Chapter 11 - The Road to Alsirune

They have started to head out for Alsirune. It is going to be very long journey for Aedan and his group because they are going to pass through a forest called Arden, which means "The Greatest of All" . At the journey itself, Aedan could not stop thinking about something. It was not Maiev now. It is Sefir, what his motives are and the master he serves.

 

"Sefir.....what is he? I don't think he is human....."  Aedan thought to himself as he walked through the forest.

 

Maaya saw that Aedan was in a deep thinking mode. She tried to get him to snap out of it by asking him something.

 

"Whatcha thinkin about?" she asked him

 

"How did she know that I was thinking?"  He thought to himself.

 

"Nothing......" Aedan replied.

 

"Is he always like this?" Maaya asked Kaoru.

 

Kaoru did not answer her, because the question was about Aedan. Maaya asked another question.

  

"How long have you been friends with him?" Maaya continued to ask Kaoru.

 

"We used to be friends...." Kaoru said.

 

"What do you mean?" Maaya asked her

 

"The incident that happened to our village a long time ago." Kaoru replied.

 

"What happened?" Maaya asked.

 

Kaoru began telling her about what happened to the village. She told her everything. And now here is what happened.

 

6 years ago in Miran.

 

"Hey Aedan....what's that on your arm?" Kaoru asked

 

"It's just some dirt. I'll wash it off later.." Aedan said.

 

He went to the river and tried to wash the dirt off his left arm. He noticed that it could not be washed.

 

"This is some dirt!!!" Aedan said and he did not wash it off anymore.

 

He went back to the village at a late hour and then he noticed that his left arm was heating up. It was a black flame that was engulfing his arm.

 

"What is this?!" He exclaimed.

 

He tried to shake it off. But when he did, the black flame went to one of the houses and started a huge fire and in no time, the whole village was on fire.

 

The villagers were panicking and they were trying to save their stuff and their children. While Aedan was stunned at the fire. He was so scarred  that he couldn't move. He was standing outside Kaoru's house and then he heard a scream. It was Kaoru's scream. She was trapped in her burning house. He fell unconscious afterwards.

 

One of the villagers had saved her and brought her to her father.

 

He got up and saw that Kaoru was unconscious. Kaoru's father asked him;

 

"What did you do to her?!" Her father asked him angrily.

 

"I'm sorry sir........" Aedan replied.

 

"These guys said that you started the fire!!!" Her father screamed to Aedan.

 

"But sir....I can explain......." Aedan said.

 

"Explain nothing!!! You are gonna leave this village now!!!!!!" Her father continued to say.

 

Before he could say any thing else he was already asked to leave by the other people.

 

The next day, before Aedan left, he snuck into Kaoru's room. He saw Kaoru all bandaged up and was lying in her bed resting. He said to her,

 

"I'm sorry.....for everything......I hope you forgive me....." After he said that he left the village of Miran and never again returned.

 

Now back to the present time.

 

"That's what happened." Kaoru said to Maaya.

 

"I didn't know....that....he had it that rough." Maaya replied.

 

"I don't think he ever tried to forgive himself for that." Kaoru said.

 

"He has alot of burdens. He just needs someone to accept him for who he is." Maaya replied and they continued to walk towards their destination.

 

It was now nightfall in the forest of Arden. Aedan and Glyndwir were looking around. Aedan said,

 

"We are camping out here tonight." Aedan said to the three of them.

 

"Why?" Maaya asked him.

 

Glyndwir answered; "It is too dangerous to move on when it is dark. We don't know what dangers this forest contains."

 

"Glyndwir's right." Aedan said. "So we better set up camp here tonight." He added.

 

They set up camp and after a few minutes they light the bonfire and they sat on the groung around it.

 

"Well here we are.....so what's new?" Glyndwir said as he tried to start the conversation.

 

"Don't you ever shut up?" Aedan thought to himself.

 

"How about Aedan? He has alot to say." Maaya joked.

 

"Okay I'm seriously feeling awkward right now."  Aedan thought to himself.

 

"I'm going for a walk...." Aedan said as he stood up

 

"I'm going with too." Kaoru said as she walked with Aedan.

 

Aedan had no violent reaction when Kaoru said that. He just got up and walked. While the two of them are walking they saw a huge cherry blossom tree. Its leaves were glowing in the night sky. Aedan decided to stay there for a while. Kaoru followed him.

 

Aedan leaned against the trunk of the tree. Kaoru moved beside him but she was not to close. Silence grew between the two of them. Then Kaoru decided to talk to him.

 

"Hey...." She said

 

Aedan did not answer her.

 

"......It's been a while since we've talked like this....." Kaoru said.

 

"Only you are doing the talking...." Aedan thought to himself.

 

"Hey will you please talk to me?" Kaoru said to Aedan angrily

 

"What's there to say?" Aedan replied coldly

 

Kaoru was shocked when she heard this from him. She knew that he was a cold person but she did not know that he was really cold.

 

"You.....used to be not like this....." she said.

 

Aedan did not give a reply.

 

Kaoru said. "And I would like it if you return to old self."

 

"I know.....that......you hate me...." Aedan said out of the blue.

 

"What?" Kaoru asked.

 

"That is the reason.....why I am like this....." He continued.

 

Kaoru couldn't say anything, because it was true. She hated him for what happened to her.

 

"I was weak......and still I am......" Aedan said.

 

Kaoru couldn't react because she still has a deep hatred for him.

 

"I.....want......to be stronger." He continued.

 

"Why is he telling me this?" Kaoru thought to herself. Again silence grew between them and no one would say anything. Then Aedan asked her;

 

"Why did you follow me here?"

 

Kaoru was surprised when he asked her that. She couldn't think of an answer so she said;

 

"I.....really....don't know..." Kaoru said.

 

"If you hate me....then go back....." Aedan said coldly as he looked up to the ebony sky.

 

"But I don't want to....It's nice here." she said.

 

"How'd you get here anyway in Ivalice?" Aedan asked coldly.

 

She answered that question by showing him an amulet.

 

"This was my ticket here.....and he also gave me this dagger...." she replied

 

"He?" Aedan asked again.

 

"An old man....." Kaoru answered.

 

"Enma......"  He thought.

 

He did not talk to her. Her hatred is his sin. When Aedan looks at her arm, he remembers the hurt he had inflicted on her.

 

"I hate him.....but there's another feeling present....I don't know what it is....but it's just there......." she thought.

 

"You've really changed......you know." Kaoru said out of the blue

 

Aedan said nothing to her.

 

"Well, we used to be friends....." she added.

 

"Friends....." Aedan said.

 

"I've never had a friend...."  Aedan thought. "I've always been alone......the people I care about are always taken from me........"

 

"What's it like.....to have friends?......because I never really know the feeling...." Aedan asked

 

"Oh yeah......people talk s**t about Aedan when he was in school.....Many people say that he was a loner..." Kaoru thought. She just did not answer the question.

 

After awhile Aedan said;

 

"I'm going back to camp."

 

"Me too" Kaoru said.

 

They went back to camp and found Glyndwir and Maaya asleep. Kaoru went to sleep as soon as she got to camp. Aedan stayed at the bonfire and looked at the fire for awhile. Then he also fell asleep.

 

"Good night Aedan....." a familiar voice said.