[Chapter 01 - Scene] Archery
Oct. 23rd, 2007 10:07 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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abyssianmelodyWho: Chester, Natalia
When: After Luke's disappearance.
What: Natalia convinces Chester to help her leave Baticul to search for Luke.
The blue skies were framed by the crater's walls, as Chester's ponytail was tossed back and forth by the faint breeze that descended into Baticul. It certainly was a surprise, being a finalist in the battlle tournament and ending up being requested as a trainer for the princess of the country? That was rather a surprise. He wasn't sure how to make a good impression or anything, and it was a somewhat good turn of fate that King Ingobert wasn't present to observe the training. Turning around, he noticed that with a fanfare, the princess was about to make her entrance to the fields.
Natalia couldn't deny she would've preferred a slightly quieter setting for their initial meeting. Granted, she could understand her father's concern in the matter; despite his approving of the request to have a new instructor, there was still a slight uneasiness when it came to having someone. Especially considering Luke's recent disappearance from the manor. Still, despite it being slightly more difficult to concentrate with the fanfare carrying on, the blonde didn't let on to any of those thoughts as she stepped onto the field. "Good afternoon," she called out in greeting, approaching who she assumed was to be her instructor.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Chester bowed, hoping that her reciprocating attitude wasn't one that was, in a word, terrible. Then again, he heard good things about her from the locals, so she couldn't be that bad, could she? Now, how would he act? "It is an honor to be able to train with you." He spoke. "Especially since I myself do nto practice the Lanvaldear-style of archery. however, I humbly hope that we'll be able to learn much from each other through our few sessions." He put his head up again, and awaited an answer.
Natalia smiled and gave a slight shake of her head. "Perhaps it is I who should be honored for this opportunity, since you could've easily denied our request. I've already achieved master rank in Lanvaldearian-styled archery," it wasn't a boast, just a simple statement, "So Father feels it'll be beneficial to see and learn other techniques." She nodded, then added, "Regardless, I'm confident there are many things we can learn from each other... I'm sorry but I don't think I've caught your name yet."
"Chester." Chester smiled the best he could. "Chester Barklight." He then turned to survey the surroundings. "I've heard a little bit about the Lanvaldearian-style archery, and it seems quite exquisite. I suppose the main difference, from the top of my head, is that the type of archery I employ attempts to blend fonic energy from the environment to create elementally-charged artes, I think." He scoured his brain for an intelligent answer. of course the princess would have undergone nothing but the finest schooling, so sounding stupid was not on the top of his list of things to do. "Does that sound accurate, or... what are your thoughts on it?" He asked.
"Chester," Natalia repeated, nodding once before falling silent in order to hear his explanation. Blending fonic energy from the environment in order to create an arte which is elementally charged... That was interesting, to say the least. "I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with other styles of archery, so I wouldn't be able to say whether or not that sounded accurate," she said with a slight laugh. "Although... I believe I know what you're saying. And, if I am understanding it correctly, then it certainly sounds like a useful style to practice. May I ask though, how exactly does one blend fonic energy in that way?"
"Well, in theory, it's not too different from utilizing Field of Fonons." Chester further attempted to explain. "The only real difference is that you don't need an actual FoF present; you just use what you can." He took a look at the target, and stepped back as he took out an arrow and drew the string. "Like this." Chester closed his eyes and concentrated, and as he let go, fire engulfed his arrow as it shot at the target, destroying it with a mighty cry of "Hell Pyre!" He then put down his bow and took another look at Natalia. "The only real drawback si that these abilities cannot be augmented with FoFs, as of now. I'm still working on it, though."
The demonstration was, undoubtedly, quite impressive. At least for someone who had never seen that type of attack without the aid of Field of Fonons. "My, that's remarkable!" Natalia said. "Even if they're unable to be used with Field of Fonons, those abilities are very impressive indeed." If she hadn't been certain before, she certainly was now; requesting Chester's assistance had been a wise decision. "I do, however, have another question." She paused long enough to give a quick laugh, "And please feel free to stop me if I'm asking too much too quickly, but are these abilities only able to be implemented through archery? Or could one learn to use them with other weapons, as well? I admit, this really has no bearings on our lessons, but I'm genuinely curious."
"Hmm." Chester folded his arms and gave an expression which insisted that he was thinking. It was a useful expression when the situation called for it. "I honestly don't know; I've only use it with archery. However, my friend, Cress, is a swordsman and has a few moves with the same principles, but he doesn't have nearly as many artes with that effect." He said. "but I'm assuming it's possible, after all, some artes have fonic properties without having a FoF available, regardless." He answered.
"Yes, I see what you mean." Natalia seemed to consider his answer as she turned her attention to the target his attack had destroyed. Regardless of who could or couldn't use the abilities, there was no denying those skills would be useful to whoever possessed them. Turning back to Chester, the princess smiled. "Well, as I said, that has nothing to do with the situation. It was something I was just wondering about. I believe that's all I wanted to ask at the present time. So, is there anything you would like to ask me, or should we carry on?"
The tone of the princess confused Chester to some degree, as he wasn't sure why she would ask such a thing in the first place. Wishing to divert attention away from the slight blush that decided to plaster itself all over his face, he pointed towards the decimated target. "Carrying on is fine." Chester continued. "As you can see, that particular art used the fire fonon. Now, you try it. Keep your fon slots open and visualize the fire fonon as you draw the string." He instructed. This was his most basic skill, and considering that the princess was quite a bright young lady, she should be able to catch on quickly.
"Very well," Natalia replied. Looking to where Chester pointed, she gave a short nod as she listened to his instructions. It didn't sound too difficult. So, taking a step back from Chester, Natalia retrieved an arrow and took a deep breath as she concentrated on the task. Then, drawing the string, she took aim and released the arrow. Nothing happened, with the exception of the arrow striking the target, and though she was a little disappointed, she hadn't really expected to accomplish it on the first try.
"Hmm." Chester put a hand to his face and held his jaw, deep in thought. He then motioned to one of the people standing at the side. "Hey. Can you make a field of fire fonons for us?" he asked the servant, and they nodded, doing as he asked. He then turned to Natalia. "Your Majesty, try again in this FoF. It might be helpful to be able to feel it, since the FoF is more conentrated and may actually help with telling which fonslots to keep open." He stepped back so that Natalia may step into the FoF and try again. "No need to rush; after all, Baticul wasn't built in a day, was it?"
"Thank you for your patience, Chester," Natalia said, smiling as she stepped into the fire FoF. This was something she was familiar with, and she closed her eyes before drawing another arrow, trying to concentrate on the feeling so she'd remember it. Then, opening her eyes once she, the blonde took aim at the target and released the arrow, smiling as fire surrounded the arrow and destroyed the target. Granted, it was easy with the aide of the FoF, but that was beside the point. Still smiling, she turned back to Chester, "I think I understand it a little better now."
"Not a problem." he smiled. "As you know, fonons are everywhere; just because we can only actually see them when they're concentrated in a single area doens't mean that they're not there. This sort of style tries to gather up as many fonons of the same type as is possible given the environment. As such, sometimes it's easy, other times it's hard. The absolute best thing to do is keep on practicing. Of course, thiss ort of thing is very impractical if you have a mage or melodist with you who can plant FoFs for you, but when there isn't one, these may be a life saver."
"I imagine it would be. Even when accompanied by someone who could create them, being able to use a style like this would be beneficial, since it would allow the melodist to concentrate on other aspects." Pausing, she looked out at the remaining targets then continued, "Although that is simply my own opinion. Continuing on, I believe I'd like to give it another shot. I only hope I'm not keeping you from anything else you may have had planned."
"Not at all." Chester responded, putting his hands to his sides. "Try as many times as you'd like." he smiled once more.
As was expected, it had taken several attempts to get used to, but it was undoubtedly becoming easier each time. Natalia closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping the proper fonslots open to accomplish the skill. And, as she released the arrow, she was proud to see fire engulf it as it sped towards and destroyed the target. Turning to Chester, she pointed to the decimated target, still smiling, "I think I've finally got it!"
Chester clapped for the princess, as he certainly was amazed at the fact that she picked this skill up so relatively quickly. It certainly took a while, and more than one session, but if she could control the fire fonon with this much ease right now, it was only a matter of time before she could utilize the remaining seven fonons. "Well done, your Majesty!" He responded. "You've done very well." He stopped clapping and walked over to the princess. "is there anything else I can do for you? If you have mastered this basic concept, the rest of the fonons should be relatively easier to deal with."
"I couldn't have done it without your patient instruction," she replied, looking once more to the target before returning her attention to Chester. She considered his question, before shaking her head slowly. "No, I don't believe there is. You've kindly answered all my questions during the previous sessions, so I can't think of anything in regards to the training. Although..." Trailing off, the blonde fell into silence for a moment, thinking. The very idea was absurd, but... "Actually, if I may ask, what plans did you have once our training was complete?"
"Hmm." Chester thought. "Well, my village was burned down, recently, so it's not like I really have a place to go home to. I might head over back to the remains of Toltus and visit the graves of my parents and little sister, and after that travel around for a little bit. It's nothing really special." He responded. "Does that answer your question, or did you have something else in mind?"
"I see... I am sorry to hear about your village." Natalia once again fell into thought, silently considering her limited options. This, she quickly realized, may be her only chance-- unless she wanted to wait and see if another opportunity presented itself. Which, needless to say, was something she didn't want to do. "I hope you'll forgive me for asking you something like this," she began once more, "but there is no one else I can think to ask right now."
The wording left Chester somewhat confused. A bazillion and one different scenarios raced through his head at that moment as to what Natalia could be possibly asking for. "No need for apologies if you haven't even asked me anything, yet." Chester spoke, though a bit of it came out like a squeak. regaining his compuser, he pulled some of his bangs back behind his head and looked at Natalia's face. "What is it that I can do for you, princess?" He asked, wondering what would make her so nervous to ask.
Natalia managed a slight smile, grateful that he seemed willing to help her. She only hoped the same could be said once he knew what it was she wanted help with. "Father and Duke Fabre have been trying to keep the knowledge of this limited only to those involved in the search, so I'm not sure whether or not you're aware of this, but... Luke vanished from the Fabre manor some time ago. As of yet, there is no word on his whereabouts. No one has been able to find any sign of him." She paused there, watching Chester closely. After all, it was probably best to let him know a little more about the situation before she asked his help.
"Duke Fabre's son, never seen outside of the manor since he was ten..." Chester thought aloud. He had heard rumors while staying in town of the Duke's son who was never seen. For which reasons, he didn't know why. "So... you want my help in searching for him? I mean, it's possible since I'll be crossing Malkuth territory during my travels, which your father's people can't easily do. Is that your question?" He asked, a quizzical look embroidering his face.
She was relieved he had caught on so quickly, and that showed clearly in her expression. "Yes... Yes, that's exactly what I had wanted to ask you. With things as they are now, it would be next to impossible for the White Knights or other soldiers from Kimlasca to enter Malkuth, even if it's only a search party. Again, I'm sorry to ask something like this, but, as I said, there was no one else I could think of."
"Well, what does he look like? I might have some trouble identifying him." Chester responded. "Also, while I can look, it's not like I can promise anything... I have no way to contact you or Kimlasca, should I find him. And who's to say that I won't be accused of being his kidnapper if I do find him and bring him back here? I mean no disrespect, but the potential consequences..."
"I can understand your concerns, but that shouldn't be a problem.," Natalia replied. That had been the easy part, now it became more difficult. "That actually brings me to my next question. You see, I hadn't intended for you to travel alone... I wanted to ask if you'd allow me to accompany you in your search."
"I... uh..." Chester gulped at the shock. He honestly had no idea how to answer that. "You... want me... to... take you out of the castle? Did your father approve of this? Is anyone else coming along? Is... um... what... uh..." Again, a bazillion and one questions were running through his mind. Obviously, Natalia had to be desperate enough to ask him to do it, but... was this going to be a wise decision, if he decided to go along with her? There were several things which could turn this from an odd situation to a bad one, and Chester wasn't sure what the heck was going on.
His shock at the question was understandable. As strange as it was, she would've regretted asking had he accepted right away. Regardless, she couldn't let the opportunity slip by. "Father... doesn't know. And I've already said there was no one else I could ask, so there would be no one else coming along. I can sneak away from the castle on my own, but I would need you to help to leave Baticul. I know I'm asking you a lot, Chester, but please."
Taking a few deep breathes, Chester attempted to act naturally, as the servants and other officials were still across the field, watching their every mood. Then again, by doing that, it jmyst have already been indicative of the answer he was thinking of. "I... don't think that our training session covers this sort of thing... especially since my contract is up soon." Turning around to see everyone else on the field, Chester then turned back to Natalia. "Traveling won't be easy, and being up here in an archery field is vastly different from actually fighting monsters that appear... or even fighting back against the humans who may try to mug you." He folded his arms. "Are you sure you thought about this thoroughly? Because... this would be a field trip that won't even be that enjoyable."
Despite it not being a definite 'yes', Natalia couldn't help but give a short sigh of relief. In her mind, the the hardest part was past. "Yes, yes, I'm absolutely sure. I'm not looking to do this for fun, I only want to help find Luke. As for fighting, I've recieved training prior to visiting soldiers, so I'm confident I'd be able to hold my own outside of Baticul. I'm also a studied healer. Please believe me when I tell you I've thought about this for a while, and I wouldn't ask if the situation didn't warrent drastic measures."
"..." Chester sighed. "... Once we're out, do exactly as I say. if you stand out at all and I get executed for whatever crimes they can think to pin on me, I will not be happy, Princess. Or, should I say, 'Natalia'?" He turned around once again to see everyone in the area, and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to go well.
Natalia smiled brightly, unable to help herself. "You have my deepest gratitude! There's no need to worry, either. I won't cause any trouble for you and, should we get caught at some point, I certainly won't let them execute you for something I thought up." Her expression brightened; apparently she had no worries regarding the upcoming journey. "And yes, it's probably better if you call me Natalia. Once we leave Baticul, it wouldn't be wise for people to discover I'm the princess."
"Well, at least you have your head in the right place." Chester muttered under his breath. "Anyway, how do you insist that we get you out of here?" He asked. "I mean, you're the princess. Princesses don't exactly get to be able to waltz out of their castle-city with nobody noticing."
"Hmm... Now that's the tricky part." Natalia put a hand to her chin and closed her eyes in thought. "I can easily leave the castle by saying I'd planned to visit Aunt Susanne... And it's possible to travel to the lower level of the city for a 'visitation', but... I'm afraid I'm not too sure how to leave the actual city."
"... How soon do we need to leave?" Chester asked. "I can scout around Baticul and check for anything that might work, and come back for another 'session' once I've found something else. You can still practice utilizing the remaining fonons for your abilities in the meantime as an excuse. Just give me a few days for some reconnaissiance, and keep your mouth shut; we can't have any of your servants getting suspicious and catching on to this."
"Honestly," Natalia began, putting on a small frown as she shook her head, "I want to leave as soon as possible, do you really think I'd make the mistake of letting anyone in the castle know of this plan? There's no need for you to worry about that. Just make sure you actually come back for another 'session' after a few days. I won't forgive you if you use those days to leave the city without telling me."
Yeah, who knows what sort of stories you'd make up for me to regret it. Chester thought in his head. "You have my word, Princess." He stated, and bowed slightly as to not draw too much attention to himself. Not that it did too much good, as everyone was already staring at them. "I'll come back in three days. In the meantime, practice next with the ice fonon. if you handle that well, move onto the others as you see fit."
"Understood. Until then, I'll quell any suspicions that may arise by continuing the training you have shown me." She nodded, as though confirming the statememnt. "With that, I believe I've kept you long enough for today. Again, I thank you for your patience and I shall see you in three days."
Chester nodded, bowed again, and took his leave. "In three days..."
When: After Luke's disappearance.
What: Natalia convinces Chester to help her leave Baticul to search for Luke.
The blue skies were framed by the crater's walls, as Chester's ponytail was tossed back and forth by the faint breeze that descended into Baticul. It certainly was a surprise, being a finalist in the battlle tournament and ending up being requested as a trainer for the princess of the country? That was rather a surprise. He wasn't sure how to make a good impression or anything, and it was a somewhat good turn of fate that King Ingobert wasn't present to observe the training. Turning around, he noticed that with a fanfare, the princess was about to make her entrance to the fields.
Natalia couldn't deny she would've preferred a slightly quieter setting for their initial meeting. Granted, she could understand her father's concern in the matter; despite his approving of the request to have a new instructor, there was still a slight uneasiness when it came to having someone. Especially considering Luke's recent disappearance from the manor. Still, despite it being slightly more difficult to concentrate with the fanfare carrying on, the blonde didn't let on to any of those thoughts as she stepped onto the field. "Good afternoon," she called out in greeting, approaching who she assumed was to be her instructor.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Chester bowed, hoping that her reciprocating attitude wasn't one that was, in a word, terrible. Then again, he heard good things about her from the locals, so she couldn't be that bad, could she? Now, how would he act? "It is an honor to be able to train with you." He spoke. "Especially since I myself do nto practice the Lanvaldear-style of archery. however, I humbly hope that we'll be able to learn much from each other through our few sessions." He put his head up again, and awaited an answer.
Natalia smiled and gave a slight shake of her head. "Perhaps it is I who should be honored for this opportunity, since you could've easily denied our request. I've already achieved master rank in Lanvaldearian-styled archery," it wasn't a boast, just a simple statement, "So Father feels it'll be beneficial to see and learn other techniques." She nodded, then added, "Regardless, I'm confident there are many things we can learn from each other... I'm sorry but I don't think I've caught your name yet."
"Chester." Chester smiled the best he could. "Chester Barklight." He then turned to survey the surroundings. "I've heard a little bit about the Lanvaldearian-style archery, and it seems quite exquisite. I suppose the main difference, from the top of my head, is that the type of archery I employ attempts to blend fonic energy from the environment to create elementally-charged artes, I think." He scoured his brain for an intelligent answer. of course the princess would have undergone nothing but the finest schooling, so sounding stupid was not on the top of his list of things to do. "Does that sound accurate, or... what are your thoughts on it?" He asked.
"Chester," Natalia repeated, nodding once before falling silent in order to hear his explanation. Blending fonic energy from the environment in order to create an arte which is elementally charged... That was interesting, to say the least. "I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with other styles of archery, so I wouldn't be able to say whether or not that sounded accurate," she said with a slight laugh. "Although... I believe I know what you're saying. And, if I am understanding it correctly, then it certainly sounds like a useful style to practice. May I ask though, how exactly does one blend fonic energy in that way?"
"Well, in theory, it's not too different from utilizing Field of Fonons." Chester further attempted to explain. "The only real difference is that you don't need an actual FoF present; you just use what you can." He took a look at the target, and stepped back as he took out an arrow and drew the string. "Like this." Chester closed his eyes and concentrated, and as he let go, fire engulfed his arrow as it shot at the target, destroying it with a mighty cry of "Hell Pyre!" He then put down his bow and took another look at Natalia. "The only real drawback si that these abilities cannot be augmented with FoFs, as of now. I'm still working on it, though."
The demonstration was, undoubtedly, quite impressive. At least for someone who had never seen that type of attack without the aid of Field of Fonons. "My, that's remarkable!" Natalia said. "Even if they're unable to be used with Field of Fonons, those abilities are very impressive indeed." If she hadn't been certain before, she certainly was now; requesting Chester's assistance had been a wise decision. "I do, however, have another question." She paused long enough to give a quick laugh, "And please feel free to stop me if I'm asking too much too quickly, but are these abilities only able to be implemented through archery? Or could one learn to use them with other weapons, as well? I admit, this really has no bearings on our lessons, but I'm genuinely curious."
"Hmm." Chester folded his arms and gave an expression which insisted that he was thinking. It was a useful expression when the situation called for it. "I honestly don't know; I've only use it with archery. However, my friend, Cress, is a swordsman and has a few moves with the same principles, but he doesn't have nearly as many artes with that effect." He said. "but I'm assuming it's possible, after all, some artes have fonic properties without having a FoF available, regardless." He answered.
"Yes, I see what you mean." Natalia seemed to consider his answer as she turned her attention to the target his attack had destroyed. Regardless of who could or couldn't use the abilities, there was no denying those skills would be useful to whoever possessed them. Turning back to Chester, the princess smiled. "Well, as I said, that has nothing to do with the situation. It was something I was just wondering about. I believe that's all I wanted to ask at the present time. So, is there anything you would like to ask me, or should we carry on?"
The tone of the princess confused Chester to some degree, as he wasn't sure why she would ask such a thing in the first place. Wishing to divert attention away from the slight blush that decided to plaster itself all over his face, he pointed towards the decimated target. "Carrying on is fine." Chester continued. "As you can see, that particular art used the fire fonon. Now, you try it. Keep your fon slots open and visualize the fire fonon as you draw the string." He instructed. This was his most basic skill, and considering that the princess was quite a bright young lady, she should be able to catch on quickly.
"Very well," Natalia replied. Looking to where Chester pointed, she gave a short nod as she listened to his instructions. It didn't sound too difficult. So, taking a step back from Chester, Natalia retrieved an arrow and took a deep breath as she concentrated on the task. Then, drawing the string, she took aim and released the arrow. Nothing happened, with the exception of the arrow striking the target, and though she was a little disappointed, she hadn't really expected to accomplish it on the first try.
"Hmm." Chester put a hand to his face and held his jaw, deep in thought. He then motioned to one of the people standing at the side. "Hey. Can you make a field of fire fonons for us?" he asked the servant, and they nodded, doing as he asked. He then turned to Natalia. "Your Majesty, try again in this FoF. It might be helpful to be able to feel it, since the FoF is more conentrated and may actually help with telling which fonslots to keep open." He stepped back so that Natalia may step into the FoF and try again. "No need to rush; after all, Baticul wasn't built in a day, was it?"
"Thank you for your patience, Chester," Natalia said, smiling as she stepped into the fire FoF. This was something she was familiar with, and she closed her eyes before drawing another arrow, trying to concentrate on the feeling so she'd remember it. Then, opening her eyes once she, the blonde took aim at the target and released the arrow, smiling as fire surrounded the arrow and destroyed the target. Granted, it was easy with the aide of the FoF, but that was beside the point. Still smiling, she turned back to Chester, "I think I understand it a little better now."
"Not a problem." he smiled. "As you know, fonons are everywhere; just because we can only actually see them when they're concentrated in a single area doens't mean that they're not there. This sort of style tries to gather up as many fonons of the same type as is possible given the environment. As such, sometimes it's easy, other times it's hard. The absolute best thing to do is keep on practicing. Of course, thiss ort of thing is very impractical if you have a mage or melodist with you who can plant FoFs for you, but when there isn't one, these may be a life saver."
"I imagine it would be. Even when accompanied by someone who could create them, being able to use a style like this would be beneficial, since it would allow the melodist to concentrate on other aspects." Pausing, she looked out at the remaining targets then continued, "Although that is simply my own opinion. Continuing on, I believe I'd like to give it another shot. I only hope I'm not keeping you from anything else you may have had planned."
"Not at all." Chester responded, putting his hands to his sides. "Try as many times as you'd like." he smiled once more.
As was expected, it had taken several attempts to get used to, but it was undoubtedly becoming easier each time. Natalia closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping the proper fonslots open to accomplish the skill. And, as she released the arrow, she was proud to see fire engulf it as it sped towards and destroyed the target. Turning to Chester, she pointed to the decimated target, still smiling, "I think I've finally got it!"
Chester clapped for the princess, as he certainly was amazed at the fact that she picked this skill up so relatively quickly. It certainly took a while, and more than one session, but if she could control the fire fonon with this much ease right now, it was only a matter of time before she could utilize the remaining seven fonons. "Well done, your Majesty!" He responded. "You've done very well." He stopped clapping and walked over to the princess. "is there anything else I can do for you? If you have mastered this basic concept, the rest of the fonons should be relatively easier to deal with."
"I couldn't have done it without your patient instruction," she replied, looking once more to the target before returning her attention to Chester. She considered his question, before shaking her head slowly. "No, I don't believe there is. You've kindly answered all my questions during the previous sessions, so I can't think of anything in regards to the training. Although..." Trailing off, the blonde fell into silence for a moment, thinking. The very idea was absurd, but... "Actually, if I may ask, what plans did you have once our training was complete?"
"Hmm." Chester thought. "Well, my village was burned down, recently, so it's not like I really have a place to go home to. I might head over back to the remains of Toltus and visit the graves of my parents and little sister, and after that travel around for a little bit. It's nothing really special." He responded. "Does that answer your question, or did you have something else in mind?"
"I see... I am sorry to hear about your village." Natalia once again fell into thought, silently considering her limited options. This, she quickly realized, may be her only chance-- unless she wanted to wait and see if another opportunity presented itself. Which, needless to say, was something she didn't want to do. "I hope you'll forgive me for asking you something like this," she began once more, "but there is no one else I can think to ask right now."
The wording left Chester somewhat confused. A bazillion and one different scenarios raced through his head at that moment as to what Natalia could be possibly asking for. "No need for apologies if you haven't even asked me anything, yet." Chester spoke, though a bit of it came out like a squeak. regaining his compuser, he pulled some of his bangs back behind his head and looked at Natalia's face. "What is it that I can do for you, princess?" He asked, wondering what would make her so nervous to ask.
Natalia managed a slight smile, grateful that he seemed willing to help her. She only hoped the same could be said once he knew what it was she wanted help with. "Father and Duke Fabre have been trying to keep the knowledge of this limited only to those involved in the search, so I'm not sure whether or not you're aware of this, but... Luke vanished from the Fabre manor some time ago. As of yet, there is no word on his whereabouts. No one has been able to find any sign of him." She paused there, watching Chester closely. After all, it was probably best to let him know a little more about the situation before she asked his help.
"Duke Fabre's son, never seen outside of the manor since he was ten..." Chester thought aloud. He had heard rumors while staying in town of the Duke's son who was never seen. For which reasons, he didn't know why. "So... you want my help in searching for him? I mean, it's possible since I'll be crossing Malkuth territory during my travels, which your father's people can't easily do. Is that your question?" He asked, a quizzical look embroidering his face.
She was relieved he had caught on so quickly, and that showed clearly in her expression. "Yes... Yes, that's exactly what I had wanted to ask you. With things as they are now, it would be next to impossible for the White Knights or other soldiers from Kimlasca to enter Malkuth, even if it's only a search party. Again, I'm sorry to ask something like this, but, as I said, there was no one else I could think of."
"Well, what does he look like? I might have some trouble identifying him." Chester responded. "Also, while I can look, it's not like I can promise anything... I have no way to contact you or Kimlasca, should I find him. And who's to say that I won't be accused of being his kidnapper if I do find him and bring him back here? I mean no disrespect, but the potential consequences..."
"I can understand your concerns, but that shouldn't be a problem.," Natalia replied. That had been the easy part, now it became more difficult. "That actually brings me to my next question. You see, I hadn't intended for you to travel alone... I wanted to ask if you'd allow me to accompany you in your search."
"I... uh..." Chester gulped at the shock. He honestly had no idea how to answer that. "You... want me... to... take you out of the castle? Did your father approve of this? Is anyone else coming along? Is... um... what... uh..." Again, a bazillion and one questions were running through his mind. Obviously, Natalia had to be desperate enough to ask him to do it, but... was this going to be a wise decision, if he decided to go along with her? There were several things which could turn this from an odd situation to a bad one, and Chester wasn't sure what the heck was going on.
His shock at the question was understandable. As strange as it was, she would've regretted asking had he accepted right away. Regardless, she couldn't let the opportunity slip by. "Father... doesn't know. And I've already said there was no one else I could ask, so there would be no one else coming along. I can sneak away from the castle on my own, but I would need you to help to leave Baticul. I know I'm asking you a lot, Chester, but please."
Taking a few deep breathes, Chester attempted to act naturally, as the servants and other officials were still across the field, watching their every mood. Then again, by doing that, it jmyst have already been indicative of the answer he was thinking of. "I... don't think that our training session covers this sort of thing... especially since my contract is up soon." Turning around to see everyone else on the field, Chester then turned back to Natalia. "Traveling won't be easy, and being up here in an archery field is vastly different from actually fighting monsters that appear... or even fighting back against the humans who may try to mug you." He folded his arms. "Are you sure you thought about this thoroughly? Because... this would be a field trip that won't even be that enjoyable."
Despite it not being a definite 'yes', Natalia couldn't help but give a short sigh of relief. In her mind, the the hardest part was past. "Yes, yes, I'm absolutely sure. I'm not looking to do this for fun, I only want to help find Luke. As for fighting, I've recieved training prior to visiting soldiers, so I'm confident I'd be able to hold my own outside of Baticul. I'm also a studied healer. Please believe me when I tell you I've thought about this for a while, and I wouldn't ask if the situation didn't warrent drastic measures."
"..." Chester sighed. "... Once we're out, do exactly as I say. if you stand out at all and I get executed for whatever crimes they can think to pin on me, I will not be happy, Princess. Or, should I say, 'Natalia'?" He turned around once again to see everyone in the area, and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to go well.
Natalia smiled brightly, unable to help herself. "You have my deepest gratitude! There's no need to worry, either. I won't cause any trouble for you and, should we get caught at some point, I certainly won't let them execute you for something I thought up." Her expression brightened; apparently she had no worries regarding the upcoming journey. "And yes, it's probably better if you call me Natalia. Once we leave Baticul, it wouldn't be wise for people to discover I'm the princess."
"Well, at least you have your head in the right place." Chester muttered under his breath. "Anyway, how do you insist that we get you out of here?" He asked. "I mean, you're the princess. Princesses don't exactly get to be able to waltz out of their castle-city with nobody noticing."
"Hmm... Now that's the tricky part." Natalia put a hand to her chin and closed her eyes in thought. "I can easily leave the castle by saying I'd planned to visit Aunt Susanne... And it's possible to travel to the lower level of the city for a 'visitation', but... I'm afraid I'm not too sure how to leave the actual city."
"... How soon do we need to leave?" Chester asked. "I can scout around Baticul and check for anything that might work, and come back for another 'session' once I've found something else. You can still practice utilizing the remaining fonons for your abilities in the meantime as an excuse. Just give me a few days for some reconnaissiance, and keep your mouth shut; we can't have any of your servants getting suspicious and catching on to this."
"Honestly," Natalia began, putting on a small frown as she shook her head, "I want to leave as soon as possible, do you really think I'd make the mistake of letting anyone in the castle know of this plan? There's no need for you to worry about that. Just make sure you actually come back for another 'session' after a few days. I won't forgive you if you use those days to leave the city without telling me."
Yeah, who knows what sort of stories you'd make up for me to regret it. Chester thought in his head. "You have my word, Princess." He stated, and bowed slightly as to not draw too much attention to himself. Not that it did too much good, as everyone was already staring at them. "I'll come back in three days. In the meantime, practice next with the ice fonon. if you handle that well, move onto the others as you see fit."
"Understood. Until then, I'll quell any suspicions that may arise by continuing the training you have shown me." She nodded, as though confirming the statememnt. "With that, I believe I've kept you long enough for today. Again, I thank you for your patience and I shall see you in three days."
Chester nodded, bowed again, and took his leave. "In three days..."
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