"No Tresspassing"Follow

Hello once more. I hope you all have been enjoying my fanfics thus far! Remember that any feedback you have is appreciated whether it be good or bad and that you can reply to the post or just send me a PM. =)

My goal is to entertain and in some cases make you think differently about the nuances or mechanics of the game. This also allows me to put fun twists on otherwise menial things. That brings us to this story involving a simple quest in San d'Oria. But the magic is that when you start creating all sorts of background, it takes on its own personality and demeanor.

Thank you for your continued reading. And now, please enjoy...

NO TRESSPASSING

CRITERIA:
Requested by: Deedlitchan
Subject(s): Deedlit & Phyree
Genre: Action
Setting: San d'Oria

* * * * *

If you live in San d'Oria and aren't elvaan, well, you know there's going to be some...friction. For the parents of Phyree, this was all-too-true. They came from the crowded and dirty streets of Bastok to San d'Oria while Phyree was still being carried in her mother's womb. The mighty kingdom offered security and a pristine enviroment to raise a child.

Culturally, it was tough. Phyree's mother gave birth and now there was another mouth to feed. Not being able to find work elsewhere because they were hume, and not having the gil to start their own business, they both joined the military. Phyree's parents enlisted and were soon called up to arms to fight in the Great War.

While in Tavnazia, both Phyree's mother and father died during the climactic last battle. Before passing, Phyree's father told a rather compassionate elvaan he served beside of his daughter back in San d'Oria and asked him to take care of her knowing the elvaan had a daughter of his own back at home. With his dying breath, Phyree's father handed over an heirloom amulet and a thank you.

*****

Ten years later...

*****

"Phyree, come on," Deedlit pleaded, "we'll be late coming home and dad'll kill us if mom doesn't first for missing dinner!"

"Wait for me, sister, I'm coming!" The two girls ran through Victory Square toward their house. The sun was setting, but the mighty city-state was still bustling with activity. Before entering the door, Phyree said a small prayer to Altana as the cathedral bells rang in dismissal of the evening mass.

"Where have you girls been," asked their father sternly.

"Ummm," Phyree stammered.

"We were scouting the forest for invaders, father," stated Deedlit.

"Girls, what did I tell you about going out into the forest?"

Phyree looked away sheepishly, but her sister reported back, "Never to do it."

He sighed but smiled and welcomed each of them in for a hug. "I really worry about you two," he said, "that's why I took a job working in the city...so that I can always watch over you." While addressed to both, the father's eyes gazed into Phyree's.

Deedlit was older than Phyree by three years and had pursued the combative arts as an emulation of her father's active and honorable service to the crown. Phyree always was drawn to curative magic and the teachings of Altana, and some of that rubbed off on her sister too. Phyree could never explain it, but the necklace she wore bore the Dawn Goddess's image and had her family name emblazoned across a shield standard.

Phyree took up a job working part time to advertise for Regine's Magic Mart by handing out flyers and as a way to save up enough gil for her first spell. She also spent most of her days at the cathedral speaking to the friars about white magic and what it meant to be a follower of Altana. Her sister, Deedlit, took up the sword and was a Junior Royal Guard. During the day she'd train with an instructor in weapon use. The evenings found each girl meeting up by the fountain in Victory Square and sharing their daily adventures with each other.

One evening Phyree rushed toward her sister with a furled scroll in her hands. "Deed, Deed, I did it! I bought my first spell!" Phyree's sister motioned joyfully,

"That's wonderful! Can you use it?"

Phyree pouted, "No, I don't understand it. I asked Regine and the friars and even random adventurers walking the street about it."

"What did they say?"

"That I'll be able to read it 'when it is time' or some such thing." The young blonde girl humphed and puffed and her sister consoled her.

"Wanna know what I found out today while at the Chateau training?"

"Oooh what what?" Phyree was abuzz at the dangled carrot of a rumor in front of her.

"I hear that there is an orc being held in the prison under the chateau."

"No way!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna ask dad about it when we get home because that's where he works."

"Nuh-unh, let's go ourselves!"

"But Phyree...," Deedlit sounded pensive.

"I know a way we can sneak inside through the cathedral! Come on, it'll be fun and we can finally see an orc up close. You've always told me you can't wait to be able to defend our city from them!" Both sisters shared a smile and nodded.

"Fine," agreed Deedlit, "but let's go home first before we are locked up in our room for being late again."

Over the next few days, the young hume and the elvaan schemed how they'd infiltrate the Oubliette. It was decided that during one of the sermons they'd sneak out of the back of the service and slide upstairs to where a vent was which would let them slide down into the water system. The reconstruction of the cathedral from its wartime damages allowed for easier access to these spots and they conjectured there were further links between the prison, palace, and pulpit. B

efore bed the night before the two sisters giggled and plotted. "Good night sister, here's to tomorrow," said Phyree in a whispered cheer.

"Good night sister, here's to our adventure," yawned Deedlit.

The day passed seemingly forever. Their father hugged and kissed them goodbye on his way to work and soon after the girls left for school. As always, they met up at the fountain and discussed the plan.

"Ready?"

"Ready," confirmed Deedlit. The blonde eleven year old and white-haired fourteen year old strode confidently toward the cathedral for the afternoon mass.

So far so good, the mass was going per usual and on cue the congregational prayer began. The two girls backed out of the main hall and headed upstairs unnoticed. The prayer echoed from below but from up ahead they heard some angry talk. The girls placed their ears to the door and heard the Papsque chew out some underling. From what they gleaned he was talking about some kind of sword called the Lightbringer and they heard him mention the orcs. Losing heed in the papal tirade, they remembered their mission. Each nodded at the other and continued.

"No Trespassing" said the sign close to the construction area. That didn't mean much to the mischevious duo.

The lithe girls wiggled into the construction area and started down the ladder leading below ground. Phyree almost lost her scroll that she worked so hard for. "Phew! I don't wanna lose this!" Her sister looked up and cautioned her to be careful and that she had ripped a hole in her pants in an embarassing place crawling through the debris. "Just keep going," chided Phyree with a blush. Each splashed into the water which they assumed flowed out to the moat.

The tunnels wound around and the girls got into a scuffle because they came so far without a map. But it ended in a hug and a strengthened resolve to continue...as long as they could get back and clean by the time their dad got home. Soon they came across a maintenance access tunnel and they crawled inside, Deedlit first as to avoid more ribbing. The tunnel took a sharp turn upward and Phyree thought that this was it. "Let's go!" she excitedly said.

Soon the girls found themselves climbing through the circulation system. Every cell had a grate that allowed air from above to filter into the musty wetness of the prison. It wasn't hard to find the orc, they followed the smell. Eyes and mouths grew wide as for the first time the girls saw a real live orc.

"Psst," whispered Deedlit.

"Yeah?"

"You are breathing on my ear." Deedlit twitched her slender elvaan ear and it flicked her sister in the nose. Phyree muffled a giggle and nodded in apology.

Despite being hidden, each ducked down when they heard a latch echo open. A man came to the cell and the guard let them be. The girls overheard the man speak to the orc in its grunting language. A small tube was handed over to the prisoner from the robed man. They exchanged a grunt and a nod and the man called for the guard to return. To the girls' surprise, it was their father! When he went to let them out, the orc jumped up and assaulted him with a combo.

"Father, no!" shouted Deedlit. He looked up to see one of his daughters behind the air vent but soon saw nothing as an orcish fist slammed into his face.

"No! Dad!" Phyree was shouting and shaking the old bars.

Deedlit sat back and used her advanced (for her age versus a hume anyway) strength to kick out the air vent. The orc and the robed hume took off. "Deed, go on, I'll take care of Dad. Whatever happened couldn't be good!" Deedlit looked longingly at her sister but ran off in the direction of the escapees.

Phyree sat over her unconscious and bleeding adoptive father and cried. As she did a soft glowing aura emitted from her waist. It was her scroll! Phyree opened it with her small hands and read it. The runic symbols just seemed to make sense now! As she read the spell it just seemed so obvious and natural. After she had completed the reading, her father became encompassed in a violet cloud of gentle warmth. His bloodied nose healed and he started coming to. "Daddy!" Dazed, he was told quickly by his daughter what happened...after a big hug.

Deedlit, tall and atheletic as elvaan naturally are, sprinted down the hall. She reached a fork and found she lost the hume but managed to see the tail of the orc round a corner at the end of the right branch. She took off after it, trying to remember her sword training. The wax sword at her side beat against her leg as she ran.

"Stop!" she shouted. The orc turned its head but dismissed the young elvaan. "I know your secret and the tube you carry!" This bluff caught its attention and the orc turned around, ready to engage the potential morsel. Deedlit didn't understand what it was shouting but she understood the body language and drew her sword. She parried a fist that came her way and evaded the second. A backhand caught her across the face but she stood her ground, wiping blood from her mouth and wincing from pain.

"I'm over here!" Deedlit kept shouting and soon she heard footsteps. Phyree and their father rounded the corner. The orc shifted his attention to the larger threat of the grown and trained elvaan. It wasn't long for the sortie to end with the orc laying slain before the father and his two daughters. Phyree tended to her sister but couldn't seem to summon any more healing thoughts for her.

"Don't worry sister, I'll be alright." They shared a smile and a hug.

The tube ended up containing the castle floor plans and the crown promoted the girls' father for his heroism. A conspiracy was discovered where secrets were being sold to the orcs to invade San d'Oria! The orc that had escaped was on his way to West Ronfaure then head north to Ghelsba in order to copy and spread the plans.

The girls also received honorary awards, that is after serving their time in their room as punishment. To this day they still share the deep bond of their very first adventure ever and look to the women they became today because of it. Always they have been on the lookout for the man that was conspiring with the orcs and it was rumored he still operates somewhere in the city today...