Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Javarr: The Azure Scourge of Bastok ❯ Chapter 7 Blue and White over Crimson and Black ( Chapter 7 )

Let it be known that this story is based upon the MMORPG known as Final Fantasy XI, which is a copyright and Trademark of Square-enix incorporated. The author clams no ownership of names of places, characters, abilities, jobs, organizations, religions, or any other material that is protected under international copyright laws.

 

/em sighs and lights a Roll of Bastokan Tobacco +1

 

Now with that out of the way, lawyers happy, and the risk of getting sued by a multi-million dollar company avoided, on with the story.

 

 

Chapter 7: Blue and White over Crimson and Black

 

The two days found Dalshandra and me stepping off the airship in the port of San d'Oria. This place was literally a fortress. High stone walls surround the main part of the city, with the Chateau d'Oraguille, the royal keep, concealed behind another set of walls and moat. Even with this cities age, the stones that were laid all that time ago are still as strong as the day they were first joined. Waiting for us as the dock was a persuasion of Elvaan nobility.

 

Elvaans are a tall, slender race. They normally speak in the older tongues of Vana'diel and tend to bend the words a little. Standing at between six foot six to seven foot, they are taller then the average hume. Regardless of their height, they are hefty warriors and most of the sword skills that are known come from San d'Oria. Also due to their country's former status as an isolationist nation, they are always leery of outsiders.

 

“Welcome, Legionnaire Javarr, to the Kingdom of San d'Oria. We all grieve for your recent loss. I am the priest Evlickan, one of the high clergy of Attlalia. May paradise open its gates to your father.” Upon concluding the last part of his message, he extended his hands up at shoulder level, his palms facing upward.

 

“I thank you for your welcome, Priest Evlickan, and may paradise open its gates to you and your entire nation.” I too preformed the prayer. The priest nodded in approval.

 

“If you would please follow me, sir and madam.” He turned and began to walk, his dark blue robe flowing around him. I made one last check of my uniform before taking Dal's hand and following them. On either side of us was an honor guard of five. All in full ceremonial plate armor, polished to almost a blinding sheen. I felt the hilt of my father's sword and I knew everything would be all right.

 

It took them some time to reach the main gates of the Chateau d'Oraguille, but once they did, they saw several men, dressed in full combat armor carrying halberds. At our approach, they crossed their weapons in front of the preseason.

 

“Halt! None shall enter the Chateau d'Oraguille without the authority of the king!”

 

Evlickan spoke as if this was a ritual. “Hail guards of the Chateau! I am High Priest Evlickan, honored by his Royal Highness. I bring visitors from distant lands. Javarr, Son of Valear and his Lady, the fair Dalshandra.”

 

The Guard nodded. “I see your words are true. Pass then into the halls of His Majesty.” The guards uncrossed their weapons and the group began to move again. Upon entering the main keep, I was amazed at the beauty of this place. There were paintings of ethereal quality, the smell of fine woods, and the quite tones of conversation along those of the house of King Ranperre. We all began to clime up a set of stairs that lead to the doors of the Throne Room. A similar display to the one outside the Keep, happened again and at last we were allowed entrance. The Honor Guard went in first along the long red carpet that lead all the way to the base of the throne. They stopped in the same formation, turned to face one another and drew swords, crossing them above the walkway. Dalshandra and I were lead in by Evlickan. Once he stopped and knelt, so did we.

 

King Ranperre stood from his gold throne and spoke. “Please rise, honored guests. I bid you welcome to the Kingdom of San d'Oria. It is my wish that you will think of my home as yours during your stay in my fair country.”

 

After rising, I bowed deeply. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It is a great honor to be in the home of a lord such as yourself.”

 

King Ranperre smiled in approval. “You have your father's gift of speech.” Then he noticed the sword that was on my side. “You carry your father's sword well. It served him well as I do hope it does for you. Now, I know you both must be tired from your journey; quarters have been prepared for you. You may take your leave to rest and refresh yourselves. There will be a banquet in the main dining hall tonight to honor your father's memory.”

 

Once again, I bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Indeed, we are tired from our trip and a chance to rest and refresh ourselves would be most pleasing. With your permission, Lord, we shall retire until the banquet.”

 

With a wave of his hand, attendants came running and he issued a decree. “While Javarr, Son of Valear and the Lady Dalshandra reside within my home or my nation, they shall be treated as guests of the Royal House. Anything they wish shall be theirs. It is the least that can be done for the son of a man such as Valear. You have my permission to retire, Lord Javarr.”

 

With a final set of bows, we left the presence of the king and were shown to our quarters.

 

* * * * *

 

It was after nightfall when all of the guests for the banquet were finally arrayed around the long table. It was to be held in the large royal gardens planted in memory of King Ranperre's late wife and queen. The gathering was dominantly Elvaan nobility, adorned in ceremonial armors and crimson and black cloaks, and swords of quality befitting their status. The king stood and raised his jewel-encrusted goblet up to the gathered guests. Following suit everyone else stood, with the exception of Prince Triton. With a quick glare from his father, he too stood.

 

“My honored guests,” Ranperre began “we have gathered here tonight beneath the light of the goddess to honor the fall of a great warrior, Valear of Bastok. It is a blessing of the goddess that a hero's bloodline continues within one of our guests, Lord Javarr Malutei, son of Valear, who follows in his father's steed as a warrior.”

 

All of the nobles present (save for Triton) bowed their head to me and raised their glasses high. Together they all spoke.

 

“Hail to the glorious dead!” Then they all took long drafts from their glasses.

 

“I thank all of you for the honor that you show my father at this gathering. I also thank you for the honor and privilege that you have shown me and my wife to be with granting us permission to walk these royal halls that few from outside this great nation's wall have had the chance to tread. Please, let us remember what has happened but at the same time look forward to the future. A future where all of the great nations may gather around a table and lift their voices in joy. A time of peace that my father died for. Now, Your Majesty, honored guests, let us begin this feast!”

 

There was a brief round of applause around the table before everyone sat and began to eat. I noticed as I sat that Triton was starting on his fifth glass of ale already. The glare he cast upon me was one of malice and contempt. Triton was about the same build and size as an average of the rest of his kind. His complexion was somewhat darker then the normal light tan skin tone which really set off the platinum hair that ran down his back, held together by a hair tie. He was impressive in his armor, a silver breastplate with matching wrist gauntlets, a leather tunic underneath of dark crimson red and breeches of the same color. On his left side, sat a long sword with a silver hilt and set with an ebony handle.

 

The night went on and honestly, I had never seen so much food in my life. You name it; it was most likely served that night. Not to mention pretty much every kind of beverage that could be imagined, alcoholic and not. There was dancing and music and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves to the most. . . All that is except Triton. Every time I would look around the gathering, I would catch him looking at me, and then he would just try to play it off by speaking with a passing noble or attendant.

As the night grew late, some of the nobles began to excuse themselves from the gathering, either too tired or too drunk. I personally had wandered away from the gathering, further into the gardens, trying to collect my thoughts. I found a small sitting area that surrounded a fountain and sat down, drawing my father's sword from its scabbard. Looking at the polished silver blade, memories of my father came to mind. I remembered all of the good times and the not so good as well. I remembered the first time I held this sword and nearly dropped it and my father's laughter as I tried to keep it balanced in my hands. I heard footsteps approach from the path and I looked over to see Dal walking towards me. She wore a dark blue dress with flowing skirt that fell around her ankles and flowed like water when she moved. She also had her hair tied back, leaving her face and shoulders exposed. She came over and set down next to me.

 

“You alright, Javvy?”

 

I nodded, still looking at the blade. “Yeah… I think father would of approved of tonight.”

 

Dal leaned over, setting her head on my shoulder. We sat like that for quite some time before I heard another set of foot falls, this time, more rushed and heavier. Not to mention the sound of armor moving against itself. Dal sat up as I watched the pathway only to see Triton emerge from around the corner. I stood up and bowed in respect even regardless of the countless glares he sent my way.

 

“Prince Triton, you honor me with your---“

 

He cut in as sharply as a blade. “Cut with the formalities, foreigner… By what right do you believe you can be within our nation…?”

 

“I was invited by His Majesty, how else would I be here?” I rose from the bow, now a bit irritated.

 

“Well, the event that you have been invited,” He pretty much spat out that last word “to has finished. It would be wise that you leave.”

 

“Good prince, is that a threat?” “Don't let him get a hand on that sword” My mind said, instincts beginning to take over.

 

“No, just take it as a bit of friendly advice before something happens and we end up having to do this again.” He paused for a moment, his hand moving towards the hilt of his blade. “Then again, I could use the excuse to have a reason to be rid the world of that joke you call a nation!” He drew his blade and rushed at me quickly. Drawing my sword as quickly as I could, I was able to catch the edge of his blade against the edge of my own. With a hard push, I repelled his attack and took up stance, preparing for his next attack. “If I kill him, everything that has been worked towards in the peace process will be destroyed. Is he that fanatical that he would give his own life to prevent the union?”

 

Triton swung again, and once again I was able to deflect the blow. Only bad part was the force he put behind the strike and the force needed to block it sent a shock up my arm, leaving it tensed. Triton smiled, noticing the opening. Spinning his blade, he came in one more time, raising his blade. This time, I decided that this needed to end. Raising my other hand, I said a quick chant under my breath and then spoke. “Paralyze.” From my outstretched hand, a small bolt of energy leapt forward and caught him directly in the chest. Suddenly he stopped, his sword falling from his hand as all of the muscles in his body locked up at once. He stood there for a moment before falling to the ground, locked in the position he was in while standing.

 

“Dal, come on!” Looking over to her, extending a hand. She came running and we both ran back to the gathering.

 

Upon coming around the corner, the gathered nobles looked over in surprise as we entered the clearing, my sword still in my hand. I looked to King Ranperre and spoke.

 

“Your Majesty, Triton has gone mad! He just attacked me by the fountain. I was able to bind him but he is liable to be very angry once the spell wears.”

 

“Your right!” A voice came from behind me along with the whistle of a blade cutting the air. Pushing Dal out of harms way, I spun, catching his blade once again. Looking into his eyes, I could see the hatred that blazed behind them.

 

“You must have ordered the death of my father…”

 

Triton smile was a twisted one. “All for the good of the Kingdom.” He pushed forward, sending me backwards but not to the ground. Bringing his blade downward in an over head strike, I raised my sword to defend. The two blades met and rang off one another with the force of the impact. His attention was so much on battering through my guard; he failed to notice the boot that came up and struck him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. Taking the opportunity, I struck out with my sword and caught his with enough force to knock it from his grasp. Then, taking the hilt of my sword, I struck him across the temple, sending him to the ground. When he finally regained his vision, he found the point of my blade at his neck.

 

“Go on! Kill me!” He yelled, his blazing eyes leering into mine.

 

I just stood over him for what seemed like forever, and then I stepped back, withdrawing my sword. “No,” I finally spoke. “That is what you want me to do. Letting you live in dishonor is more punishment then any mortal blade could ever inflict.” Returning my sword to its scabbard, I turned and began to walk back towards the table. Only a moment to late I heard him get up and draw something from his belt. I turned around only quick enough to see the dagger he had pulled and came barreling down on me. I knew I could not draw my sword fast enough or cast anything quick enough. The only thing I could do was try and dodge out of the way, but in the end I didn't need to. The next thing I knew, Triton was recoiling to the side and Dal was landing after landing a snap kick to the side of his head. Triton caught his footing and looked at her in surprise.

 

“No one tries to kill my fiancé and gets away with it…” She reached down and pulling several cords along her waist and the long, cumbersome skirt fell away, revealing a pair of dark blue shorts and on her sides, her favorite weapons rested. They were a pair of fist weapons that she slipped her hands into and pulled them free of her waist. Not giving Triton a chance to attack, she rushed him, striking out with a right hook directly to his jaw and following up with a roundhouse kick to the same place. Sending him backwards into a nearby wall and hitting rather hard, he shook his head, trying to regain his senses. Lucky for him, he got them back just in time to evade a blow that would of most likely shattered his skull. Instead, some of the stone wall broke away with the impact.

 

Staggering off to the side, still dazed, Dal continued her assault, delivering several very quick jabs to the body till he was barely able to stand. She drew her fists back and a glow appeared around them. Then in a very quick secession, she struck in eight very hard blows at some of the most vital parts of the body, contorting him as each blow landed. The final blow was a palm strike right to the center of the chest, sending him backwards and landing hard on the ground, unconscious.

 

She caught her breath for a moment, then turning back towards me, she ran over, reseating her weapons on her waist and throwing her around me. “Are you alright, lover?”

 

“Yeah.” Even though I was very winded by the sudden attacks. I looked over to the king who instead of being appalled by the sight of one of his sons pretty much getting the crap beaten out of him was smiling. Standing, he began to clap his hands.

 

“Very impressive Lord Javarr and Lady Dalshandra, I suspected that my son had something to do with everything that had happened. I regret that he had to be drawn out this way but it was the only way I could think of.”

 

My expression turned from surprise to disbelief. “You used us as bait…”

 

“Yes, I figured there would be no objection if it meant being able to confront your father's murderer.”

 

“I wouldn't have minded if you would have said something about it!” I could tell my temper was beginning to rise as I looked upon the smug look on the king's face. “With all do respect, I think we will be leaving tonight.”

 

The king nodded. “Very well, I shall have arrangements made then.” With that, he turned and left the gardens, attendants in his wake.

 

I looked to Dal and spoke. “What was he thinking?”

 

“I don't know, lover, but I get the feeling that nothing good is going to come out of it.”

 

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. “Come on, let's get ready to leave.” We both left from the garden, preparing to depart.