The newcomer was talking still, and was interacting with the others. So it was safe to say that most likely, Caius wasn't imagining it. But Caius didn't have much chance to say much as suddenly, more stairs would appear.
"Well, it looks like we've gained a way ahead! And a new hand too" The older man, Kahlil, would chirp cheerfully as if they hadn't just nearly died to a golem. He then turned to the newcomer. "So! My crew and I are exploring these ruins, and it just happened that one of my enforcers has... Turned tail as soon as the golems showed up" He admitted. "The deal I have with these two gentlemen here is that so long as they are willing to provide protection and help me through these ruins, and allow me to keep any treasure I find... I will pay them handsomely. The blonde one is Caius, who I believe he told me he leads this guild called the Dragonblades. Quite a famous group too, I'm happy to have their leader amongst my party. And the other lad is Kana-El. Gifted healer, by what I've seen.
As for you, lad! If you are willing to assist me, I will give you the same deal that I was giving to that Amarant fellow before he ran off. Same as with the other two boys. If you're interested... Well, there's the stairs, let us be off!" He chirped as he began to head down the stairs. "If not, well... Best of luck!"
Caius shrugged his shoulders and followed behind their host. He wish he'd have brought his armoured jacket, it would have better protected him from the golem than this. But it was far too hot for that.
Caius' expression fell when the kid explained that he had indeed died once. And that he knew he was dying, knew he was fading away. Knowing there was nothing he could do about it. And then the kid started trembling. And it was Caius' turn to feel helpless, knowing there was little he could do about it. He didn't know this kid. There wasn't anything he could say, or anything that he could do, to take the pain away.
He asked if Caius had died too, and he shook his head. "I... Don't know, honestly."
He really didn't. Had he been sent here from that hole? Or was that hole he had seen been an attack and Caius had died in battle and had been sent here? Was this world an afterlife? No, it didn't seem like such. This world had its own problems, and people could still die here. Whatever this was... It wasn't an afterlife at all.
Caius was quiet for a short while as Vivi explained that he had been made to fight. Made? He was made? Just to be a weapon? It sounded as though he had been spared the fate of fighting for some kind of monsters, but it seemed that these fates did not spare this child from death.
Caius didn't snap out of it until Vivi asked him a question, and it took him a moment to realize he'd been asked as such.
"Me? I uh..." He trailed off, trying to regain his bearings. He took another sip from his mug to try and stroke his thoughts. "I haven't thought much of it. But I guess... If I wasn't fighting, I would want to take care of animals. Lots and lots of animals, I'd build a whole sanctuary for them" He would admit. "Seeing as I can't keep myself from being busy though, I'd probably build on my blacksmithing. Learn to build better weapons, even if I didn't use them myself."
Finishing his hot chocolate, he placed the mug down, letting out a sigh as he thought something over.
"I'd probably pick up that trade in one of the cities. Where it's a little safer. Sure, sometimes I wouldn't have a choice but to fight if something happens... But that wouldn't be often. But the thing is, I'm okay with fighting. It's why I seek it out as a mercenary. I'm okay with it, and... What I can do coupled with that can make a difference for some people."
He leaned over to stroke Vordun's head. "But if you aren't okay with fighting... Maybe hunkering down in a city and learning how to cook, working your way to opening up a restaurant perhaps... Perhaps it would suit you. I just want you to know that you always have a choice. Regardless of what you were made for... It's what you do with it of your own volition that defines how your life is spent. Whether that's taking up a trade and helping people through that... Or doing what I do and taking up a weapon. It will always be up to you. If someone tries to change that... Well, that's one of those "have to" cases I talked about. Not because they told you to, but because you have every right to be free to choose. Even if you gotta fight for it. If you want to cook... Cook. If you want to fight... Fight. But only do it because you choose to."
Caius stopped abruptly with a jolt when Freya would raise her voice, before opening up. He hadn't expected it, but he also hadn't meant to dredge up such horrible memories. Brown eyes softened as he stared at her, frowning as she explained that Burmecia had been destroyed in front of her eyes, and then their other home, Cleyra, suffered the same fate before her. He had seen his first home destroyed before him, and he had been devastated. But to see it happen twice? To lose everyone and everything like that not once, but twice? He couldn't imagine the pain she must feel. And then the feeling of failure... That was a feeling he knew well. To feel helpless, to feel useless, knowing there was nothing you could do. Nothing to do but watch them all be slaughtered... And wishing you could have done something, feeling you should have been able to do something and feeling horrible that you were too weak to do so. Much of what she seemed to feel and likely felt, he understood completely. She talked about searching for her lost love as well. He didn't... Understand the concept well, but this lost love was clearly important enough for her to leave. It wasn't like he could blame her in that case.
When she apologized, he shook his head. "No, no it's okay" He promised softly. "If you want to talk more about it, we can sit down and discuss it after we're finished here" He spoke up, giving her what he hoped to be some measure of a reassuring smile. He was still getting used to... Being in that kind of role. But he was trying. It was still... A lot to learn, really. But it was Celes who had shown him just how important being able to do these kinds of things truly was. There were just some things that a blade couldn't solve.
Once Freya was aboard the chocobo, Caius sounded the signal to Vordun who took off quickly. Caius finished strapping himself in as Vordun rocketed forward across the plains. Caius checked here and there to ensure that Freya was still keeping up with them, but otherwise served as the eyes for finding the horde. Before long, he saw the source of it. A large group of goblins could be seen smashing up what seemed to be what was left of a travellers camp. Some of them were dead though, Caius noticed, but the others paid the bodies no mind. He wasn't sure what had killed them, but whatever it was, it wasn't there right now. But there were traces in the ground of some kind of large monster that had been stomping about... Which led Caius to believe that most likely, something even bigger wasn't far.
The least they could do for now though, was deal with the goblins. But the goblins seemed to decide on sight that they were bored of the camp, and Caius and Freya were new, fresh meat. Some of them began to draw arrows and opened fire both on the chocobo on the ground, and on the dragon in the air.
The kid didn't heed Caius' warning, but there wasn't much he could do except try and down this thing faster. The creature struck out at Caius and Vordun, one at a time. Caius warped forward, and Vordun responded by diving downward, reuniting the two and dodging the attack in the process. But before they could counterattack... The creature suddenly stopped.
It stopped entirely. Frozen. Unmoving whatsoever. It was as though it had been paused. Caius had climbed onto Vordun's back in order to prepare for the next attack when the thing had stopped, and he couldn't help but gape at its condition. Looking back, he saw the one who was clearly responsible -- the kid. Quirking a brow, he watched as they continued to use their cards. Cards flew and dug into the monster, and Caius wondered just what he was doing. Cards didn't hurt, normally, did they? Gave you a bad papercut maybe, but sink right into the skin? There was magic involved, that was clear. Magic that Caius wasn't familiar with. He knew Stop when he saw it, Celes had used it before back in that one spooky house. And had seen it used against a human being when the Lich used it against Rem.
And then newbie fired some kind of laser, and Caius knew that he needed to act fast. "Vordun!" Caius called to the dragon, who unleashed a torrent of flames on the beast, unrelenting as he continued to launch this flamethrower. Caius meanwhile, held out a hand from atop Vordun's back.
"FIRA!"
More fire was launched at the creature, and Caius didn't stop there. He launched another Fira, and another and another as he hoped to down the creature before it could begin moving again and counterattack. But firing Fira this often, well... He was no Celes. He would go into Stasis very soon if he kept it up.
Caius was nearly thrown off Vordun when the explosion that sounded in the creature's mouth and then the sensations from the creature going down and hitting the ground with a loud thud rocked him. Vordun took Caius' heavier breathing to indicate a need to land, and the tired dragon would clear some space from the beast before touching down. Caius rolled off Vordun's back as he propped himself to a sitting position on a nearby tree. Sweat beaded down his face as he breathed heavily, exhaustion finally beginning to replace the prior boost of adrenaline that had been swimming through his body.
"Holy cow... We actually pulled it off" Caius breathed out, as he rested his head back against the tree bark. It had taken a lot of quick action just to avoid the thing while doing the damage he did, and it had been a huge risk throwing that explosive in there. If Vordun hadn't been as quick as he had, even a bit slower they would have potentially been swallowed by the explosion, or struck down by the creature's flailing tentacles during its death throes. Or worse, the creature might have been able to use Bad Breath before the explosive went off, and they would have been too close to escape it. That had been far too close of a call for his liking.
His weapons disappeared as he rested back against the tree, when he heard the boasting cries of a familiar voice. Ah, right. The idiot. It sounded as though the idiot had decided to take credit for the kill. He... Somewhat credited him and Vordun? Sort of? Honestly, he was too tired to care all that much. He would take his usual from the creature after he got back his bearings, but for now he just needed to... Well... Do just that.
Believe it or not, aside from the surprise of one of their quarry knowing magic (That was something Caius was going to have to look into. Since when did common bandits know sizeable magic?), everything had gone according to plan. While Celes might not have seen it that way, everything had gone the way that Caius had envisioned. While it had been a risk as to whether the bandits would actually be there or not, they had been able to ambush the bandits right when they were occupied with their attack on the caravan. Caius had purposely waited until the last moment, right when they charged at the caravan, to make their move. This had given them as much of an element of surprise as they were going to get without seriously risking the safety of the merchant.
Caius stopped to speak to the merchant and ensure he understood the situation and that he was alright. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Relm fussed over a minor wound of Celes', and he couldn't help but smile faintly. It seemed that in some respect, she had gained a measure of approval from Caius. And in the way that really did matter when it came to what he looked for in the Dragonblades.
But something hit him like a kick in the chest deep down, and instinct wheeled him back toward the merchant, who had a second later let out a cry due to one of the bandits having a firearm pressed to his head. Before the bandit could get a word out to proclaim demands though, Caius had already aimed his gunblade upwards and fired, knocking the firearm out of his hands.
"Son of a-" Caius growled as he warped forward, roughly kicking the bandit off the merchant's cart before checking on the merchant's welfare. Once he was sure they were well, he turned to Celes and Relm when the question of what to do next came up.
“I agree. It would be best if you two escorted him back to town” Caius concurred. “When you get back to town, inform law enforcement of what happened and send them my way, to handle cleanup. I’ll remain here and keep them from fleeing. I have a few questions for them anyway.”
When Celes asked if this was all that was left to do, Caius turned to her.
“That depends on what I find out. I’ll let you know when I return. I'll meet the two of you back at the inn when I have finished here.”
