Star's Vigil Ch. 1 [EXT]

        This story takes place in the world of Tales of Symphonia, 162 years after the events of the game and anime. However, reading and enjoying Star's Vigil does not require any prior knowledge of Tales. That being said, we highly recommend both the game and the anime. Therefore, if you intend to watch or play Tales of Symphonia, you should do so before reading Star's Vigil. Most of the characters in the story are original, but there are a few appearances from the original cast later on, who are the property of Namco Tales Studios, to whom we owe our thanks for creating such an amazing world for us to build off of.
                ~TheStarsAreWatching

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One

        The young man gripped the edge of the roof and pulled himself up onto its rough, gently sloped tiles. He walked up to the roof's peak, feeling the salty chill of the ocean breeze despite the sun directly overhead. As he settled into a sitting position, he leaned back slightly, feeling the pleasant warmth of the sun-heated tiles through his light summer work clothes. Looking down towards the docks, he watched the dock workers unloading a ship that had just come in. They hurried back and forth, wearing the same blue shirt and tan pants that he was as they unloaded barrels of mead and brought them inside one of the warehouses. The young man smiled slightly, glad that his shift had ended before the largest shipments came in. Now he was free to sit on the rooftop, as was his habit, and watch the ships come and go. It was a place of freedom and solitude, as crowds of people hurried about on the cobblestone streets below. The cawing of circling seagulls drifted by his ear as he closed his eyes.
        He felt something touch his shoulder gently, but he didn't open his eyes immediately.
        "Hi there, Wolf," said a soft female voice. "I still don't understand why you always choose to sit here, of all places."
        Wolf breathed deeply, adopting a smug smile as he turned to meet her dark-blue gaze. "I don't know. I guess I feel more relaxed from here where I can see everything."
        The girl took a seat next to Wolf and glanced down at the street, the wind catching her long, dark-brown hair. "I know, and I understand that entirely." She sniffed the air. "I just wonder why you don't find somewhere that smells less like fish. There are lots of better places, even here in the warehouse district."
       Wolf shrugged. "This is the closest one to where I work. Besides, Kiara, the smell isn't so bad. You get used to it."
        "I don't," Kiara remarked lightly. She then tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, there's got to be something better to do than just sit around. It's the Solstice, and the festival's going to start soon. There are already some interesting vendors in the market street, and they're putting the stage together."
        Wolf grinned. He was glad she had come to rescue him from sitting on the roof alone. "All right then," he said, standing up and reaching toward the sky as he stretched his arms and back. "Did you have anywhere in mind?"
        She looked at him, and smiled, putting her hair up in a ponytail. "Race you to Romando's?"
        Before Wolf could answer, she winked, took several long strides, and leapt to an adjacent rooftop.
        Wolf immediately followed, sprinting to the southern edge of the roof toward the many two-story rooftops that clustered the market district. Upon reaching the edge, he leapt across the narrow alley below and landed easily on the roof ahead. The rooftops were close together near the docks, and they were easily able to clear the gaps they were presented with.
        Wolf put on a burst of speed and planted one foot onto a drain spout for extra spring as he jumped to the next roof. The maneuver paid off, as he landed nearly even with Kiara, who glanced backward and then laughed, increasing her own pace to match.
        Within a few more blocks, they were roughly even with the north end of the market district, and Kiara veered abruptly to the left, gripping one pole of a rooftop clothesline and swinging herself around it before springing to the next building. Wolf attempted to duplicate her feat, but mistimed his grab and was forced to make a somewhat-ungainly forward leap. He landed hard on a flat, lower rooftop ahead, absorbing the shock with a fluid shoulder roll. He deftly sprang out of the roll and adjusted his course to run parallel to Kiara, who had now pulled further ahead of him.
        Wolf jumped across the nearby alley, planting his foot on a windowsill before leaping back across. With a quick move, he kicked off of the sheer wall before him, propelling himself high enough to grab the lip of the opposite roof. He pulled himself up and resumed running, with the market thoroughfare getting closer with every step. He was gaining on Kiara now, though, and the gap between them was closing. They reached the last building before the thoroughfare at the same time, and Kiara swung herself downwards to slide down a drainpipe as Wolf threw himself into the canopy of a stall just below him. He landed lightly on the ground, bending his knees and ignoring a few strange looks from passersby, and looked around for Kiara. Within a moment, Wolf caught sight of her near Romando's stall. She was panting slightly and grinning as she waved him over.
        All around, people hurried about, chatting about the festival and about recent events as Wolf made his way through to Kiara.
        An older man with a gray beard came into view behind the counter. "Ah, I was beginning to wonder when you two might show up. I'm sure you've heard the news about the new Guard Captain, eh?"
        Wolf sighed inwardly. The events of the previous Captain's disappearance, and the multitude of rumors surrounding it, had been discussed, re-discussed, and eventually dropped in favor of a new Captain: a man named Wallace. "Everyone seems to like him."
        Romando nodded. "Yes and with good cause. It isn't easy to pick up the pieces of your predecessor, especially when your predecessor betrayed the city. That being said, Wallace is a fine soldier, and Equis could use his confidence." When Wolf and Kiara exchanged glances, he added "Though I'm sure he's got his work cut out for him, what with you two running amok on the rooftops."
        Kiara's eyes scanned the many trinkets, odds, and ends on the shelves."I don't understand why people are so bothered by it. It's not like we cause any harm..." She hesitated. "Except that time when Wolf fell into some woman's laundry tub."
        "It could have been worse," Wolf explained. "She could have actually hit me with the wooden spoons she ended up throwing."
        "I still think we should have gone back to help her," Kiara said, inspecting an intricately-designed glass mug.
        Wolf shrugged before replying. "I still stand by 'I would have, had there been less spoon-throwing.'"
        Kiara rolled her eyes.
        "Ah, I almost forgot," Romando said, rummaging behind the counter, eventually producing something small wrapped in a white cloth. "I'm afraid I won't be back next year."
        Kiara nearly dropped the mug. "What? Why?"
        Romando chuckled. "Oh, surely you grow tired of my old stories."
        "Of course not!" Kiara replied.
        Wolf nodded in agreement. "You're the best storyteller around. You should be on stage today, not that 'Maryn the Great' windbag."
        Romando barked a laugh. "I'm relatively sure I can leave putting Equis to sleep to the council's speeches." He sighed. "I think I'm ready to settle down. My daughter recently made it onto the Council back home and I'd like to get to know my grandchildren better. Perhaps I can get them to like those boring, old stories you two seem to enjoy. But enough about me. I've got something for the both of you." He carefully unraveled the cloth, revealing two silver necklaces, each with a blue rectangular charm attached to it.
        Wolf and Kiara leaned forward, trying to get a closer look.
        Romando held one up for them to see. Wolf could now tell that the charm was made of polished wood with what appeared to be a hand-carved, silver hawk. "The symbol comes from the mythology of the Amaran, a small, nomadic elven tribe that existed centuries ago in the Reinar Glades. It's meant to symbolize freedom and willpower," he said placing the charm in Kiara's hands. "Ideal for a young lady like yourself." He then picked up the other and showed it to Wolf. "I thought this would be fitting for you," he began, letting it fall into Wolf's cupped hands. "The same tribe valued the wolf for its fierce loyalty and serene grace." Romando watched them in their stunned silence for a moment. "Well, put them on."
        Kiara placed it around her neck and then turned to Wolf, who appeared to be struggling with the clasp. "Here," she said, locking the clasp with little effort. She then turned to Romando, reaching into her pockets.
        Romando immediately shook his head. "I think not. I will accept no payment from either of you.  Consider them gifts to two dear friends that I've truly come to look forward to seeing every Solstice. But, I do expect you to come visit me in Stallion's Arch someti—" Kiara hugged him and he patted her on the back. "All right, all right. You'll see me after the festival."
        She let go, clutching the charm with one hand. "Thank you."
        Wolf echoed her, shaking the trader's hand.
        "Oh all right, now get out of here," he said in mock frustration before letting a smile break through. As they left his stall, he called after them, "Go see the real storyteller and watch his fighters reenact the battles of legend!"
        As Wolf and Kiara walked away, Romando waved to them and they waved back. Before long, they lost sight of him in the vast, bustling crowd. With a quick glance at each other, they climbed back up to the rooftops and resumed their customary roof-jumping, making their way towards the central square.

***

        Zan strode confidently through the crowds, keeping an eye out for any who would threaten the peace. Wallace had been insistent that all the guards be vigilant and that they deal with any fights or unruly behavior swiftly, but with as little fuss as possible in order for the festival go off without a hitch. It was important that the guards earn back the confidence that had been shaken by Captain Taspo's selfish flight.
        Zan brushed his short cape behind his back, and another passing guard threw him a salute upon seeing it. The cape, and the silver-edged insignia it bore, indicated his rank as a Sergeant of the Equis Guard. His violet-tinged blue eyes and his distinctive dark green hair narrowed his identity down even further. He returned the salute, and then moved off into the crowd.
        As he approached the southern edge of the city's central hub, Zan heard a shout and turned quickly, catching a glimpse of two people jumping from roof to roof as one of the tenants yelled after them.
        The guard sighed. Balek 'Wolf' Shybá and Kiara Russo were always at it, no matter how many times they were cautioned to stop, and those names had come across the complaints desk about as often as he could breathe. Their antics turned the usually quiet job of working the complaints desk into a mountain of paperwork, and one of those shifts often had Zan fighting the urge to cut the desk in half in frustration as he left.
        Zan stopped by a canopied stall that was selling plates, cutlery, and goblets made of gold, silver, and fine crystal. As he looked around, the crowd parted somewhat to allow an attractive female juggler to pass by, tossing a trio of colored wooden rings into the air. She paused in front of Zan and smiled at him, keeping the three rings going without seeming to look at them.
        Suddenly, there was a clatter from the other side of the stall. Zan whirled around to see a hooded man running off into the crowd as the red-faced stall owner pointed furiously after him, while standing over several bowls that had been knocked to the ground.
        "Thief! Guardsman, stop that thief!"
        Zan nodded shortly before he took off running after the thief.  The fleeing man looked back briefly, just long enough for Zan to see a flash of black hair and goatee, before ducking down a narrow side street. Zan followed him around the corner and continued the chase down the street and into an alley that ran parallel to the main thoroughfare. As he ran, Zan's mind was working furiously on ways to head the thief off. The man seemed to be doubling back to the north, perhaps trying to lose Zan in the crowds near the city center. The thief knocked a half-filled rain barrel into Zan's path, and the guard had to make a clumsy leap to avoid tripping over it. He stumbled as he landed, but kept running, slowly gaining on the thief.
        The fleeing man took another glance backwards, seeing Zan getting closer. As the man passed the next intersection, where two alleys met, he kicked a slim trellis, making it topple towards Zan.
        The light wooden frame fell across Zan's path, making him stumble and fall to one knee for a moment. Zan staggered back to his feet just in time to see the thief's smug smile vanish as he ran straight into the opening back door of a shop just beyond the intersection.
        The thief jumped to his feet, but any hopes of escape were dashed by the appearance of a second Equis guard from around the door.
        "Wasn't exactly my plan, but that works," the second guard said with a shrug. He then removed his helmet, brushed his bangs out of his face, and stood over the thief.
        Zan nodded to the other guard and stepped up beside him. "Thanks for the hand, Nale. Uh, and the door." He then pulled an embossed silver goblet with insets of green and blue crystal from the thief's hand. "All right, you're coming with us. Let's get this over with." Zan glanced at Nale. "Standard sentence?"
        Nale grinned. "On a day like today? Yes. He'll learn his lesson well." He grasped the thief's other arm, and together, the two guards marched the thief back to the market thoroughfare. After a couple of minutes, the three men reached a small wooden platform in the middle of part of the market thoroughfare that held a number of stockades, with one of them already occupied. Near the base of the platform, several opportunistic produce merchants had set up shop, and the shopkeepers looked gleefully at the incoming prisoner.
        Zan and Nale hauled the thief up to the platform and placed his head and arms through the stockade before locking it. They then walked quickly away from the platform as people began selecting their vegetable-based ammunition.
        Zan looked at Nale. "The speeches are about to start. We'd best make sure that the crowd stays peaceful."
        Nale nodded. "I agree. It's going to be hot with all of those people in one place, though."
        Zan shrugged. "It always is. Comes with the job," he said, tossing the goblet back to its rightful owner as they passed the stall. The merchant caught it clumsily and gave them a wave. Zan returned the gesture with a slight smile as he and Nale continued on their way towards the square.

***

        Wolf and Kiara reached a rooftop with a good view of the main stage nearby, just a minute before the mayor's speech. The majority of the town was assembled, and the vendors lining the sides of the square enthusiastically called out across the crowds, advertising their wares to any and all who passed by. Wolf looked around for any guards that might cause them trouble, but most of them were clustered near the stage, standing out in their blue surcoats emblazoned with the Equis seal: a circular compass containing two crossed harpoons behind a sailing ship.
        Out of the corner of his eye, Wolf noticed another group of people sitting on a roof, looking towards the stage. With such a large turnout, he was hardly surprised that others had considered climbing for a better view.
        Onstage, the mayor of Equis stepped up to the podium, clearing his throat. The city bugler blew a long note, signaling quiet, and the noise of the crowd subsided.
        The mayor glanced down at his notes and began to speak. "Ahem. Good afternoon, everyone. This, the longest day of the year, brings us to the height of another summer season. It pleases me greatly to welcome another Solstice, and to have the privilege of addressing all of this wonderful city. And indeed, this Solstice brings with it the promise of great prosperity, and of a bountiful harvest to come!" He continued brightly, elaborating further on the joys of another Solstice having come, and his satisfaction at the great turnout. Soon enough, he turned to less intriguing matters of reelection, and Wolf let his attention wander, glancing over the crowd. He looked back at the stage as the square fell eerily silent. The speech had been much shorter this year. Maybe the mayor was actually learning to—
        Wolf stared as he noticed the mayor clutching his chest where the fletching of a crossbow bolt protruded between two ribs. As he watched, he saw the mayor jerk backward with the impact of a second bolt that knocked the him to the floor of the stage. Screams began to break out from around the stage as he glanced over at Kiara, finding her staring behind him. Wolf followed her gaze to a rooftop several buildings away, where the robed people he had noticed before were now swiftly packing away ebony crossbows. His disbelief was shattered by a shout from below.
        "On the roof! Stop them!"
        Wolf knew, with a sinking feeling, that the crowd wasn't referring to the real assassins. He felt an abrupt tug on his shirt before Kiara spun and ran for the edge of the roof. Quickly, he turned and followed her, and the pair raced across the rooftops with the sounds of the chaotic market square fading in their wake.