Odd Gigs

Fleur, Luciel, and I made our way through the bustling streets of St. Meishi's downtown area, each of us entering inside a large skyscraper, the sides projecting the Holy Resistance's banner on each side of the building. Fleur flashed her ID for the receptionist at the front desk, saving us the hassle of having to check in.

The three of us walked into an elevator and Luciel excitedly pressed the button for the top floor, the doors closing and the elevator making its journey to the top. As we waited for the elevator to finish climbing up, Fleur decided to break the comforting silence between us.

"So, you think Gallet will care if we're just a bit late for the meeting? I mean, it's only five minutes right?" Fleur asked with a soft chuckle, her gaze shifting between me and Luciel.

"We would've been here faster had someone not been complaining about not eating all day," I said coolly, my back against the steel wall and my arms crossed over my chest.

"Oh c'mon! A Warden like me can not cast spells and synergize on an empty stomach, y'know! Plus, you make it sound like you're never complained once!" Luciel huffed, puffing her cheeks at me with mock offense.

"That's because I haven't.." I said, shrugging my shoulders at her light accusation.

"Puh-lease, just yesterday when we had to push some old guys car to the shop, you were complaining about it being too hot, as if you're not slinging around a one hundred plus pound sword everyday," Fleur laughed, leaning back upon the wall, her hand resting upon the rails against the wall.

I rolled my eyes at her truth, a soft scoff leaving my lips. "Those are two different scenarios. One of us was whining about food...the other was making a valid observation."

"Oh whatever, Noxie," Luciel laughed softly at me, playfully swatting my arm and shook her head.

The elevator door opened and all three of us stepped out, Fleur leading the three of us to Gallet's main office while humming a light tune. Once we made it to the door, Fleur knocked upon it and opened it slowly.

"Knock, knock! I'm coming in Gallet," Fleur chimed with a melodic tone, giggling softly as she began cracking the door open.

I pushed Fleur inside the meeting room, causing her to stumble forward and walked inside the office. "Taking too long. I don't know about you all, but I need my money now."

Luciel covered her mouth to hide her laughter, hurrying over to Fleur and holding her up. Fleur had lost her train of thought for a moment, a soft laugh leaving her lips as she looked up at me while shaking her head.

Gallet looked up from his paperwork to see all three of us inside his meeting then set down his papers, a low hum rumbling in his throat. "Your asses are late. Fleur, you've really been slacking off after you got close to the crown."

"That's a complete lie and you know it, buddy! I'm still the only one in Squad V who has the most missions done, I'm still a cold blooded soldier! I'm just more open now!" Fleur countered with her hands pridefully set on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyways, I just got word from the Holy Resistance HC. There have been a lot more monster sightings around Libra City and Virgo Outskirts. We have no idea where they've been spawning from, but the people of St. Meishi need us," Gallet began, looking at all three of us with a steady gaze.

"It's nothing too crazy, just a few low class Daemons and monsters. Something that'll help the Prince get into the feel of that broadsword I made for him, plus a heard a few people need professional help," Gallet continued, gesturing toward my sword equipped on my back.

I glanced back at the handle of my sword, my mind always thinking back to Anduril back at the church of Exzodia. I closed my eyes and let out a soft exhale and crossed my arms. "So what I'm hearing is you want us to complete odd jobs?"

"Just until HC gets back to me with main operations. Besides, you and your Warden need to grow more accustomed to...you know the outside life. So?" Gallet asked, looking at me with a warm smile.

I crossed my arms with a low exhale, finally succumbing to the Odd Gigs he had lined up for job searchers. "Alright, as long as it puts money in our pockets, I don't care."

"Great! Alright, I will send you the clients locations for the jobs shortly. In the meantime, feel free to hang around," Gallet said, turning toward his computer monitor to find all of the clients requests.

The three of us nodded and began to head out of the meeting room, Luciel and Fleur more excited about the Odd Gigs more than I was. However, it has been two years since I've wielded a sword, so this was a great way to wake up my body once again.

"Alright! Since we've got something to do now, let's see who needs Squad V's help today," Fleur said, stopping by a few seats in the halls then sat down, pulling her phone from her jacket pocket.

Luciel sat down beside Fleur and leaned next to her to look at her screen, her eyes filling with wonder at the future requests that were soon to show. I leaned against the wall next to Luciel, taking my phone out of my pocket as well to look on the Request Board of the HRA app.

〘New Client Found!〙

〘Client: Daisy〙

〘Request: Flower Lover Help!〙

〘Request Location: Virgin's Farm Market, Virtuous Ave.〙

〘Reward: 500 zodias, Arcane Materia (Plant)〙

"Seriously..?" I mumbled to myself, lowering my phone and letting out a soft sigh. "That's not enough money to replace those stupid filters..."

Luciel giggled softly at my dejected tone and looked up at me with an amused smile. "At first, I thought you were complaining about the request. But, this is a fair pay for the job."

"It's not called Royal Gigs for a reason, Prince~ Besides, this is a pretty cute request and not too far from where we are. Maybe a quick ten minute drive at the most," Fleur said as she stood up and gently pat my cheek.

"C'mon, Black Knight~ We have some flower picking to do!" Fleur beamed as she marched toward the elevators, humming a light tune her mother would always sing to her.

Luciel smiled at me and gently took my hand, leading me toward the elevators while I practically allowed her to drag me with. The three of us entered the elevator and rode down to the lobby, both girls equally as excited to start this job.

Once the elevator hit the lobby floor, the doors opened and allowed us to exit into the lobby. As we all left outside, I could hear the sound of quick steps approaching from behind me, a single blue butterfly twinkling into view.

"I've got you now, Nox!" An energtic feminine tone called out from behind, leaping toward me with a spinning kick.

Fleur and Luciel looked back at the sudden yell, noticing a familiar lively woman coming in hot toward us. I used my butterfly to warp out of the way of the attack, Fleur and Luciel exclaiming as they ducked under the kick to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

A few people quickly got out of the way of the sudden action, some curiously watching and others passing by as if this were an everyday occurrence. Fleur and Luciel rose from the ground, the two glancing at each other for a quick moment.

"A swing and a miss as usual, Effie.." I said calmly, looking over at the woman donned with an oversized brown hoodie with a long dragon tail. My brow raised at her appearance, the fluffy texture too familiar at the sight. "Looni? You're helping her out as well?"

Looni's tail wagged at my call to her, happy that I discovered her disguise as a hoodie for Effie. Effie turned around and pointed her finger at me with a wide grin, puffing her chest out with pride. "Didn't expect that one did you? I almost got you!"

"Almost? You weren't even close. I heard you from a mile away," I said, crossing my arms and looking Effie up and down with dry intrigue.

Effie smirked with pride on the outside, but on the inside her heart was burning with passion and glee. 'Oh gosh, Effie! Calm down! Calm down! He's finally paying attention to you!'

I knew Effie just wanted attention, and as much as I wanted to disengage and walk away from her, I was curious about what she wanted. I rubbed the nape of my neck with a low sigh, my gaze meeting Effie's once again.

It has been two years since I last saw Effie since the day she saved me, Fleur, and Luciel. 17 then and 19 now, and for the last two years she's been a thorn at my side, a curious urban girl always wanting to know the life of a royal prince turned mercenary.

"What is it that you want? We're kinda busy at the moment," I said, lowering my arm and slipping my hands into my pockets.

"Well, I saw the boss sent out some new Gigs, and Hachet and Claw are busy with their District Watch and Hannah isn't in the district right now! We're bored and wanna join you!" Effie answered, clapping her hands together with a pleading gaze.

"Pretty please, with strawberries and cherries on top? I'll even take you to my Papa's Coatyl Flying with me and Looni!" Effie begged, giving me her signature puppy eyes.

I groaned softly at her promise, knowing it was one of my weaknesses and glanced over at Luciel and Fleur, the two seemingly onboard with Effie joining us. I turned back toward Effie and exhaled lightly, meeting her gaze once again. "Alright. But you're paying our fees to get in."

"Yes!" Effie cheered, hopping up and down with happiness.

Fleur and Luciel chuckled at the two of us then called out toward us so we could head down to the Virgo Kingdom of St. Meishi. Effie and I trailed behind the two, the high spirited ninja sticking close to me like an imprinted cub.

The four of us got inside of our car, Fleur taking the driver seat for the ride to the Virgo Kingdom and began to drive off. Along the ride, the girls made great conversation with one another, sharing laughs and spicy gossip amongst each other.

I stared out into the vast open with my arm resting against the open window, my black hair flowing with the rushing winds. My mind still always seemed to drift back to two years ago, remembering the same stillness Lament casted upon me, pieces of my own soul feeling... empty.

"Hey, so during the Watch Meetings, do Hatchet and Claw ever report any Daemon sightings? It's important to look out for them even in safe havens like St. Meishi," Fleur questioned, glancing back at Effie through the rearview mirror.

Effie shrugged her shoulders with a slight tilt of her head, also unsure of the nightly watch results. She continued to pet Looni, who cutely rested on her lap while curled up in a small ball. "I dunno. They always say how they are too afraid to go out at night time."

"Ugh...they know the districts set up barriers during the night to protect us from the Daemons and Monsters outside. Do they not remember last year when a small group of Gargoyles broke through the barrier?" Fleur scoffed, rolling her eyes at the incompetence of her squad mates.

"Well, if you all need nighttime assistance, Nox and I can always help out. Keeps our new home safe and protects the district from incoming threats," Luciel offered, looking over at Fleur with a kind smile.

Fleur glanced at me through the rearview, noticing my indifference as I stared out the window. She chuckled softly and focused her attention back on the road ahead, shrugging her shoulders. "Why not? I'm sure Prince Nox wouldn't mind as long as he gets paid huh?"

"Damn straight. Someone has to be the financially responsible one here, especially since someone keep blowing all our money on crap instead of actual supplies," I spoke up, looking over at Fleur with a knowing eye.

Fleur blushed as she felt my accusatory gaze and let out a soft scoff, turning into the highway leading to the Virgo Kingdom. "My makeup and jewelry aren't crap! Besides, you said you liked the way they looked on me."

I grunted softly and averted my gaze back to the open distance, a soft exhale escaping my lips. "Just focus on the road..."

The three girls all giggled at my flustered reaction, each of them returning to their plans about setting up a night watch with the approval of Gallet. Before we all knew it, we had arrived at the Land of the Virtuous, the Virgo Kingdom.

Standing with high pillars of angelic light and holy plants that seemed to breathe life energy into the air, the Virgo Kingdom is home to all who seek holy protection from the echos of Lament. The streets were lively with locals and their pets alike bustling to and fro various locations.

Soon, we made it to our destination, a large farmland with a flower field right across from the market. Around the market area stood iron fences with large steel doors guarding the entrance. The doors were wide open, allowing citizens to come inside to enjoy the animals, fields, and produce alike.

"Alright, let's get to it!" Fleur hummed, parking the car in the market's parking lot and got out.

The rest of us followed suit, exiting the car and heading into the market district. The district was large and lively, filled with various items ranging from clothing to food to even weapons with small blessings. The girls walked the streets with wonder, but I kept them in reality that we were broke at the moment.

After a bit of exploring around and window shopping, we approached the client's location, a large white flower stall with two large pots of Sacred Lilies inside. In the distance, we could see a group of bandits harassing the young woman behind the counter, each bandit equipped with a bat or steel pipe.

I grunted softly at the injustice in front of me, gently pushing my way forward through Luciel and Fleur, my hand ready upon my Steel Buster. "No lives desecrating a flower shop..."

"Nox, hold on—" Fleur began, letting out a soft sigh as she knew my mind was made up before hurrying behind me with Luciel and Effie.

"I am only going to ask one last time, little girl...give us the Sephorine Rose! We all know this pathetic kingdom is the only kingdom that holds it! We won't as again! Next time, we get to smashing!" The leading bandit threatened, readying his reinforced bat against the young woman.

"I told you already, we don't have any! We sold our last few Sephorines to a mourning family, I swear! Please don't hurt me!" The young girl pled, timidly hiding behind her shop's counter, hoping someone would come to her aid.

"Time's up!" The leading bandit bellowed, swinging down his bat toward the front counter, but his bat became a dark blue silhouette as a butterfly landed upon it, catching him off guard.

The bandits all turned around, noticing me and my friends approaching the scene, a few becoming weary and alert, others not taking us as any threats. The leader pushed his way through his men as he approached me, his eyes flaring up with a cocky light.

"Well, well, well...The Prince of Nothing and his three consorts. What? Squad V coming to save the day from a lowly flower shop?" The leader sneered, looking me up and down, noticing my unwavering stance.

"If you had any brain cells in that thick skull of yours, you would leave here with your pride and dignity intact," I replied, tossing his bat back to him with a gaze filled with calm fury.

The man caught his bat and chuckled at my light threat and insult, glancing back at his allies and seeing he had us outnumbered. He turned back toward me with a mocking laugh, readying his bat for battle.

"You must truly be a fool if you think you can—"

Without hesitation, I warped toward him with a powerful knee strike, knocking the wind out of his body and staggering him. I grabbed him by his arm, flipping him over my shoulder and onto the ground before knocking him away with a burst of wind energy.

"Yo, get him!" One of the bandits yelled out, charging toward me.

"Welp, we should've seen this coming," Fleur chuckled softly, fixing her sunglasses and slipping on her reinforced gauntlets.

"He's still a Prince at heart..~" Luciel giggled and summoned a stave in her hands, small ethereal purple butterflies beginning to flutter around her.

"Let's take down the enemies! Looni, sit this one out! I've got this!" Effie beamed, tossing Looni in the air so her Coatyl could take flight before summoning an oversized throwing star in her hands.

The battle commenced, the bandits charging toward each of us and swinging their weapons with wild abandon, but we were simply too fast for the bandits to handle. Fleur and Luciel, with their fire magic synergy, blasted a few bandits away across the street.

Effie blocked a bandit's swing with her throwing star then countered with a wide slash, stunning the bandit then rapidly spun her star, repeatedly striking the bandit's midsection before knocking him in the air. She grinned as she leaped back then lunged forward with a series of acrobatic strikes.

"Fly like a Coatyl, and roar like a Ryushi!" Effie yelled out in the air, knocking the bandit down to the ground with a wind infused axe kick.

The leading bandit grunted as he watched his men fall easily by the hands of Squad V, his gaze shifting toward me who just stood and watched the girls fight. 'What is his deal..? He's not fighting..?'

A grin spread across his face as he locked onto me, a seemingly unguarded prince waiting to be taken down. 'Well, if he isn't going to move...I'll make easy money bringing the last prince's head to the boss!'

The leader began to charge lightning energy around his body using his Bolt Materia then dashed toward me at lightning speeds with a powerful swing of his bat. As his bat flew across the air, my body became a dark blue silhouette, catching the leader off guard.

I appeared in front of him with an elbow strike to his chest, causing him to stumble backwards but he caught his footing then launched another strike toward me. I parried his attack perfectly, a flash of light from the parry blinding the leader momentarily.

I changed my stance into my Avenger Stance, my blade held in a more sturdy manner for more focused and stronger attacks. The leader recovered once more, shaking his head then glared at me with pure frustration.

"You will not make a fool out of me!" The leader roared and swung down at me with a lethal overhead swing.

I parried his attack once again, knocking him off balance then began to rapidly slide upward to knock him airborne. I readied my blade at my side, my butterflies swarming around the blade to generate wind energy around it. I waited for the leader to fall to the ground, my eyes flashing silver as Tempest Blade was fully charged.

"You should've went home," I said coolly, leaping forward with a circular slash and struck the side of the leading bandit, a powerful whirlwind blowing around the area and knocking away the bandit across the market district.

The girls stood their grounds from the high winds, the three giggling with each other as they watched flower petals and my butterflies spiralling in the sky. The young woman behind the counter peeked her head up, noticing the bandits were all defeated.

Her gaze landed upon me, her eyes sparkling with awe, a soft gasp of air entering her mouth. "P-Prince Nox..!"

Fleur let out a soft exhale after the battle ended, dusting off her maid outfit and walking toward the front counter. "Alright, Squad V has arrived on the scene, Daisy! What's the trouble today?"

"Um...it's those bandits again..! They are raiding the Virgin Fields for the Sephorine Roses, but I keep telling them we don't have any..!" Daisy explained as she rose up from behind the counter, her tone soft and timid.

"Ugh, those guys again? What's even the deal with these roses?" Fleur asked, crossing her arms and looking back at the rest of us.

Luciel and Effie shrugged, neither of them knowing the history behind the roses. I looked over at the fields, watching as the large stems of the sunflowers swaying with the breeze.

"The Sephorine Roses are remnants of the Goddess of Pleroma, an expression of Genesis. Sephorine Roses are valuable healing flowers, used to make people...Complete," I said, my gaze fixated into the distance.

"Y-Yeah...! Exactly what he said!" Daisy nodded, her smile brightening at my perfect explanation.

Fleur looked back at me, seeing the distance in my eyes, a silent worry for the flowers across the market district. She smiled at me then turned back to Daisy, gently rubbing her hair with cair. "Don't worry, Daisy... we'll protect the fields for you."

"Thank you! Oh, and one last thing," Daisy said, taking a picture out of her pocket and handed it to Fleur. "Can you also pick some flowers for me? I want to make my dad a flower crown. It's something my mom used to always do for him..."

Fleur smiled sweetly and gently recieved the picture from Daisy's hands, giving her a nod. "We can do that also. We shall be back before you know it~"

"Thank you once again, Squad V! I appreciate your help!" Daisy thanked, giving us a wave as we began marching toward the Virgin Fields.

The girls waved back to Daisy while I led the team toward the fields, my mind sharp and focused upon the mission ahead. With our best foots forward, we prepared ourselves for another skirmish to save the Virgin's Farm Market.