Heya, it is…here! The next epic story by…me? Yeah. Something like that.
Wow…this story is about…Botta! Yes, the all loyal, all sacrificing, all lovable, all pointy half elf is the star of this story! And Yuan. Meh. XD
Get this people; I didn't even like Botta. Actually, I hated the guy.
It all started with the beginning of the game; I see "Lord Botta", and I, the extremely stupid gamer goes; "HA! I shall kill you Desian!" Course not realizing all the BIG hints that they were something else…oh no, I had to be like Lloyd…
Then I fought him in the Triet Desert 'Human Ranch', and said "Grr, pretty good!" In actuality, though, I got my butt handed to me. Twice.
Anywho, I'll explain the rest of my history with Botta next time. Because this A/N is long enough as it is…
I don't own Tales of Symphonia. Regal's in it. That's how you know.
Botta Arthe allowed another sigh to pass his lips as he prepared for another day hunting for food in the forest. Though it was uninteresting and exhausting labor, and there was still leftover stew from the night before, the twelve year old knew that it was necessary for his survival. His mother was murdered by desians two years ago when he was out picking mushrooms, and his father he never knew, so the brunette lived in a small secluded cottage by himself.
The boy stepped out of the sanctity of his home with a weaved basket in his hand. The morning rays caught his short and spiky hair, making it appear more of a dark blonde instead of a deep chocolate brown. Breathing in the fresh scent of the forest, Botta began the trek to find something edible.
Upon forty meters of his house however, the half elf was shocked to find a person laying face down on the ground.
The twelve year old slowly approached the body, fully aware of a growing pool of blood surrounding it. "Excuse me?" Botta tried, placing his basket down before kneeling next to the still figure.
Up close, the brunette could see it was a man with long blue hair, pulled back in a ponytail. The strange man had a long black cloak wrapped around himself, and Botta saw the large unevenness of armor underneath the dark cloth.
Not hearing any kind of response, the twelve year old carefully turned the body around.
It indeed was a man, obviously unconscious, but in serious pain; it didn't take Botta long to see why.
A large gash was freely bleeding from the blue haired man's abdomen, right where his armor pieced in two.
The twelve year old furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Should he leave the man to die? What if the same thing that attacked him came back to finish the job?
But being raised by a caring human mother, and the world's evil and conceit never touched the youth, Botta decided to throw caution to the wind; half carrying and half dragging the cobalt to his home.
The young half elf was quite bulky and strong for his age, but even he was tired after dragging his armor-clad guest in.
Recuperating quickly enough though, the twelve year old began to bandage the large wound with ripped strips of his mother's old clothes, drenched in clean water. He wasn't experienced in the medical field, but he remembered having a cut he received dressed in the same manner.
Botta only hoped it would suffice.
As the brunette began reheating a stew he had made the day before, a soft moan reached his pointed ears.
The twelve year old turned from his cooking to see the mysterious man stir slightly from his position on the small couch Botta pulled him into.
The young half elf watched as he slowly stood up from the couch, clutching his bandaged wound carefully. The man's eyes gazed around his surroundings until he settled them on Botta.
The twelve year old unknowingly took a sharp intake of breath at the gaze.
The cloaked man's sapphire eyes were iced over, almost as if he wasn't seeing anything at all. They scrutinized the brunette with such a chilly stare that Botta slivered underneath his thick cotton coat.
"Did you bring me here?" the blue haired man finally rasped, clearly not used to speaking. Or perhaps it was the wound, Botta wasn't sure.
"I-I did, sir," the youth responded. If nothing his mother ever taught him, it was to always be polite. And to the young half elf, it meant that every older man was "sir", and every woman was "miss".
The cobalt's eyes hardened even more than the youth thought imaginable. "Sir?" He repeated, his voice lined with scorn, "What have I done to earn that title?"
"N-nothing, sir." Botta tilted his head in a silent question. Why was the stranger so hostile? Surely the young half elf hadn't anything to offend him, so why was the man angry?
The cloaked man smiled; it was bitter, and it didn't fully reach his ice colored eyes. "Tell me, do you live by yourself?"
"Yes sir."
"Your parents?"
"My mom was killed," Botta flinched at the memory, but he continued anyways, "and I never met my dad, sir."
"Hm," the stranger tapped his chin in thought, "So I can assume it was the desians, correct?"
The brunette didn't understand what the mysterious man would gain by such knowledge, but out of politeness his reply was, "Yes sir."
He seemed to mull over the young half elf's answer. He stood up a bit straighter and asked, "So…?"
"Botta, sir."
"Yes, so…Botta…" for a moment, the cobalt's blue eyes flashed with an emotion, but it passed so quickly, Botta couldn't figure what it was before it disappeared, "Do you hate the desians?"
"No sir!" the twelve year old's brown eyes widened in surprise, "Why would I?"
"Because they killed your only family."
The brunette blinked, never really considering the information. Botta was taught that everyone died at some point, and there was no use in blaming anything or anyone. Death was Death. Botta told the man so.
"Humph, I wish Kratos and Mithos would think like that…"
"Sir?"
"Nhg, nothing," the cloaked man shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. He walked closer to the youth, observing him. "Do you hate humans then?"
"No sir!" Botta replied with the same amount of conviction "My mom was one!"
"Elves?"
"No sir," the brunette was beginning to grow tired of the endless questions; he decided to ask one himself, "If I may ask sir, how did you get that cut?"
The man looked blank for a moment. Then he chuckled, "Out of all the things you've could've asked me, you ask that?" He raised an eyebrow in amusement as he crossed his arms; his cold eyes actually crinkling in silent laughter. "It matters none to you."
"B-but sir…" Botta looked to be completely crushed as he frowned.
Undaunted by the youth though, the cloaked man started towards the door, "I must be going anyway."
"S-sir wait!" Botta shouted, running to block him from the exit, "You should not be leaving this house with a bad cut like yours…!" the brunette gasped in shock as he watched the man pull the bloody bandages off his wound to reveal…nothing. The gash was gone.
"W-wha…?" the twelve year old gaped for only a second before demanding "At least stay to eat! That's the least you could do, sir!" He wanted company so badly after two years of loneliness, even if it was a cold hearted stranger whom Botta had no idea if was dangerous or not.
The cobalt seemed to be startled at the boy's sudden outburst, but he soon recovered his calm expression and coolly responded, "I cannot waste anymore time here. Let me through."
"No sir!" Botta refused to move from his post in front of the door.
"Botta," the man growled quietly, "Let me through."
The brunette felt weak static shock prickle at his clothes and skin. A little worried, but stubborn, the young half elf reluctantly glared at his guest. "Sir…no."
Lavender electricity danced in the air between the two, creating a shower of sparks to flash. Botta's eyes widened as he saw that the electricity was not natural, but was coming from the stranger.
"Will you listen now?"
Botta had a choice to make; whether to let the only contact from the outside world to leave his house, or receive quite an agonizing punishment for declining departure. Whether it be stupidity or courage, he didn't know, the twelve year old shook his head firmly once again.
The electricity flashed brightly, blinding the brunette, but then died just as quickly. Botta blinked and saw that the man had his head lowered, shaking it slowly with disbelief.
"You certainly have guts, that's for sure," the cobalt lifted his head, a flash of satisfaction passed through his pale face. "Do you want to come with me?"
The question was so random and unexpected, Botta allowed his lips to move, but no sound came out. Finally gaining his motor skills yet again, the young half elf responded without a second thought, "Yes sir." He faltered momentarily after the words left his mouth. Why did he say yes? He would be leaving the memory of his mother, the only home he had ever known. And yet, the brunette wanted to go with the stranger; there was something the cobalt had that he wanted…
The cloaked man smiled briefly before he stepped closer, within a few inches away of the youth. "I guess I can waste a bit more mana…" He murmured more to himself than anything, as cherry-blossom colored translucent feathers swirled around him.
Botta, startled to say the least, instinctively stepped back as the cobalt came yet closer, the colors of light reds shinning to a climax.
The young half elf closed his eyes. It was the end, he was dead…the man killed him…
"Hey Botta. You can open your eyes now."
What? Botta fluttered his brown eyes open and was met with ice cold sapphire orbs.
The cobalt smiled uncaringly with half lidded eyes. "Scared yet?" He challenged, motioning their surroundings with a gloved hand.
The youth gazed around, restraining himself to stare in awe.
They were in a small, but nicely furnished room; with push carpet underneath them, and a high ceiling above them. In the corner of the room, there was a beautifully carved wooden bed, and to the youth's direct left was a bizarre type of door, completely made of an unknown metal.
Botta was saved from responding by a loud hollow knock coming from said door.
"Come in," the cloaked man said a bit irritably, although the brunette couldn't begin to deduct why.
With a shrill hiss, the door slid open to reveal a man in light armor; his head was entirely encased within a bulky helmet. Only his mouth was visible as he said, "Lord Yuan, our target has-"
"Yes, I know what happened to our target!" the cobalt hissed angrily, causing the man to sputter apologies and bow in meekness. "Are there any reports on the next in line for the Chosen though?"
Recovering from his apologetic state, the man nodded and accounted how she was born two years ago, but her parents somehow were able to keep her birth a secret. "We have spies on the family now," he concluded.
"Finally, something went right…" the cloaked man sighed, bringing a hand to his temple and rubbing it tiredly.
The helmeted man dipped his head slightly in a bow, and turned to leave, when he caught sight of Botta. "Who are you?" The man asked bluntly, not sure if his leader knew that a child was in his room.
"My name is Botta. Nice to meet you sir." The brunette smiled charmingly, earning a lopsided grin in return.
"You are dismissed." The cobalt said frigidly, glaring as the man left rather quickly. "You," He pointed at a confused Botta, "You are never to call anyone 'sir' but me, understood?"
The young half elf nodded timidly. "Yes sir"
The cobalt barely tilted his head downward, obviously a nod of his own. "Good." He turned towards the sliding door, stopping to twist around and look at Botta. "I am Lord Yuan. Botta…"
The youth stared intently at the man known as Lord Yuan. Botta had no idea what was in store for the rest of his life, but he had an odd feeling it was to come out of the stranger's mouth. So he hung on every word; he watched Lord Yuan's lips move to form the sentence…
"Welcome to the Renegades"