Dear reader, do tell...
How does your opinion upon the things of the heart find itself?
Hmmm?
No, no, no...
I was simply speaking of the human heart.
I was not trying to venture into the realms of romance and eros.
Why, I would...
Hmmm...
No, no.
I shall...
Eventually.
Speaking of, my dear reader, do tell...
What do you think of the human heart?
Hmmm?
Fail to assume I shall give you an answer, my dear reader...
Not for rudeness, but for the very fact, that I would rather that your answer remained your own.
Indeed.
Simply...
Ponder upon it all.
Ahem.
And thereof, my dear reader...
A bountiful morning I do wish unto you.
A bountiful morning indeed.
Why, the very skies do speak of the glorious...
Well, I do suppose I should stop myself there...
Seeing as you must be feeling oh-so jealous of me now...
Is that not right, my dear reader?
Hmmm?
Oh-ho-ho-ho.
Worry not, I say...
I meant nothing too cheeky of it.
Simply...
Find yourself far from the very idea...
That I am trying to be rude to you.
Quite the contrary, I would say.
Indeed.
Even so, do find yourself well during these...
"Trying times."
Yes.
And of the very same, do I now get along with the tale.
I shall have kept you waiting long enough...
Indeed.
And thereof, I suppose I shall start exactly where we did leave off...
Yes...
The very moments after Florian Addison's joke.
Indeed.
And following right after, why...
'Twas the very laughter of them all...
Yes...
Why, 'twas for the very fact that the blade of the pen would most certainly cut whoever was unlucky enough to fall unto it...
Should their face or any part of their body touch the button.
Indeed.
Something simple for you to understand, I should say.
Carrying on...
As the very laughter died...
And as the young lad simply waited...
Why, did the very man Fren Chavalier pat his ally's back...
Fren: A jolly good joke, my friend.
Reginald: Indeed.
Victoria: Truly.
Nancy: Oh, ho, ho, ho. Yes, it was. It truly was...
And of the very same, a shy, somewhat red-faced Florian Addison did smile to himself...
Florian: Why... tha... thank you.
Fren Chavalier simply patted his back once more...
Laughing all the same...
As the very others of them chuckled...
All before...
Why, I do suppose there was no avoiding this...
For, following their very chuckle together, why...
Florian: I suppose I could say more.
Fren: Indeed.
Reginald: Please do.
And yet another chuckle from them all...
Did they all, one after the other...
Fren first, then Reginald and Victoria...
And finally, Madam Thornberry...
Slowly come down with sighs.
Yes...
All before the very lot of them did finally take their eyes to the very young lad.
Indeed.
There he was, still waiting upon them all.
Silent and much the same from the very moment they had met him.
Indeed.
Even so, why...
Did the very things of this world find themselves ever so, how you say...
Conclusive.
For, indeed.
Things at times cannot be avoided.
Eggs under a mother dragon shall soon hatch.
A child well fed shall grow.
The weather does indeed change in your world.
Yes.
Hmmm?
Oh-ho-ho-ho.
Pardon the very joke, my dear reader.
'Twas merely a slight snip at you.
Ho ho ho.
Moving along.
Ah, yes...
The very, how you say...
Goodbyes of them all.
Stolen story; please report.
Indeed.
'Twould be far and far away a most difficult thing to simply say good bye.
Why, do most people prefer not to say it properly.
Yet another thing of humanity.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
Fren: Well, my dear lad... I should say this...
The very man waved his hands spread out, as though to speak for all his compatriots at the very same time...
Fren: For all of us....
And then did he take a step forward and apart from them all...
Fren: Why, had it not been for your heroic actions, the very lot of us... dead, I would say.
Indeed.
Truly, 'twould take a mere bastion to kill a lot more than its very size would suggest.
Indeed.
Fren: And thereof, ...
Did the man thereafter bow...
Fren: ... do I thank you, my dear boy. If not for your kindness and generosity, our lives would be forfeit. And so, I would say... thank you... for rescuing us from the very beast that most surely would have been our demise.
And while bowing...
Fren: And thereof, do I also ask... that you partake of our produce... taking full advantage of it in any way you see fit, why... I do hope it is of some use to you. And I do hope that you shall accept it all. Yes.
Did he ask the lad to accept their presents...
Pausing for what amounted to a mere moment...
Nay...
Less than a second...
Before Reginald Walterson himself did follow suit...
Himself also bowing...
Reginald: Indeed, my dear boy. Why, I could not have said it any better.
And thereafter...
The ladies...
Madam Thornberry and Madam Hathaway.
Victoria and Nancy: Indeed. Thank you, good lad.
Victoria: It has been most pleasant.
Nancy: Why, truly it has.
And very lastly...
Did the very "artist" among them all, with a deep bow, the very sort of which soldiers expect from their lower ranked ones...
Yes...
Face first and fast to the ground...
Did he also say...
Florian: Yes! May your journey find itself well.
Indeed.
They all bowed and smiled.
And as for the young lad...
Fully unmoved, oh...
You do get the idea, don't you?
Indeed.
Jake: It was no bother.
Yes...
'Twas at those words that they all, smiles about did soon arise from their very bows...
Fren: Very good then.
A contract of sorts signed between them both.
Indeed.
Hmmm?
Why, I would rather that you sorted that out for yourself, my dear reader...
Why, to simply act as though nothing is done when something is done, I would say...
Utter foolishness.
Indeed.
Hmmm?
Why, do take into consideration this all.
Why would the very man ask him to accept...
Hmmm...
No, no, no...
'Tis better that you learn that one for yourself.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
The very...
Crimson haired lad...
The very smiling trader...
Why, did all the others smile as well...
All before Fren Chavalier did soon stretch out his hand...
All the same reason...
To shake that of the young lad...
And the young lad, why...
Did he also stretch out his hand...
And of course, shake it.
Yes.
Quite obvious, I know.
Fren: A good journey to you, my good lad. And may you reach your destination.
Indeed.
All the same did the very young lad simply reply...
Jake: May the journey you have do you well, too.
A simple response...
A common one, I would say...
Why, many a well travelled man and or woman have some variation of the very response.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
The very young lad did finally turn his back on the traders...
Fren: May we meet again, young lad!
Did the man shout out in his loud somewhat melodic voice.
Albeit, not very melodic, yes...
As the young lad simply waved his hand...
Not turning back...
Even as these praises continued...
Nancy: Take good care of yourself!
Reginald: Indeed. Eat well. Fail to avoid a good meal no matter the situation!
Victoria: Make sure to cut more monsters down with that blade.
Florian: And... and...
Well, I do suppose there are times when writers do lack words...
Florian: Do well...!
Indeed...
Why, the very rest of them did soon after laugh at him once more...
Before he, yet again shouted...
Florian: Fulfil your destiny...!
Yes...
As all writers are...
Hmmm?
Writer?
Oh, no, no, no.
Fail to ever assume the same of me.
Why, I am merely narrating the tales I myself experienced.
Indeed.
Hmmm?
Why, if I told you that...
Would the very tale not lack the surprises you readers are all so fond of?
Well, I do suppose I could outright tell you how it is that I came to know of all these things...
However, that would require a very deep explanation of what exactly I am.
Indeed.
Do consider all the things you know of me...
So far.
Indeed.
Hmmm?
Yes, I do find myself to not be a human.
Hmmm?
Indeed.
Very, very old...
Merely by your standard...
Hmmm?
By my own standards, you say...
Why...
I do suppose dillydallying in such a strange topic would take quite a bit more time.
Why...
'Tis perhaps better that I tell you in bits and pieces...
Or rather, when the very nature of the story utterly requires that I do...
For, do fail to be fooled, I shall meet the young lad.
Why, I already have...
Even though he is not aware of it.
Moving along...
Hmmm...
Oh, worry not about such fanciful tales, I would say...
Indeed...
Why, the very thing...
'Twould be such a bother to fully elucidate...
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
The very last words that did come from their mouths were of the very word...
Destiny...
I do suppose I spoke much of that in the previous chapter...
Yes...
Destiny...
And even so, did I speak more of the very effect such and such a thing had on the young lad's fate.
Hmmm?
You say it hasn't happened yet?
Why, has it not already?
Hmmm?
Do consider this, my dear reader...
Had the very lad not had this destiny upon his shoulders...
Would he now be here?
Waiting...
Watching...
Walking along...
All the while, moving further and further away from the place he knows as his own home?
Why, dare I say...
The very process would be most impossible.
Indeed.
Why, had this destiny not been upon his shoulders...
Would he be here not...
And of the very same, say I...
Should he have failed to take note of the very things occurring around him.
Why, the very lad would perhaps now be getting into yet another squabble with his own mother...
The very idea to hunt down the bandits upon his throat...
The very idea for her son to rest upon their home...
And of the very same, the father to make the final decision concerning the very things of them.
Hmmm?
A prior agreement, you say?
Surely...
Have you not seen how stubborn this lad and his late mother are?
Why, the very pair, I do say...
Neither one shall or will take it all too seriously...
But for the very father to settle it himself, I should say.
Indeed.
Moving along, why...
Ah, yes...
I should continue the tale...
The very young lad did wave his hand back at them...
The very Florian Addison having finally regained his composure...
Why, it did take much to utter those brave words...
Even so, as chuckles followed right after it.
Indeed.
And of the very same, why...
Did the very young lad find himself yet walking...
As the very man by the name of Reginald Walterson did suddenly see an opportunity.
Yes...
Reginald: Now, hold on, dear lad.
Yes...
With a loud booming and yet eloquent voice did he speak...
However and even so, as he took a step forward...
And thereof, as the young lad turned his head to look at him...
Reginald: How about before you go...
He pointed his cane towards the very dead and broken bastion...
Reginald: ... you show us once what you are capable of now with that blade?
Indeed.
The very idea was most certainly one well known unto most.
Yes...
Fren: A splendid idea, Reginald.
Reginald: Why, thank you.
Victoria: Indeed.
Yes...
The very idea was oh-so obvious to most.
Indeed.
For the very young lad to cut apart the beast...
Utilising the axe thereof.
And of the very same, why...
Did the young lad simply look to it...
Fren: Do feel free to go along then, my dear lad.
And...
Indeed...
With a short walk towards it...
Not a rush, not a hurry, I would call it...
Even so, not a struggle...
Did he, with a gait carrying no labour...
Walk to the very beast's corpse...
And thereof...
Pluck the very blade from his back...
Utilising his right hand...
Before finally chopping the very beast in half.
Indeed.
A strike falling downwards.
The very beast?
Left cut in twain.
Yes...
'Tis the very power of the "Converser".
Indeed.
And lifting his blade...
Why, did they all remark...
Fren: My, my...
Reginald: Indeed.
Victoria: Yes... indeed...
Nancy: Oh, what strength.
And the very man, Florian Addison...
Why, all he could say was...
Florian: Hmph!
And as the young lad lifted up the blade, a few drops of blood flowing from its sharp edge...
Did he then also re-fit it to its strap, all the while as Fren Chavalier did rush over to him...
Fren: My word...
Inspecting the corpse...
Why, do understand that the man could see far more than they all as a result of his trade...
And thereof...
Fren: ... the very corpse... A clean cut straight down the middle.
Indeed.
'Twas no mistaking it.
Yes.
The very works of one of great strength and also, of great precision.
A mighty warrior, one would say.
Indeed.
Fren: My, my... an incredible warrior, you must be.
Indeed.
This he said to the lad...
Whose very face refused to turn even to the very left or right...
Yes...
He simply kept his eyes on the now dead beast...
As...
Fren: Indeed. Indeed. Oh, ho, ho, ho!
The very man continued to praise his strength.
Yes...
And of the very same, why...
Did young Jake Phyr simply wait...
Fren: Very well then.
And finally, the very Fren Chavalier did pat his back...
Fren: Off you go.
Indeed.
Madam Hathaway's own eyes waited upon the very lad and his works...
Indeed...
She also, by sight, knew full and well, that the very lad failed to be one to be trifled with.
Indeed.
The very works of the blade, one would call them.
Yes...
A clean cut...
Why, even from that distance...
Well, I do suppose she walked a mere few steps closer...
Garnering questions from those she travelled with.
Reginald: Madam Thornberry?
Nancy: Hmmm?
As Florian quietly watched this all...
Yes...
A woman walking directly towards the corpse...
As though one hypnotised by mermaids...
Why, do say, my dear reader...
Has it ever fallen upon you to be hypnotised by a mermaid?
Hmmm?
Indeed.
A most strange set of occurrences, I should say...
Why, you do say that they do not exist in your world...
Hmmm?
Stories, you say?
Fake, you call them?
Why, do fail to be fooled, my dear reader...
For, dare I say it in full confidence...
Not every old story is a mere joke that one should take lightly...
Why, must I say...
That at times the very legend of which you speak...
May well turn out to be more true than the very truth you live by.
Hmmm?
Why, do forgive my ramblings...
An old quote from a novel, I say.
Why, I do prefer to read, I should argue.
Even so, is this a strange set of paces, I should say.
Why...
Narrating a tale of one of my partners...
Truly, I say...
'Tis a truly rare thing that I would do one such thing.
Hmmm?
Why, dear reader...
In all my years I have met many a man and many a woman...
Many a child as well...
However, in all my years have I failed to find one...
Or should I say, a situation...
That fascinated me as much as the very grand lad of whom I speak.
Indeed.
The very boy whose family name rhymes with fire.
The very boy by the name of Jake Phyr.
Indeed.
Of the many Knight, shinobi and wizard that I have met, why...
Have I...
Hmmm?
Time is up yet once more.
Shame, really...
Hmmm?
You wanted to know more?
I do apologise.
A shame, truly...
Why, even so, I do have to get along with the tale eventually.
Do have a nice day, dear reader. Indeed.