An Asnean Odyssey: Bastien

Five

- “Why couldn’t you let me die instead?”

Bastien stumbled through the cave assisted by Duke until they reached the dining hall that Randgris had gone to. She was sitting at one of the tables waiting patiently with her hands folded. As soon as she saw Bastien, she shot up and rushed to help him.

“What did you do to him, you bastard?!”

“Relax, Valk. He lost a lot of blood, he’s just a little woozy.”

“You may refer to me as Lord Randgris,” Randgris replied angrily as she assisted Bastien. “Help me bring him outside, then we’ll eat.”

Duke released a heavy sigh and helped Bastien stumble back down the corridor and out into the open air. When they arrived outside it had stopped raining and the sun was shining. Duke raised his hand to shield his eyes.

“Damn, that’s bright,” Duke announced. He reached into his pants and pulled out a pair of round shaded spectacles that he put on.

“I thought the sun was lethal for vampires,” Randgris commented.

“Do you believe all of the myths and fairy tales you hear?”

“How do you kill a vampire, then?”

“You don’t, really,” Duke sighed. “It’s a very long and difficult process. Really not worth the trouble. There aren’t a lot of vampires around and they don’t kill more than they need to survive, which, to be quite honest, is ...once a month, maybe? You hardly notice, really.”

That sounds like bullshit,” Randgris interrupted.

“Well, if they sustain a lot of injuries they’ll need to feed more often. This one time, I got so many paper cuts-”

“I don’t care,” Randgris announced. They had picked a spot outside the cave where Randgris put her mantle on the ground and pulled out the food she had bought in the city. She opened the package and poured a bit of water on it. A few moments later it expanded into a small loaf of bread and some cookies.

“I’m confused,” Duke wondered as he sat near the mouth of the cave. “Are you upset that we kill? Because if I remember correctly, you quite enjoy beating people into a bloody mess. At least vampires are civil about it.”

“I only kill those who deserve to die,” Randgris replied with an annoyed tone. She had begun tearing up the bread and feeding it to Bastien, who was still recovering from his blood loss.

“How do you know that we don’t?”

“Did Cecilia deserve to die?” Duke went silent. Bastien finished eating the bread and started on the cookies. Once he was finished with those he stood up and walked over to Duke, extending his hand to help him up. Duke accepted Bastien’s assistance without saying a word. Randgris rose on her own. “Did you find the stone?” Randgris inquired. Duke produced the silver stone he had picked up inside the cave. “How do you know that’s the right one?”

“It has a draconic aura. One of the perks of vampirism.”

“So, what, it’s a dragon relic or something?”

“Something like that,” Duke’s eyes shifted to Bastien.

“Randgris, could you get me a ring from the cave?” Bastien asked.

“Why would you want one of those? Gold is worthless to anyone that’s not wealthy. You’ll get robbed the second you enter the city.”

“I’d like a souvenir”

“Alright,” Randgris agreed. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“What do you know about this stone?” Bastien asked once Randgris had walked out of earshot.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think it could be used to fix a sword?”

“You could try, I don’t think it’s large enough though. Why?”

“One of Randgris’ swords broke. I want to fix it for her, but apparently there’s no material strong enough. It was supposed to be indestructible.”

“Oh, I see,” Duke pondered for a moment before replying. “I know a guy who might have something like that. He owes me a favor, too.”

“That’s great!” Bastien exclaimed. “You can’t tell Randgris, either.”

“No, no, I understand. He lives in Asnea, too, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“I’ll go see him once we arrive, see if I can arrange a meeting or something. So maybe a day or so.”

“That shouldn’t be too bad,” Bastien replied. Randgris had emerged from the mouth of the cave. She approached Bastien and opened her fist, revealing a thin string of gold that was coiled around a deep sapphire gem. He picked it up and slid it onto his finger. “Thanks.”

“I don’t know why you’d want something like this.”

“I had nothing, now I have something,” Bastien explained.

“I see...”

“Shall we depart?” Duke asked.

“Stay in front of me,” Randgris said with a harsh tone.

“Whatever you say, Valk.”

Randgris shot an icy glare at Duke, who seemed unfazed. He led the group as they began their journey back to Asnea. The weather remained fair and little was said during their travels. Once they had entered the city, Duke spoke up.

“I have business to attend to, I’ll meet you guys later.”

“Do you think I’ll allow that?”

“I don’t think you have a choice, Valk,” Duke smirked. “I’ll be back, I promise. I belong to you now, remember?”

Randgris said nothing while Duke disappeared into the shadows of the city.

“I have a question, Randgris.”

“What?”

“Why don’t you fight with Ludvig?” Bastien inquired. The couple was headed for the castle.

“I like to challenge myself. I fight with my off hand to make it harder for myself. Ludvig is a right-handed sword, so I probably won’t use him. Besides that, of the two blades, Ludvig was....” Randgris paused for a moment, her mind drawn to Sverker. “Ludvig was my father’s blade. I hope that I never have to use it.”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

“My father was not a good man. He tried to kill Leinhardt,” Randgris’ voice grew quiet. “So, I killed him with his own blade- With Ludvig. I haven’t drawn this sword since then.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“I’m still sorry,” Bastien ignored Randgris’ offer. When they arrived at Randgris’ tower it had already gotten dark.

“That bastard!”

“Who?”

“Duke! He still has the stone!” Randgris slammed her fist against the brick wall leaving a small indent. “I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to report to Leinhardt.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I don’t like being late,” Randgris sighed as she unlocked her door. “I’ll make some food.”

“Do you mind if I wander around the courtyard for a bit? I’d like to look at the statues.”

“That should be fine, just don’t go near the castle. And don’t leave the courtyard.”

“I’ll see you in a bit.”

Bastien wandered lazily around the enclosure, looking at the different statues. They were all in different poses, but still looked very similar. There was a small inscription at the base of each one detailing the accomplishments of each person.

“Hey.” A voice called out from the darkness. Bastien spun around to see Duke sitting on a bush, his body sunk partially into the foliage.

“You forgot to give Randgris the Philosopher’s Stone,” Bastien stated.

“I’ve been thinking,” Duke began to explain. “I’m not going to give it to her.”

“What? Why?”

“I think you should have it.”

“I’m just going to give it to her.”

“Please don’t. At the very least, wait for a while. What if you do need it to fix her sword?”

“You said it was too small.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t mix it with other materials. Besides, do you really think the King needs it that badly?”

“I suppose a few days won’t hurt.”

“Look, this stone radiates draconic energy,” Duke pulled the stone from his pocket and handed it to Bastien. “To fix her sword, we’re going to need a dragon’s energy.”

“But dragons don’t exist.”

“Randgris told you this, I’m assuming?”

“Yeah.”

“Dragons are incorporeal beings. They can’t die. There are six that rule over the different elements,” Duke explained as they made their way back to Randgris’ tower. “Ignis rules fire, Ciel rules water, Yus rules wind, Gaius rules earth, Shund rules darkness, and Zanthe rules light.”

“Why would she lie to me?”

“I don’t think she did. The kings betrayed the dragons a long time ago, so they stopped showing themselves to humans. People just forgot about them. I think the only person that would know about them would be Leinhardt.”

“Huh...” Bastien wondered how much truth was in his words. “So... what do we have to do to fix Sverker?”

“Sverker, huh? That’s a beautiful name,” Duke smiled. “There’s a young woman we’ll have to see to repair the blade. People call her the Magnificent Steiner.”

“Couldn’t we just meet with a dragon?”

“That would be a last resort.”

“We should be prepared in case Steiner can’t fix it.”

“If that’s the case then we’ll have to see Ignis”

“Why Ignis?”

“He’s the only one that I know how to find,” Duke laughed. “He resides inside of a volcano.”

“Mt. Violens...?” Bastien asked.

“How’d you know?”

“We met a chimera that told us about Ignis,” Bastien explained. “I’d completely forgotten about it until now.”

“Ah, the Philosophers! That makes sense now.”

“How do you know about all of this?”

“I’ve been around for a long time, boy,” Duke chuckled as he placed his hand on Bastien’s shoulder. They were standing outside of Randgris’ door. Bastien entered first. The smell of cooked beef wafted out of the open door.

“Where’s my stone, Duke?”

“I needed to use it as collateral for a deal I’m involved in.”

“You don’t have it.”

“Correct you are!”

“Get out.”

“Understandable. Bastien and I have a date tomorrow. You’re welcome to tag along, if you’d like,” Duke answered before leaving.

“What could you possibly need to do with him?”

“I didn’t even know we were doing anything,” Bastien explained. “I think we’re meeting someone?”

Randgris sighed. “Oh well, finish eating this, then we’ll go to sleep.”

Bastien devoured the steak and handed the dishes to Randgris, who took them upstairs, when she returned, she opened her hatch and disappeared inside. Bastien stripped and lay down in his spot in front of the fire.

“Sweet dreams,” Randgris opened her hatch a crack and softly spoke, then disappeared again.

Bastien awoke to the sound of birds chirping. He got dressed and walked outside to the bathhouse where he quickly showered, then returned to the tower. Randgris hadn’t emerged from her sanctuary yet, so Bastien sat at the table and waited patiently. He heard the door open and looked to see Duke enter.

“Good morning,” Bastien greeted him. “How’d you sleep?

“I didn’t,” Duke sat next to Bastien and placed a set of folded clothes on the table. His eyes were red. “One of the perks of vampirism.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.”

“I prefer the night. It’s calm and peaceful.”

“You said we had an engagement today?”

“Yeah, that guy I was telling you about. He’s got a material that’ll probably fix Sverker.”

“Probably?”

“Eh, it might not bond properly,” Duke explained casually. “But it’ll probably work. Maybe.”

“Very reassuring. What’s it called?”

“It doesn’t have a name yet, but the guy’s calling it dragonite.”

“Oh boy, I wonder why. Could it have something to do with dragons, too?”

“Hah, I think he told me he got it from Mount Violens, so yeah.”

“What’s his name?”

“Sir Humphry Hammond.”

“Should I call him Sir Hammond, then?”

“Yeah, that’ll do.”

“Anything I should know before I meet him?”

“I spoke to him last night,” Duke commented. “He’s not going to give you the material unless you can prove to him you’re worthy.”

“How do I do that?”

“We’re going to have lunch. I believe he’s going to offer you a job.”

“What kind of job?”

“Hell if I know,” Duke sighed. The hatch suddenly flung open, startling Duke. Randgris emerged from the open hole and closed it.

“How do you know Sir Hammond?” Randgris asked.

“I do some jobs for him every now and then.”

“What kind of jobs?”

“Oh, you know, this and that,” Duke tried to avoid the question.

“Answer me.”

“He gets me to eliminate his competition,” Duke replied. “Not like, kill them. Usually their livestock.”

“Like the livestock of the people that were trying to kill you?”

“Yeah,” Duke’s voice softened.

“You’re despicable,” Randgris left the tower.

“I thought you didn’t like killing?” Bastien was confused.

“I don’t like killing people. He knows I’m a vampire. If I stopped working for him, he’d just blackmail me.”

Bastien released a heavy sigh. “When do we meet him?”

“In a few hours. Once Randgris returns we should leave. You’ll need to wear these clothes,” Duke gestured to the finery on the table. Bastien quickly changed, leaving his old clothing piled on the floor where he had slept. Once Randgris returned, the trio left the tower and headed for Hammond’s manor. It was almost immediately outside the castle gate. Duke knocked three times on the door, then waited. An old man with a pointed nose wearing a simple black suit opened the door.

“Ah, welcome back Master Duke.”

“Good morning, Charles.”

“Are these your esteemed guests?”

“They are.”

“Very good, Sir, you may come inside. Master Hammond is eagerly awaiting your arrival,” Charles opened the door and bowed while the group passed.

“Thank you very much, Charles,” Duke said as he passed into the home.

After the group entered the building, Charles guided them through extravagant corridors and up spiraling staircases until they reached a large dining table that looked to fit about twenty people. It was covered in a brilliant floral tablecloth and covered in every imaginable food item. At the far end of the table sat a portly man with curly golden locks and a thin mustache.

“Humphry, you still haven’t lost weight, I see,” Duke called out as he walked towards the seated man. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I just love food too much, Duke,” Humphry rose to greet him with a hug. “I’m surprised Cici isn’t with you.”

Duke’s tone shifted. “She passed recently.”

“My apologies,” Humphry embraced Duke for longer than usual before pulling back and seating himself again. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“It’s quite alright, Humphry.”

“Aha! Valkyrie Randgris, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much from Lord Leinhardt,” Humphry smiled and gestured toward the table. “And you must be Bastien. Come, have a seat!”

Bastien sat at the table and took the napkin from in front of him and tucked it into the neck of his clothes. “Thank you, Sir Hammond. It truly is an honor to have been invited into your home.”

“As I mentioned earlier, food is my passion, so let’s not delay our meal,” Humphry laughed as he began to pile all sorts of meats, vegetables and desserts onto his plate. Bastien selected the simplest items to eat and put them on his plate: a steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a slice of cheesecake for his dessert plate. Noticing Duke and Randgris’ empty plates, Humphry called for Charles. “My apologies, Duke. I almost forgot about your condition.”

“It’s quite alright,” Duke replied as Charles rounded the corner.

“I, however, did not forget,” Charles chimed in with a smile. “Ox blood, as usual, Sir?”

“You know me too well,” Duke bore his fangs in a fiendish smile.

“Could I get some raw veal?” Randgris butted in. “And a few slices of blood sausage, please.”

“Of course!” Humphry laughed. “Anything for Lady Randgris.”

“Did I hear that correctly, Madam?” Charles asked. “You wanted it raw?”

“Yes. As bloody as you can,” Randgris answered. Charles left the room and returned moments later with an unlabeled wine bottle and a silver tray. He placed the tray in front of Randgris, then walked over to Duke and poured him a glass of ox blood, leaving the bottle on the table.

“Enjoy, Sir.”

“Thank you, Charles,” Duke said before taking a small sip from his glass. Randgris, on the other hand, was tearing into her veal like an animal.

Bastien ate the potatoes first, carefully spooning them into his gullet. After every bite he would wipe his mouth with his napkin.

“Bastien, Duke tells me you’re interested in my dragonite,” Humphry said while Bastien had his mouth full. “He’s even gone so far as to offer me his last set of wages. Quite a tidy sum, if I do say so.”

Bastien swallowed his food, then wiped his mouth before responding. “Yes, I’d like to forge a sword out of it.”

“Ah, a man of battle. I can respect that. I don’t really have any use for materials like that anyways,” Humphry explained. “Not common enough to trade, too rare to sell. I do enjoy collecting expensive artwork, but again, it’s too crude to display in my home.”

“Quite the conundrum,” Bastien forced a smile.

“Indeed. So, I have a proposal for you.”

“Go on,” Bastien replied. He had moved onto his steak now. Grabbing his utensils and holding them firmly between his index finger and thumb, he rapidly sliced the steak into bite-sized pieces. Humphry was visibly taken aback by his dexterity.

“If you perform a task for me, I’ll give you my dragonite.”

“What might that task be?” Bastien asked between bites.

“Certainly, you’ve heard of the Cockroach King?”

“Of course.”

“Well, he stole something from me. Something very valuable,” Humphry’s expression became very serious. “I’ll give you the dragonite and you can run off and get your sword, then when you return, I want you to cut him down.”

“What did he steal from you?”

“A shipment of jewelry,” Humphry clenched his fist. “I put a lot of money into it. I don’t expect you to be able to bring it back, but I want that man to pay for stealing from me!”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Fantastic!” Humphry exclaimed. Bastien finished his meal and the group rose to leave. “Charles, fetch the dragonite and see them out, if you will.”

Charles disappeared and then returned with a rough black stone. Bastien recognized it as the material that Leinhardt’s throne was made from. Bastien extended his left arm and right leg behind him, then bowed with his right hand over his chest. “Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Hammond.”

“You’re very welcome, Bastien. I can see I’ve made the right choice,” Humphry remarked. Charles guided the trio to the door, handed Bastien the stone, and they set off back to Randgris’ tower.

“I take it you didn’t get the stone back?”

“That was part of the bargain,” Duke scrambled to explain. “We’ll get it back when we slay the Cockroach King.”

“I can’t delay any longer,” Randgris sighed as the group entered the castle courtyard. “I’m going to have to report this to Leinhardt. I’ll be back later.”

“We’re going to have to leave tonight,” Duke told Bastien once Randgris had entered the castle.

“It feels strange to leave without telling Randgris.”

“You said you didn’t want her to know, right? I’m a little surprised she didn’t ask about the dragonite.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That is kind of strange,” Bastien pondered as the pair entered Randgris’ tower.

“Can you get the sword now?”

“She might notice, I should probably wait until she’s asleep,” Bastien responded.

“I should leave before she comes back. I’ll be outside when it’s dark. Whisper my name and I’ll be there,” Duke waited in the doorway for a moment. “And change out of those clothes. You look ridiculous.”

Bastien gently laughed. “Was I not enough of a gentleman for him?”

“Nah, you did great. We got the rock, right?”

“I suppose so, yeah.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Be safe, Duke.”

“It’s not like I can die,” Duke chuckled. “Thanks though.”

He closed the door behind him as he left. Bastien changed out of his clothes and waited for Randgris. After a while, he got bored and decided to look around. He slowly ascended the stairs. The room up top was filled with old tattered armor and weapons. Beams of light cut through a hatch in the ceiling, which was accessed from a rickety ladder directly beside Bastien. There was a large box near the far wall, which Bastien approached and opened. As soon as he lifted the lid, a wave of frost spilled out onto the floor. Inside there was a large number of frozen meats of various sizes nestled among small glowing blue stones. He closed the box and returned downstairs. Randgris entered just as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“How’d it go?”

“Sir Hammond is going to be given a day to produce the Philosopher’s Stone,” Randgris explained. “If he fails to do so, he’s to be executed.”

“Isn’t that a little harsh?” Bastien asked. Guilt was beginning to set in.

“Leinhardt’s offered to compensate him. I see no reason why he wouldn’t comply.”

“I suppose so.”

“We’ve got the rest of the day to kill, what do you want to do?”

“Is there anything to see in Asnea? It could be fun to see the sights.”

“There’s not much, but I could show you around the town,” Randgris allowed herself to smile. “It’ll be like a date.”

Bastien laughed and the two headed towards the city. They spent the remainder of the day wandering the streets, looking at houses, statues, and sampling the many foods in town. Randgris would give explanations of each attraction and Bastien would eagerly listen. When the sun began to go down, they bought some round, fluffy cloud-like cakes from a stall and ate them on their way back to Randgris’ tower. Once they had entered the tower, Randgris gave Bastien a kiss on the cheek before wishing him a good night and disappearing into her sanctuary. Bastien waited for about an hour before he got up and carefully lifted the hatch. Slowly, he lowered himself down and stood motionless as he waited for his vision to adjust to the darkness. Randgris was laying exposed on her bed tightly clutching a pillow and straddling it between her legs. He could make out the shape of Sverker’s sheath resting on the dresser directly beside him. He cautiously grabbed it and placed it on the floor outside of the hatch making sure the pieces of the blade didn’t jingle as he moved it. Then he lifted himself up, closed the hatch, and left the tower.