Quiet Days

[Johnathan]

The shadows stirred restlessly in District 1, as Veronica continued her frantic sweep of the city. Earlier that day, she was forced to leave Eirika's side due to an unsettling feeling. It was the sensation of imminent danger, as though some terrible demon had drawn close, ready to devour the great city in a single gulp.

After searching for most of the day, the master assassin was beginning to think she had been mistaken. If there was such a danger in the city, there was no conceivable way it would have been able to conceal it's presence from her. Tracking and locating were a specialty of hers. Gliding swiftly and unseen down the busy street, she chewed on the end of her fan in frustration. Stopping abruptly, she turned in a circle, searching in every direction for even the slightest trace of imminent danger. Finding nothing, she walked to a nearby empty bench and sat down with a heavy sigh.

"What's with me today?" She moaned to no one. "Here I am all worked up and worried, and there's nothing." Leaning back in mental exhaustion, she watched the busy street for a short time, letting the constant drone of the city calm her nerves. Finally, taking a deep breath she relaxed for the first time that day. "I guess it really was nothing." With one final sigh, she dissolved into the shadows, making her way back to the 'little princess' she loved, completely oblivious to the old man who had been sitting beside her.

Chuckling slowly to himself, Avo raised the mug filled with tea to his lips. Slurping slowly, he drank a small portion before relaxing his arms back into his lap. I'm sorry Veronica. he thought to himself. I hadn't meant to give you such a scare. I simply wanted to tease Eleazar a bit. He's been scouring the city from that comfy office of his for as long as you've been frantically running about. Chuckling once again, the elderly man closed his eyes, feeling the city around him.

Eirika was being visited by a young man at the moment. While she was afraid without Veronica close by, her loneliness outweighed that fear. Hang in there Eirika. I'm sure if put in the effort, you'll be able to make some friends you can trust.

Erebus had snuck out of the medical wing again. He was sitting in the shadows of the molding on a large building, attempting to get some fresh air and rest in a location he found comfortable. Avo shook his head. That boy is too stiff. He needs to put some effort into enjoying himself, instead of worrying all the time. Sighing, he spoke aloud, directing his comment at a passing businesswoman.

"Kids are a handful, don't you think?" Jumping in surprise, the woman turned to him and did a double take, before continuing on her way. Avo chuckled to himself again. "Young people are all so jumpy." A cat jumped up onto the bench next to him. He directed his next comment to it. "They need to stop worrying so much." The cat turned and regarded him for a moment, before ignoring him and going on its way.

Avo nodded in satisfaction that at least the cats of Savale had the right mindset. Sipping his tea, he continued to watch the passing pedestrians.

[Rikka]

Laughter rang out from a coffee shop nearby before a whitish red curly haired girl with a white fox kit on her head. The girl seemed to be covered from head to toe in flour so her neon shirt and jeans had a ghostly look to them. She had probably been the source of laughter in the cafe. Shifting the bags on her arms she talked to the white fox kit on her head.

"See this is why I should never be allowed out of a safe room! That poor lady looked like she was about to break into tears over having dumped the bag on me! Good thing I never go any where with out a trick or two up my sleeve!" Rikka laughed as the fox kit on her head yipped in reply. As the small kit started to shake Rikka stopped walking and simply set everything down. Metal objects seemed to clink together as they were set down. Grabbing the fox kit she was set on the ground with a small childlike bag and soon a barrier of fire surrounded the kit so others around couldn't see. "Okay! I'm done!" A childs voices appeared from the barrier. Rikka dropped it and began bundling everything back onto her arms. A young girl of about five with white hair and emerald green eyes like the older girls in neon pink shirt and shorts stood in place of the little fox kit. Giggling she pulled on her bag and took one of the lighter bags.

Kiki grinned as her sister praised her on being faster. She had a bad habit of shifting in interesting situations. Skipping along side her sister she spotted the old man on the bench and waved as before listening to her sister and discussing what they wanted to eat before Rikka had to head to classes.

[Johnathan]

Smiling warmly, Avo waved slowly in return, before beckoning the girls over. Smiling down at Kiki, Avo held out his empty right hand to her. Closing it, he waited for a moment before opening it again. A sugar roll filled with jam sat in the center of his hand, which he gestured for her to take. Turning his attention up to Rikka, he chuckled slowly.

"Well, you girls seem to have gotten yourself into an interesting predicament." He spoke slowly and clearly, his age evident in the slight rasp of his tone. "You also have quite a few bags." Patting the bench next to him, he continued. "Why not sit and rest awhile. No harm ever came from slowing down and enjoying the little things in life."

[Rikka]

As they were beckoned over Kiki hopped over though as they got closer it was apparent both girls were barefoot. Kiki watched his hand then blinked when a sugar roll appeared! Gasping slightly she took it ever so gently. "Thank you!" Biting into it she found it was jelly filled and squealed in delight. Hopping up onto the bench on his other side as Rikka as on the spot he indicated she swung her legs back and forth happily.

Rikka set her bags down as the man asked they to rest a while. Happy she pulled a water bottle from her bag and sipped it. "Oh yes! I startled the girl making pastries as I was fixing their freezer and ended up with all this flour on me. She almsot looked ready to burst into tears before I chased Kiki around the shop pretending to be a ghost. Her boss was laughing so hard that he instantly forgave her." Rikka was good with people and it helped in difficult situations.

[Johnathan]

Chuckling at her story, Avo rubbed the joints in his left hand slowly, as he leaned back on the bench.

"Being able to reverse the mood in a situation like that is a valuable skill." As he looked off into the skyline, his eyes became slightly distant as a memory played in his mind. "I remember a time where such a skill helped to save my skin. I was very young then; more then a boy, but not quite a man. I tell you, back in those days I thought I had the world in the palm of my hand. I thought, 'Avo, you've gotta do something big, something spectacular, something you'd be remembered for." Chuckling he looked down at Kiki, wagging his finger.

"I seemed to forget that I had my entire life ahead of me in those days. Impatient as I was, I thought that if I didn't make something of myself then, I'd never amount to anything." Turning to look at Rikka, he continued. "So you know what I did? I broke into the castle of a very powerful noble, and tried to rob him blind!" Breaking into a fit of whooping laughter, the elderly man slapped his knee relatively energetically.

"Of course, I was caught, but when the nobleman took one look at my little scrawny self, and the mountain of treasures I was carrying, he nearly laughed himself to death!" Pausing, to sip at his tea, he turned back to Kiki, scrunching his face into a mockingly stern impression.

"He said to me, 'Boy, I don't know if you're extremely brave, or just plain stupid. Why would you try to carry out all that at once by yourself?'" Turning back to Rikka, he continued. "You know what I said? I looked him dead in the eyes and with a straight face I replied, 'I'm sorry, my lord, but the lords out on the moor don't have enough treasure to give my muscles a work out.'" He broke into another fit of whooping laughter. When he had caught his breath, he continued the story.

"As soon as he and his guards stopped laughing, he gave me a sack of gold, and kick my behind right out the front door. I'll tell ya, my ego took quite a hit, but at least I was still alive! Learned my lesson mighty quick after that one."

[Rikka]

Rikka smiled and listened to his story as she noted he was rubbed his knuckles. Gently taking his hand in her she rubbed the knuckles with her fingers as a soothing warmth seeped from her finger tips into his knuckles healing and soothing away any pain he may have. Giving his hand back she watched him as he animatedly told his story. Chuckling she watched him waggly his finger in from of Kiki.

Kiki watched Avo as he told of his adventures. Awed she listened as she munch quietly on the sugar roll which was soon gone. Giggling over the image of him attempting to carry out that much valuables she waited to hear more.

Rikka widened her eyes as he sipped his tea. Rikka broke out into a soft laughter as the man spoke about how the lord had reacted to him. Ending up chuckling she watched him. It was fun listening to old people and their stories. It was always entertaining. "Sounds like you have a very lively child hood." Rikka chuckled as Kiki watched him.

Kiki watched him and patted his arm gently. "Will you tell another story, please?"

[Johnathan]

Placing his tea on the bench next to himself, Avo put both hands on his cane, leaning forward onto it and stretching his back. Releasing a long sigh, he sat like that for a short time, lost in his own thoughts and memories. Leaning back again, he tapped his cane on the hard stone of the street a few times.

"Well little lady, I would love to tell another story, but there are so many to tell. I'm afraid my memory isn't as good as it once was." Looking at her he wagged his bushy eyebrows. "It's hard to come up with one on the spot. What sort of story would you like to hear? One of adventure and danger? A tale of the heart and true love?" Leaning forward on his cane again, with a smile he made a shallow bow to Kiki. "Simply tell me your desire, my princess, and I shall tell you any story these old bones have to offer!"

[Rikka]

Kiki bounced in her seat as she waited for him to speak. Being patient she stared at him and grinned when he leaned back and spoke up. Giggling she bounced in her seat once again. "Adventure and Danger!" She really liked stories that kept you on edge, though she liked love stories too. Sitting still now she watched him quietly waiting for him to start.

Rikka chuckled and went through her bags setting a bunch of new metal pieces and circuit boards next to her, careful of the man's tea. Opening her side bag she pulled out several tools and got to working on a new trap as she listened from her spot. She liked to keep her hands busy when she had energy. Thinking over the time she decided they still had time before she had to go to class so all was good. Plus it wasn't like she really needed to go to math!

[Johnathan]

Smiling, the old man leaned back into the bench again, stroking his beard as he contemplated on what story to tell. After a short pause, he began.

"The setting of this story is many years after the first one. By this time, I had managed to get my feet beneath me, and was a fairly competent warrior." The old man flexed humorously for Kiki. "I made a living by selling my services to others, following in the footsteps of many of my family before me.

"One day, a letter came in the post, addressed specifically to me. A distant kingdom, beyond the Divinity Gate, had requested my services by name. Filled with pride, as it was the first time I had received such a request, I gathered my belongings immediately and set off through the gate.

"I was awed by the beautiful city that greeted me upon my arrival. Every street was lined with spectacular fountains and streams, and overhead, a canopy of blooming flowers was a constant pleasure." Avo paused, his eyes distant as he remembered the beautiful city from so long ago. "When I had my wits about me once again, I asked a few shop owners for directions and made my way to the royal palace.

"It was a grand structure filled with outstanding columns of marble and agate, with beautiful details of gold and mother-of-pearl. Ignoring the beauty and wealth of the place, I donned my best professional expression and met with the king. He wove me a tale of horror that seemed alien in such a city.

"It seemed that the beauty of the place was a mere facade, created by magic, meant to help the citizens forget about the hardships of the land in which they lived. You see, this country was constantly living under the fear and shadow, of a powerful and evil lord. This lord possessed a terrifying power, that had scorched the very land itself, for as far as the eye could see." Pausing once again, Adu's face turned grim at the memory.

"Indeed, the sight that greeted me as I left the city was truly saddening. There was no life, nothing green as far as the eye could see. Every rock was charcoal black, as if it had been swept over by a great flame, and the soil was gray and lifeless with a poisonous soot." Smiling sadly, the elderly man turned to Kiki with a sigh. "This should have been my first warning that something was amiss with the king's story, however I was so blinded by my own ego and pride, I could not see the danger.

"You see, the king had told me, that recently his spies had discovered the evil lord's source of power, and that if I could sneak into his castle and steal it, his energy would wane. I, of course, agreed as stealth and infiltration were a specialty of mine. So, I set out in the direction of the lord's castle in the mountains, mentally preparing myself along the way.

"As I drew near to my destination, I proceeded more and more carefully, making sure I wasn't spotted by anyone. When I finally reached the castle, I couldn't believe my eyes." The old man paused as he let the suspense build.

"It was absolutely enormous! Made entirely out of a polished and reflective black stone I had never seen before, and covered with various spires, needle points, and razor sharp edges, it had the appearance of a fortress meant to ward of attacks from very large enemies." Sighing, Avo shook his head, turning to Rikka.

"This should have been my second warning. Had I remembered my lessons as a child, I would have turned right around and gotten out of there as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I did not, and so I infiltrated the castle.

"Moving silently, but still relatively quickly, I moved with the shadows of the place, staying out of sight at all times. Following the king's instructions, I found my way to the center of the place, the grand throne room. It was a grand and terrifying sight, let me tell you. It reciprocated the appearance of the outside, with deadly points and razor edges lining every wall and column. The floor was warm, and exuded a strange reddish glow. There was no throne, but in the center of the room, on a grand and elaborate pedestal, sat a large oblong sphere made of the same material as the castle.

"That oddly shaped sphere was the object the king had ordered me to steal. Making my way carefully and quickly towards it, I checked for traps and finally began to conclude that something was wrong. Aside from the castle's odd structure there were no obvious defenses as far as the eye could see. In addition, I had not encountered a soul the entire time I was there, not even this evil lord himself. Still, this was an assignment and so I had to finish it.

"I reached the strange object, and studied it for a short time, checking it and the pedestal it rested on for traps. Content that it was safe, I finally reached out to take it." Avo closed his eyes with a sigh, shaking his head. "That was when the world came crashing down around me.

"The object was hot, very hot. I could hear the oil on my hands hiss the instant I touched it. Recoiling from the pain of being burned, I noticed him for the first time. A very tall, and very powerful looking man was standing in the doorway to the throne room. He wore a robe made of the same material as the castle, with the same points and razor edges as well. He began to walk towards me, and I could feel the entire place shudder with each step he took. I backed away until I could go no further, the deadly wall less than an inch behind me, and he standing at the strange object in the center of the room. He rubbed his hand over it affectionately before fixing his strange and deadly eyes on me. That's when he spoke.

"With a voice that reverberated throughout the massive room with a commanding presence he said, 'What were you planning to do with my egg?' Everything clicked into place in my mind in that very instant." Avo reached for his tea, and placed it in his lap as he continued. "I made a break for it that instant. I ran faster than I ever had before in my entire life. I didn't even look back as the thunderous roar burst my eardrums, or when the entire building of black stone cracked open around me like a flower blossom opening in the spring.

"I ran without pause, because I knew that if I did not get away, I would be dead for certain. The object I was ordered to steal was an egg, and the man I was tricked into thinking was an evil lord was not a man at all.

"He was a dragon avatar."

Taking a break from his story, Avo took a long sip from his tea, appraising the girls' reaction to his story thus far from the corner of his eyes.