Resumption and Conclusion Chapter 13
By Foeciusfoe
Death Corps headquarters
Farland stands in the archway above the cave entrance to the headquarters. His arms folded as hewaits for the deep canyon sentries to return with their report. Their signal should come any second now, and Farland was waiting for the all clear. As he stared at the torches on the hill his mind began to wander. “I can’t believe this.” He thought to himself. “It’s the most important night in the history of the death corps, and where am I? Overseeing sentries athome.”
“Where has Mustadio gone?” a gentle voice beckoned from inside.
Farland turned to see an injured Rafa limping towards him. He quickly rushed to her side. Partially astounded at her recuperative abilities, part afraid for her well being, he quickly placed her shoulder over his and began leading her back to the med center. “Ms. Rafa, you should be resting now. Your wounds haven’t fully healed.”
“NO!” she shouted. “Please, I just can’t lay in that bed any longer.”
Farland paused. Indeed he could sympathize with her. He gingerly sat her on the bench beside the entrance, and returned to his post.
She gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Your Mustadio’s pupil correct? Farland?” She gently asked.
“Yes, Ms. Rafa.” Farland replied.
She smiled. “Mustadio spoke well of you. He says you may be the next ‘Ramza.’” She said with a sort of mock flattery.
Farland smiled to himself, his focus remaining on his duty. “He spoke well of you as well.” He turned to see Rafa smile at that bit of news. “Even after your…falling out.”
Her smile quickly faded. “Oh…” she whispered, the simple statement seeming to be all she could say at the moment.
Farland turned and stared at the now sobbing girl. He again moved to her side placing an arm around her to comfort her. “Shh,” he whispered as he wiped a tear from her eye. “If you don’t mind me asking Ms. Rafa, what happened?”
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The Dock House
Liam Remains focused on the mountain of a man standing at the end of the docks. His binoculars focusing on Donavan as he stands waiting for his parcel to arrive.
“You should see this, Mustadio,” he whispers, “ the lummox hasn’t moved an inch. He almost looks fake.”
Liam waited a moment. Not sensing Mustadio’s answer, he turned his head. Mustadio sat at the opposite edge of the roof, lost in thought.
“Hey, old man!” He said kicking Mustadio in his leg, jarring his attention away from his trance. “Sorry to bother you during your midnight nap,” he started sarcastically, “but we do have a job to do.”
“Sorry.” Mustadio replied as he returned his glance to the outer docks for sign of any enemy reinforcements. Yet soon his mind was fading again. Drifting to past memories of the girl lying injured in the Death Corps med facility.
He thinks back to the day they met. He had been fighting along side Ramza for so long it had been months since he had seen a girl his own age. At the same time she was on the run from her abusive adopted father, and her own brother was threatening her life. Someone in such a fragile state longs for someone, anyone to talk to. Ramza was too busy thinking of his sister, and the other members of the troupe had their own problems. Mustadio was her only outlet for emotional expression.
“Are you zoned out again?” Liam whispered interrupting Mustadio’s thought process.
“No.” Mustadio said a bit annoyed by Liam’s frequent interjections. “It may come as a shock to you but people can remain still for longer than thirteen seconds, just because I’m not overly enthusiastic about it doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to what’s happening.”
“Well EXCUSE ME!” Liam said sarcastically, raising his hands.
Mustadio returned to his viewing of the horizon, and within minutes, his memories of Rafa. He remembered the day that they parted. Ramza and Alma had already departed for parts unknown, T.G. Cid and Agrias had done the same, and the rest of the troupe seemed to follow suit.
He had planned to move back to Goug and set up shop as a mechanic. He had offered her to go with him…
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“…But I told him that I wasn’t ready.” Rafa explained to a curious Farland. “ I couldn’t just up and leave my brother after what had happened. Unfortunately it meant I had to choose between the two most important people in my life.”
“…And ultimately you chose your brother.”
She nodded. The tears again streaming down her face. “To this day, I still don’t know if I made the right decision.”
Farland stood up, and returned to the archway he had originally been standing in. His arms again folded, and his face stone serious. Rafa wiped a tear and again opened her mouth to speak but suddenly paused as she saw Farland’s face.
“…What is it?” She asked nervously.
“Can you walk?” he asked, his face stone serious.
“Y-yes.” She stuttered a bit, concerned with Farland’s new demeanor.
“Then run to the stables, tell everyone you come across to do the same.”
“Why, Farland?”
Farland unbuckled the shield from his back, and began to unsheathe his lance. “The sentries patrolling the canyon perimeters are dead. The Hokuten have us surrounded.”
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