3rd POV:
''Congratulations,'' said the midwife as she came over rocking a bundle of flesh dressed in the softest clothes available. She already went through the trouble of cleaning the boy of all the blood.
''It is a healthy baby boy,'' she said while handing the baby over to the mother.
''He is so silent. Is that normal?,'' Silas asked her. He was fusing over both his wife and his child, but didn't dare touch the boy. He has a farmers hand and was afraid that he could harm him with his strength. His wife nodded. She began panicking when her child was making no noise, but Silas convinced her to remain calm and wait for the midwife's word. Amusing, considering he looked apprehensive too.
The midwife giggled.
''It is not common, but it does happen every now and then. Some children are like that. I already did all the test. He has good grip strength. He reacted when I slapped his butt. I put my ear to his chest and his breathing is clear. You're child is very healthy.
What will you name him?,'' explained the midwife patiently and then smiled to calm the parents down.
Silas and Anna looked at each other briefly and then Silas nodded.
''We agreed I can chose the name if it is a boy and he if it is a girl. I was thinking about... Nox. For the night,'' Anna explained and fused over the boy.
Despite herself, the midwife could not help but giggle.
''I suppose it is fitting, considering the time of day he was born. I think I'm done here, so I will leave you two alone. Now remember what I said about how to feed the child properly. And do not let him on his back all the time, he needs his tummy time too. And he needs movement so play with his limbs a bit, but be careful as his bones will still be soft for a while. If something goes wrong, you know where to call me,'' the elderly woman told them and began packing her things.
''Jean, if you need anything at all you only need to ask. We can not thank you enough,'' Silas reminded her.
Like with any other small village, Gongaga had a small community. And like with any other small community people knew each other. More or less.
''Of course, Silas. Take care you three,'' Jean told them and left the house with a smile.
The parents returned back to fussing over their son.
''Want to hold him?,'' Anna asked.
''I don't know...,'' Silas murmured with wonder. He hasn't moved his eyes from Nox since Jean left.
It was the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. No offense to Jean, of course.
''Oh you big worrywart. You give yourself to little credit. Hold him. Here, support his head like this and with the other his back,'' Anna gestured to her hands and arms in her lap. She wanted to have Silas fully participate in this moment.
Silas reluctantly and afraid took Nox from here hands.
His heart melted at the sight even more.
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As it turned out, Nox was an incredible ironic name for... well, Nox.
Some time later, Jean was called back and it was 'discovered' that he had albinism.
Nox couldn't care less about the color of his hair.
It was white, big whoop.
If this was a fantasy world, he will probably encounter weirder shit. But it did tell him that they had some level of technology or medical advancements, if some backwater village could determine or know about 'albinism'.
But Nox was 80%...86% sure that they red eyes were a mark from ROB. Reasonable, considering he had red orbs for eyes and his whole spiel about 'I will have you one way or another' and whatnot.
Whatever.
His immediate issue was that, his parents fussed even more over him. They coddled him.
'No, Nox. You can't outside into the scorching sun.' (For fucks sake, his skin was not even that pale!!!)
'Nox, how are your eyes doing?' (Nox had the good sense not to insult his ...boss.)
No matter how often he told them, they would not listen, thinking he was putting on a front and wanting to go outside to play with the other children. They also probably feared that the other children would ostracize him, because of how different he was.
He already snuck out a few times, so Nox knew it was not albinism. He just had the worst luck. Couldn't he have had his parents black or brown hair?
Ugh. Whatever.
He will fuck off from here at his earliest opportunity.
But for now, he would need to gather as much information as he could possible get in this backwater village.
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Nox opened the window and climbed out of the 2nd floor. His parents were tending to the farm and locked him in 'for his safety', because he was stubborn and 'petulant'. With not much to do, he did calisthenics in his room and completely ignored the puzzle games and toys his parents brought him.
He easily jumped from his window to the nearby three and climbed it down afterward.
He adjusted his cap to hide his hair. So long as no one looks at his eyes, they will think him a child from some passing traveler.
There was a reason Nox chose this moment to bust out of his prison.
These passing travelers were resting at the inn right now. And all of the villages eyes and most of their attention was on them. Gongaga was not hostile to outsiders, but there was a healthy dose of caution. Also, business was booming so there was also opportunity and people were scrambling to sell stuff or services.
Nox patted the hidden knife under his pants, hidden from the other people.
He did catch some sort of interesting trivia from his parents mouths.
Nearby there was a dilapidated Mako Reactor. It was not too far from the village. He never heard the words Mako, so maybe it will reveal something about the world.
Nox decided to investigate. If the knife can kill some monsters? Good. If not? Meh. He set the checkpoint in his room, so he will waste neither time nor raise any suspicion. So long as he gets something and DOES something (any activity before he goes crazy) then not even his patience will be wasted.
Many a times he gathered intel and left no traces behind, because his death simply undid all of the signs of someone having snooped around.
---
''That was AWESOME!,'' called out a voice from his back.
Nox turned back having dispatched a few wolves. So far no monsters on the path to the reactor. But he could hear noises all around him in the forest, so he can be forgiven to not have noticed a tail.
''Who are you?,'' Nox asked him. Maybe he can turn this around to his benefit, not like he risks losing anything.
The boy came out from behind a tree.
''Your the Cropper's child, aren't you? The one everyone talks about?,'' the boy asked him.
''Did you come here to gawk like I'm some animal at the zoo? Go away,'' Nox shooed him off and turned back around, continuing his way to the Mako Reactor.
''Hey, wait? What is a zoo?,'' the boy hurried after Nox.
Nox did not answer him and watched his surroundings for enemies.
''I'm Zack. Zack Fair. And you?,'' Zack introduced himself.
''Nox,'' he humored the boy. Not like he will recall any interactions once he is done investigating.
Who knows maybe he will learn some stuff from Zack too? A worthwhile investment.
''That was so cool. You were like, bam, bam, slash. How did you do that?,'' Zack asked him making some movements in an attempt to imitate what Nox did earlier.
By dying several tens of times and being too stubborn for his own good. This body was weak. At least it was a small target and it was agile thanks to his work. He was forced to manipulate the battlefield in a way that would give him safe access to the wolves throat. Which... was EASIER said then done.
Getting mauled to death was certainly a first time experience. Nox rubbed his wrist.
''By eating my broccoli,'' Nox replied.
''No way! Are you telling me my mom was not lying?! Oh man, I feel so stupid. How much broccoli did you eat?!,'' Zack demanded.
''A lot,'' Nox told him looking towards a direction he heard some noise from. Zack was not making it any easier.
''Oh man, I have so much catching up to do,'' Zack despaired and held his head, ''Where are you going anyway?`''
''The dilapidated Mako Reactor,'' Nox replied.
''The dilapishy-whatsy-what-now? Everyone said to stay away from the Mako Reactor. It is dangerous,'' Zack informed him.
''I always was a rebel and too curious for my own good,'' Nox told him,'' Can you tell me something about the Mako Reactor?''
''Hmm? Oh that story? My parents told me that it was made even before I was born. By Shinra. It does something to take the Mako and then we get ...light? Or so they say. I don't know. I never seen it myself.
Hey! Do you have Materia?,'' Zack asked him eagerly.
Oh? Materia? He hasn't heard that one before.
And Shira was gathering Mako to generate electricity? Was this, this worlds version of a nuclear reactor back home? Gongaga was truly a backwater village, for if there was electricity there may very well also be internet and that would make intel gathering much easier. But neither existed in this village.
Was Shinra a corporation? The government? Was it a branch of the government?
Too little information to say now.
''No. What's that?,'' Nox turned his head to look at Zack.
''When Mako gathers a lot in one place...it forms Materia... Somehow. Travelers say they are round and allow people to cast different Magic. But I have never seen one. Hey! If we are already here, do you think that Mako Reactor will hide some Materia?,'' Zack asked him eagerly.
This guy truly has a one track mind. Always thinking about adventure. Huh?
Hmm.
When Mako gathers... Does that mean, that Mako was not just in the earth but could also be on the surface on some spots.
Nox shook his head lightly.
No. That part he has too little information about, there is no point in pondering or speculating about that.
Anyway.
Mako gathered, condensed or crystallized or who knows what other process occurs and then it took the shape of a sphere. Nox supposes it is not that surprising, spheres are kind of the default shape of the universe. He wondered what that meant about Mako. Was Mako mass or really only energy.
No. Again, no point in pondering. Too little information. The Mako Reactor should hold some answers.
As for the Materia itself... Nox wondered if it was a finite resource and one could only channel, lets say fire, a few times or if it gathered energy - Mako, Nox corrected in his head - from around and instead functioned as a medium and could cast infinitely. Or did it not gather Mako from around and instead took the wielders own energy and shaped it to cast fire.
Again. To little to make any concrete conclusion.
Hmm.
Talking to Zack did prove productive after all.
Nox was about to ask him how he saw him when no one else did and why he followed him.
But it was at this time that some Grangalans jumped out from behind the trees. (Nox didn't know they were called that.)
Nox shoved Zack away and engaged them.
It should be self explanatory that he died, probably Zack too not that Nox would know.
...
An eternity and too many deaths later Nox despaired over the laws of physics in his room.
What sort of creature birthed another creature when it suffered too much damage, albeit smaller and then ANOTHER baby version of itself that hunted one down and exploded like a proximity mine.
(THAT was the most recent surprise when he defeated the smaller monster for the first time and it sprouted a baby version of itself.)
(Nox tried avoiding them a few times, but clearly Zacks ... enthusiasm attracted them at some point or another during their walk. Nox could not determine the exact point in time that happened and Zack would not leave him as Nox instructed. He was a stubborn bastard too, like himself, Nox thought.)
Nox understands that this is a fantasy world, but COME ON. Where an animals instinct meant to preserve it not have its babies throw themselves at their enemy?
Or...
Nox stilled his pacing in his room as an absurd idea entered his mind.
If too much Mako gathering made Materia... then maybe Mako could make these creatures ...
Somehow.
Nox shook his head.
No.
Again. Too little information. The Mako Reactor shouldhace some information.
Nox climbed out of his window.
...
Another eternity later and entirely too many variations of the same conversations later where he didn't learn much else, Nox dispatched the final Baby Grangalan by rolling behind cover and letting it explode after coming too close to him.
Nox' ears rung again from the explosion, but at least the tree protected him from the explosion.
Zack watched from behind another tree far away and the quickly ran up to him.
''You are my hero! Teach me, pleeeeeeeeease,'' Zack begged him.
''Maybe. By the way, I wanted to ask. How did you notice me and why did you follow me?,'' Nox asked him and the two resumed their walk.
''I noticed you climbing out the window from my own room. And I followed you because I want to find out more about you and make friends. Not many know much about you, only that you are the Cropper's son and have some kind of... They say you are sick,'' Zack explained to him.
His eyes began sparkling as he looked at him.
''But that can't be true. I saw how you fight. No sick person can do that. So why do your parents hide you?,'' Zack asked him.
''I decided,'' Nox evaded the question. It was too complicated to explain to a child.
''I will take you as my pupil. The first lesson is that any warrior needs to be observant of his surroundings. A warrior with no sight and no hearing is a dead warrior, for they can't defend themselves. Learn to observe your surroundings. When you get good enough you can do that while talking with others or doing something else. But you are not on my level yet, so do as I say not as I do,'' Nox instructed him.
He was completely done with extracting information from him anyway, so the very least he could is stop making his life difficult my shutting up.
Zack nooded firmly, entirely too serious and then began looking around his surroundings.
Nox breathed a sigh of relief.
...
Another few deaths later, Nox concluded his intel gathering and called it quits for now. The Mako Reactor was a bust. It was stripped of everything valuable so he learned nothing he didn't already hear from Zack.
Hmm.
Zack had no sense of danger, but at least he wouldn't need to follow him into danger anymore. He silently thanked him, even if Zack would never know why Nox was thankful.
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Nox wanted to take something and bash his parents head in. Preferably when they sleep, because his body was still weak and they would not be able to defend themselves.
But maybe this village was getting to him and on his nerves.
Also, he may be entirely too harsh on his parents. They don't talk much, mostly because, Nox has no interest to do so 'cause they never listen, but at the very least he could have asked them.
Apparently there WAS a 'school' in Gongaga.
Nox says school, but it would be more accurate to say that someone from Gongaga returned from his travels, picked up a few things and was willing to teach the children.
As someone who grew up in modern times and with the appropriate education all this was beyond the pale. These children would only learn some things, by sheer happenstance, not because of the governments designs. He took his education for granted, because while the old man was willing to teach they lacked any materials they lacked materials, a curriculum, educational goals, etc. All things that he had in his old world in droves. Hell, he it was called the era of information after all.
If nothing else, he had to commend the teacher on his resourcefulness. He made a makeshift chalkboard on the ground and we would learn the alphabet by drawing it into the ground.
Nox contemplated setting a checkpoint before the school, gather new information, if any, and then not bother with it at all. But his patience was slowly running thin.
He didn't like this place. Nothing particularly tied him down. His parents 'choked' him inside a prison and ignored his words, so he did not care for them. And besides he would not defeat the 'Big Bad' from this backwater village. As soon as this 'school' is done and Nox doubted he would learn too much new from the old guy, he will leave.
The alphabet was the same as in english, which was also the spoken language so he didn't learn anything new. And math... bored him to tears.
1+1=2.
2+8= 10.
And some simple multiplications.
That was the grand total of what these children could do for now and probably for a very long while.
But today, the teacher would tell them stories about what he has seen outside the village.
So there was at least that. Nox hoped he would learn something new or else he'll go crazy.
Anna was escorting him to the building that was the 'school', because he couldn't walk a few hundred meters like all the other children. It was a humiliation ritual every day.
She adjusted his cap and stepped a little closer to her son to shield him better with the makeshift umbrella from the sun.
''Take care, alright. And PLEASE don't step into the sun, Nox. OK?m'' Anna fussed over him.
Nox nodded just for the sake of his peace of mind. She kissed his cheek and stoked his hair and cheek for a bit, while smiling lovingly at him and then she bid him goodbye.
The moment he stepped into the classroom Nox undressed himself down to his pants and T-Shirt and threw the umbrella and clothes in a corner dedicated for clothes. But as this was summer and not winter, his clothes were the only ones there.
Zack came over to him.
''Hi, I'm Zack. Can I sit near you today,'' Zack smiled at him.
''Come on, Zack. Leave the weirdo alone,'' one of the other students called out to them.
''Yeah, he is just the villages loser,'' another called too, making the other burst out laughing.
''He is not a loser or a weirdo! He is my friend and you all should play nice with each other,'' Zack told them firmly.
Nox moved his eyes over to Zack.
Say what now?
When did that happen and when was that decided?
''Zack, are you for real? Just look at him, even his parents are ashamed of him. Why else would they constantly hide him otherwise?,'' the first guy complained.
''Well, I think he is the coolest out of us,'' Zack called back petulantly.
And he meant that. He... did not know why, but Zack had the impression that Nox walked the world as if it could do him no harm and like it would bow to his whim. Certainly, he never engaged with others or rise to the bait whenever some one bullied him.
Some would think Nox a coward for not doing anything, but Zack thought otherwise.
He acted like they were beneath him and not worth the effort.
Zack never explained that to anyone, but it made him look up to Nox. He wanted to be just the same. To have that quite strength and that firm resolve. To be powerful yet not use it too terrorize weaker people...
Ok, maybe that last line was taking things too far. But bottom line was, that Zack liked Nox' cool attitude.
''The coole... Oh, please. Look at him. He looks nothing like his parents. I'm telling you, he is not Silas' child,'' the first argued again.
''What makes you say that?,'' another student sprang in to Silas defense.
''My parents told me so,'' the first proudly declared, like he was entrusted some great secret...
Pretty dumb then, to say such worlds aloud and risk the words getting back to the offended party and strain relationships. It WAS a small village with a small community.
Nox' ignored the drama, not able to care less.
Children are cruel is a discovery he made very long ago. So long as the boy keeps it to just saying words, Nox would do nothing. Soon enough he would be gone anyways, so there is no reason to extend the effort to change the opinion of someone he didn't care about.
He just prayed for the teacher to arrive already.
Speak of the devil.
The teacher slammed the door open, causing it to crash into the wall, making a few kids jump. The old man looked murderous as he made his way over to the one that was insulting Nox and his parents.
''Out,'' he ordered.
''What?,'' asked the child shocked.
''Out. I will not teach a bigoted child anything more until you fix that attitude of yours,'' he told him.
''You can't do this. Aren't you supposed to teach me too?,'' the child complained.
''Oh, but I can. Out!,'' the man pointed at the door.
For a brief moment the child stood around, looking at the others. When he noticed that none were coming to his aid, he left with his head down.
''Are you alright?,'' the man asked turning towards Nox.
''I did not need your pity, but thanks,'' Nox told him.
''It was not pity, boy. It was what was right. I will not tolerate such slander. Silas and Anna are good friends of mine and I know them since they were young. They are good folk, sometimes to good for the world I say. To think someone would accuse them of such vile actions. Especially Anna. No.
You should all take an example from Nox. There is a time and place for everything and it takes real self control not to resolve every confrontation with fists.
Now, everyone take a seat. I will tell you about the outside world,'' the teacher instructed.
''Well? Can I sit here?,'' Zack asked Nox.
''It's a free world and the seats have no set assignments,'' Nox replied.
Zack beamed and quickly sat near him.
...
As it turned out, it was a worthwhile investment to sit through this torture called 'school'.
Shinra was a corporation that planned on owning the world. There were still a few regions that resisted them, trying to keep their autonomy and sovereignty, but public opinion was not on those peoples side.
Mostly because of the SOLDIER program. A military division of Shinra where candidates who fulfilled the criteria where taken and received bodily enhancements with Mako.
(Ever since Zack learned about SOLDIER he would not shut up about wanting to join when he is older.)
In other words Shinra was both the corporation and the government of the world. Or it seemed that they were set to be, if a few regions failed in resisting their take over. Primarily Wutai.
Mako Reactors took Mako from the Lifestream of the earth to generate electricity for people.
Here public opinion was split. They couldn't decided whether this was harming the planet, Gaia, or if this practice was harmless.
And then the teacher also talked about having heard talk about Ancients. People in the past, before humanity, with the ability to 'commune with the planet'. But that was really all the teacher knew.
Supposedly they died all out.
Nox couldn't say. But if they did die out, he was mighty curious what caused their death. Guess he had something else to investigate now.
Maybe it was caused by the Big Bad ROB talked about.
All that he learned over the coming weeks.
...
They were outside again. Practicing their letters. Again. Nox lazily wrote alphabet and then the words. It is what the teacher instructed as he was going around to inspect everyones work.
Near him, Zack scowled in frustration. He was looking at the alphabet and thinking really hard about how 'alphabet', 'house', 'mice' and 'Icicle Inn' could be written. The last one was supposed to be the hardest.
Nox was taking his criticism back. The teacher had no plan what he was doping, but he REALLY tried his best and worked with what he had. Or made something work if he could.
Zack scribbled 'alfabet', 'mice', 'house' and 'Isicel In' in the ground.
Nox corrected him and Zack quickly wrote what Nox told him to write.
''Well done you two,'' the teacher praised as he walked by, briefly inspecting their work.
Zack gave Nox a thumbs up who just nodded back.
It was... a weird dynamic they had. Nox was trying to keep things professional and ensure their relationship was strictly as colleagues. Zack... had no boundaries and considered him his best friend.
Nox did not bother to change his mind. If there is one thing he learned across his life was that people seldom changed their stances, something truly shocking needed to happen for that to occur. And Nox was not about to go murder Zack or his parents over that.
It was a waste and would complicate matters.
Besides... the time has come. There was absolutely nothing the teacher could teach him and no more new information to give or share.
He originally planned to leave Gongaga as a ten year old. He says leave, but it is more like he would sneak out.
He turned 11 a few days ago.
Hmm.
Besides, he was not wanted here anyway, as several people keep reminding him.
Everyone would only benefit if he left.
His parents would have peace, the scorn of the village turning to pity for having 'lost their son', even if some of them still (quietly) believe that he was not Silas' child.
Zack was very social, but by associating with him Zack is also now being ostracized. Though not to the same extent as Nox.
Even the world conspires to have him leave Gongaga, because in doing so he will defeat the Big Bad or something.
So, yes. His mind was made.
He won't be missed anyway.
---
Nox was waiting for his parents to fall asleep. He quietly opened the door a little to eavesdrop on them till the noise settled and he knew the coast was clear.
''Shh, shh. Don't cry,'' Silas comforted.
''How can I not. I worry for him. You know the rumors that follow us. I doubt he will find any girl here to settle down, which will mean he will have to leave Gongaga and look outside. But how? The sun is harming him. He can't tend the fields, he can not repair the roof, he can not herd the animals. I guess he can do house chores, but woman don't like that in a man,'' Anna cried.
Ah, there is the quiet admission that he was a burden to them. Other children were helping their parents in the field, even if only by a little. Nox leaned his back more into the wall besides the ajar door. He knew that from the very beginning. It was nice to have it confirmed anyway, he thought as he rubbed his wrist.
''He is our son. He is my son. Our little boy, who we held when he was at the whims of the world and we protected him from it. We will always do that for he is our son and we his parents. Nothing else matters so long as we have each other,'' Silas declared passionately.
''Should we leave? Does it not bother you, the rumors that are said by a few?,'' she gasped,''Silas, you can't believe them. I would never cheat on you.''
(It was the truth. He was Annas and Silas' son.)
''Shh, shh. I know, I know. He has my face and my fathers face. Even now, with his face still a little round from baby fat, I can recognize my own structure and our relation. A father recognizes his own son, gods damn it. Don't let the rumors get to you,'' Silas firmly explained with conviction.
''It is humiliating. For me and for you. They think me a whore and you a cuckold,'' Anna murmured, Nox straining her ears to hear her at all.
''How about this? We go to sleep and think on what you suggested. Leaving this town... it is a big step.... Hm?,'' Silas offered.
For a moment there was silence.
''Okay. Let's go to sleep,'' Anna agreed.
There was shuffling and noise and Nox closed his door a almost completely and quietly.
He waited and waited.
The noise stepped.
And he waited some more to be sure that they fell asleep.
Then he set his checkpoint (in case they have not fallen completely asleep) and looked under his bed.
He brought out the bag.
It took a while, but he gathered the bag and a few materials over the course of a few weeks. The most immediate concern was getting to Gold Saucer. It was far away, but also the closest city near to Gongaga. He wondered what the old teacher meant when he said that there are construction ongoing. No matter, he will see for himself.. Once in Gold Saucer he will restock and then...
Well, he will leave that problem to future him. There were too many roads open to him once he arrives there.
It was a struggle to decide what he could bring with him and what not, due to the weight limitations. His body was still weak.
He already prepared the route.
And his knife. That he tied to his thigh in its sheathe. He made that one himself too. The sheathe, not the knife.
He double checked everything and then quietly snuck out of the house.
...
So far so good, Nox thought as he arrived at the edge of the village.
He gave once last glance behind him and then departed.
If he was lucky, then once day sets in, a car will pick him up. If the people are kind. If not, then he will walk the whole way to Gold Saucer.
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As Nox was walking, he began thinking about the most immediate concern he had.
'Standard package. One power that fits the world and one other.'
That is what ROB said.
Unfortunately, he could not explore this stuff in Gongaga.
Oh, sure he could have found out what that power was.
But A), he needed to have an idea of the world to know what power to anticipate and B) once he found out what power he had, he would have had to kill himself anyway. The houses in Gongaga were relatively close by to each other. Practicing would have revealed something and he wanted to keep his powers secret, just in case they would have drawn attention for not being normal and unusual.
Could he have practiced anyway and then killed himself anyway? Maybe. But he had no way of knowing if his magical abilities transferred over like his memories and his muscle not. As a matter of fact was magical practice and experience a muscle or was it muscle memory.
Probably a combination of both.
Basically, he had a lot of good reasons not to practice or explore, but these were the primary ones.
But now...?
An owl hooted as he finally exited the forest and and continued following the path to the street. He sighed feeling tired, but continued.
Mako this, Mako that, Mako everything. Mako generates electricity. Mako makes Materia and Monesters (maybe). Mako makes SOLDIER by enhancing their body. Mako allows one to cast spells with Materia, which probably mean Mako was in peoples bodies too. Maybe they just happen to call it Mana or something else, but it is in them all the same.
Yeah, Nox was completely sure that 'the power related to the world' was centered around Mako.
Now, the questions was, how?
It could be that he can cast Materia spells without Materia. Or he could absorb Mako from the world and always have enough to cast a spell with some Materia. Or he could only use it to enhance himself.
Nox sighed.
Saving the world is not a trivial matter.
There is so much to do and so much to prepare.
First things first, he will need to get his hands on Materia and see how it behaves in his hand. Hopefully it will give him some insight and he will go from there.
He would probably need to steal once in Gold Saucer. Gil apparently is the currency here.
And he DEFINITELY needed a map. That teacher only talked about Gold Saucer and how to get there as that was the only place where he conducted any business outside of Gongaga.
It was his best bet Nox decided.
He continued to think about the future as his feet finally landed on asphalt. It must have been several hours at least. The sun would be starting to peak the horizon any time now.
Now, if Nox remembered correctly, that old man said that one would need to go to the right, once they hit the street.
And so he continued on his journey.
---
''Thank you, kind Sir. Are you sure I can't pay you in any way. If I find my relative in time, surely she will reward you some Gil,'' I beamed at the young man. A truck driver, who took me with him out of his kindness.
Nox was in luck, he was also in luck because the man needed to get to Gold Saucer too to conduct business there, so he took Nox across the river (with the Roll-On/ Roll-Off ship) all the way to Gold Saucer.
Nox gave him some story about his relatives having died and his last relative being in Gold Saucer, so he was making his way over here in the hopes of finding them and being taken in.
He also made sure to turn on his maximum child charm to disarm any suspicion the man had.
Nox was a good actor.
''No. No. There is no need to bother with that. I'm just glad you have arrived safely here. Listen, kid, take care of yourself. Alright?,'' the man held out his fist.
Nox nodded with completely serious and bumped his fist against his.
''You take care, since I'm safe now. OK?,'' Nox declared.
The man chcukled.
''Alright. Let us compromise. We both will take care of ourselves.Yes?,'' the man offered smiling.
''I like that!,'' Nox beamed at him.
''Hehe, Goodbye, kid,'' the man waved, climbed in the drivers seat and drove off. A little slowly at first and then quickly.
Nox waved him goodbye cheerfully till the man was out of his sight and then his smile slowly slipped off his face.
Nox grabbed his bag and went on his way, but not before taking one look at the setting sun. It was almost night again.
---
Nox nibbled on his sandwich. He made a few and this would be his last one. Stupid kid body went hungry so incredibly quickly. He was sitting on a bench, his bag hugging his thigh, wary of the passing strangers around him. It had the added benefit of hiding his knife from any aouthorities.
Hmm...
A little while ago he made his checkpoint.
The die is cast, there was no going back to Gongaga now.
There are several things he needed to ensure and gather.
- A quick inconspicuous way to kill himself. The knife would not do. Quick acting poison maybe, but for that he needed to study up on the flora and fauna. The library or a pharmacy would do if such things existed here.
- Food
- He needed to steal some Gil to buy a Materia or steal the Materia itself.
- Buy/steal a map of the world.
- Gather intelligence to determine his next steps, his next course of action or destination.
- Find out what his powers were.
Not in that particular order.
Nox chewed on his sandwich, making sure to grind them as much as reasonable for his intestines to get the most nutrients out of them.
He would have loved to get some Gil for his journey. But travelers really only came through Gongaga once every three blue moons. There was not that much Gil going around there and... If he was honest he did not want to steal already strained resources from them.
He was good at problem solving.
Oh well.
He recognized what they were constructing here. Since the project was already pretty far along. Shinra was trying to turn this area in a tourist attraction.
But it was still a city, and not just a mere arcade/ beach resort/ etc. so that fact should not meddle with Nox' intentions here.
Shinra did nothing to him so he had no problems with them, unlike BlackRock in his past life. Nox also doubted that they were the Big Bad that he needed to take care off. Still, if the opinion was right and extracting Mako was harming the planet, then he would have to take care of them as well. But he will have to see. And whatever he will do about them, he first needs to get strong first.
He discreetly removed the knife from his thigh and put it in his bag before closing it. Then he put the bag on his back. Nox did not expect any monster to jump him here.
As for humans? He could deal with them. He dealt with them a life time after all.
And if something went wrong? He updated his checkpoint.
In any case, he was not getting anything done today anymore.
His body felt close to collapsing and he needed sleep.
He will find a place to sleep for tonight.
And tomorrow he will get started on his chore list.
(A.N.: 6458 words. Hope you enjoyed reading this. Cheers.)