"Viper Churros- 2 for $5!"

The sound of the sweet, fried dough cackling in hot oil was enough to make me walk over to the vendor. I decided a snack and rest would suffice if I intended to begin gathering information. My stomach was trembling from the aroma of the cinnamon and honey. I got in line behind a girl who was arguing with the vendor.

"Oi- mate honey doesn't go on a churro."

"The viper's churros have honey because it's a favorite recipe of our loving general. Honey is an antiseptic dating from-"

She callously yanked the churro from the vendor's hand. "Yeah, yeah. Waste of me money. I didn't ask ya for a history lesson mate." Her blonde braid bobbed away leaving the vendor frazzled.

"Viper churro?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes, the honey drizzle is fine with me." I placed a $5 bill in his palm. "Excuse me, where is the nearest inn?" 

He handed me two golden, crisped churros with oil dripping through wax paper. "Oh, it's by the flower shop when you entered town. Sir Glenn is over there now I believe. He would gladly direct you."

"Sir Glenn?"

Sensing my bewilderment, he pointed to his right. "You must be here to see Nikki, never mind. Just go that way and down the steps past Yuri's shop and the bar. Across from the flower shop you'll find the inn."

"Thanks." I couldn't wait to choke down my churros.

"Have a good day. Viper churros! Get the general's favorite churro!" 

I decided that the honey made the churros a bit too sweet for my liking and I agreed with the surely girl that was ahead of me. 

"Psst. Can I tell you your fortune?" A billowy voice came out from a stout, red tent. A pair of jaundiced eyes peered at me, rendering me uncomfortable. 

"No thanks," I quickly darted past the tent.

The voice called to me again, "Don't you want answers? You don't want to become a trigger."

I froze in my tracks. I slowly turned and noticed whoever was speaking to me still didn't leave the tent. That phrase was too precise to Radius to be coincidental. Had Radius come ahead of me to spook me? Was it he I heard behind me at the valley?

"Show yourself." I demanded. An older woman gingerly emerged from the tent. She was draped in fine green silks and smelled faintly of incense. A giant, white turban of hardy cotton adorned her head. I wondered if the weight of the turban is what gave her spine the sharp, unnatural shape it possessed. She gave me a shrill cackle then a congestive cough bursted forth from her lungs.  "You just came back from somewhere far, far away. You're quite the vagabond. I cannot sense from that which you came." She took a few steps closer to me and seemed to observe me concluding with a faint whisper, "but I-I don't think you belong here and from the looks of it neither do you."

I knew paying attention her was going to goad her on. I shifted the balance between one foot to another. My feet were absolutely burning from all the walking I had done overnight. If she didn't say something of meaning soon, I was going to chalk it up to coincidence and walk away. 

She cocked her head slightly, "I am holding you up. See the problem with that of a vagabond soul is you can never find which dimension in which you fit. Your presence is translucent as if you're not really here. Then the question remains- where are you truly supposed to be and how will that impact the space/time compendium should you go towards it."

"What about what you said...a trigger?"

"Young man, when finding where it is you truly belong you must be careful not to implicate other places and times. There are many timeless souls which roam but few are aware. You feel the pull...don't you?"

I certainly did. That's why I was here in the first place. Yet again I face a warning. How do I proceed from here if at all?

"Thank you." I murmured slightly ashamed. I didn't choose to be aware, why was I ashamed? I reached into my wallet, but the androgynous voice of the psychic stopped me.  "Free of charge." She turned to retreat to her tent then she let out another eerie cackle. "Oh, and young man, it isn't in your head. The girl is searching for you."

                                                                         THUMP.

                                                                          THUMP.

                                                                           THUMP.

"The girl..." my heart began to race with delirium.

                                                                                     ...

I finally found the inn. It was across from the flower shop just as the churro vendor had mentioned. I noticed a young man clad in a copper breast plate and greaves. His armor was laced with accents of leather that seemed to make his dull, blonde hair glint in the sun.  Sword sheathed to his side and a white head band fastened around his forehead; I realized I was looking at Sir Glenn.  For as polished as his demeanor was nothing could hide the atrocity marked on his cheek; a deep laceration marked in a perfect "x."

A woman spritzing tulips was idling pleasantries with him. "It's nice to have things back to normal around here."

A scowl deepened on Glenn's face, "The Porre army's invasion was despicable. It must not go unpunished." 

Huh? The Porre army invaded? When the hell did that happen? I made a mental note after I rested to try and follow up with more information. I was too travel weary to listen to anything else being exposed to me. I made my way inside the inn hoping when I awoke, I would remember what I just overhead. Little did I know the information I just heard would be paramount over the course of my journey. 

                                                                        ...

I awoke abruptly, my body coated in a film of sweat. 

"The girl is searching for you." I felt her presence out there. I didn't want to believe a psychic on the brink of dementia but there were too many coincidences. 

I just couldn't get no damn sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, she was there waiting for me. I knew she was a big part of what I was searching for. I just didn't know why. 
A loud gulp pushed down my throat from the exertion of the panic rising within me. I didn't even know who I was looking for. Did she look like the sexy, rugged blonde that kept appearing in my sleep? It felt silly to crave a person I never met who was merely a phantom I so desperately wanted to exist. 

The shrill roaring of my stomach made me check the time; it was 7:30. It was early enough before dusk to walk the town and maybe grab a bite to eat. I also knew should I decide to expand my search outside of Termina then I would need to locate a boat rental dock. One of the few perks of being an Arnian was that I could catch any fish and conquer any sea. 

I tore my covers away and remembered seeing a bar on my way to the inn. A bar would be a good place to order some grub and converse with the locals. Although the ravenous eruption from my stomach told me where my heart really was. 

                                                                                  ...

Upon entering the bar, I was greeted with rowdy cackles and boisterous voices.  The tables were being loitered by General Viper's men. 

Shouldn't there be Porre militia here? By the high presence of soldiers, I surmised the security in this town was definitely amped up if any future activity happens. I made my way through the crowd of giddy soldiers, feeling out of place.

As I neared the service counter, I couldn't help but notice a spectacle of a man.

A thick braid cascaded over his soldier, instantly making me do a double take. From his svelte yet chiseled physique I ventured he was surely a man. Aside from the long, silver braid he sported, he wore some type of mask that covered half his face. An elongated, white blazer was slightly cinched at his waist, yet another feminine detail. Perhaps he was some sort of performer? 

I walked up to the counter when the cashier locked eyes with me and let out a gasp. "OH MY, OH- FORGIVE ME." She startled backwards slightly then as she found her breath reiterated her apology. "I am terribly sorry again; it's just you look so much like that fellow with the Porre army. That couldn't be possible of course." Despite her apology the woman was still rattled by my appearance. Maybe now was the time to see what information I could find. "Forgive me, I'm from Arni village beyond the valley."

This seemed to help her relax. "Ah, of course you must be here to see Nikki?"

"Yes..."I was definitely here to see someone; I was sure of that much. I was resolute in knowing it was not Nikki. I wasn't about to tell her that. I needed a better understanding of why the Porre army invaded and its lingering grip over this town. Suddenly the pretty boy spoke from beyond the corner, "Lynx is long but perished. No reason to spread fear where there is none."

"Lynx...?" I asked inquisitively. 

The clerk and pretty boy stared at me in some sort of blank unison. Finally, the clerk broke the spell of vacancy that had overcome them. "My God, I guess Arni really is out of the loop with the rest of the mainland. Lynx was believed to be leading the Porre army's invasion, but he went under the guise of joining forces with our general. Well at least that what the investigations have concluded. The general had trusted Lynx and so before we know it, he and the dragoons go missing and Porre soldiers are littering up our streets and looting the manor. Did you hear the manor was set on fire? Although if you don't know who Lynx is, I suppose not." She began to shine the rims of glasses with a microfiber cloth as though she needed to distract herself from our conversation. 

Pretty boy remained in the corner without a trace of emotion revealed on his face. I could feel him from my peripheral vision, studying me intently. The discomfort from his stare made me squirm like a fish caught on a hook. 

"Did they come back? Because I think I may have encountered Sir Glenn not too long ago?" I was hoping my admission would make him stop staring me down. The clerk looked up from the glasses she was polishing. 

"Well now, I didn't finish. Magically, the general and his men returned without a trace of Sir Lynx or that horrible fellow- what was his name?"

"Serge." Pretty boy barked from the shadow of the corner.

"Yes, yes it was "Serge." Anyway, they returned and the Porre army was ousted from Termina. Well, more like retreated depending on who you ask but as long as they're gone, who cares? If you ask me, there's a reason Sir Lynx and his cohort didn't return. Definitely some manipulation at play here and honestly, I believe they are both responsible for the coup that took place. I can't even begin to imagine what our poor general and men have been through!"

SERGE! I began to silently panic. Thank the dragon gods that I didn't tell anyone my name. How can some identical twin with the same name as me be out there wreaking havoc? What the hell is going on? This is more than I can swallow. It's absolutely not logical that all of this occurred within the mere few hours I was passed out on Opassa's shore. Do I even stay and continue my search, or do I run before they confuse me with this "cohort" and think I'm going to stage another coup in his wake? What about finding out if a place called Terra tower exists?

"What did you say your name was?" Pretty boy raised an eyebrow in my direction. 

"Umm..." He's on to me. My heart rate was increasing at an unnerving rate. 

"HEY! Fella' you gon' order? You can't be holdin' the line with idle chit chat." An impatient voice from behind me intercepted the conversation. Relief washed over me. "Yes, s-sorry. Give me a squid ink pasta, please." I slapped some money on the counter and scurried away not worrying about the change.

"Hey, mister! It'll be 10 minutes, ok? Do you want your change?" I could hear the clerk calling after me. I didn't dare turn around. I knew I was still being watched. "Just keep it!" I called over my shoulder as I made my way through throngs of inebriated soldiers. I found an empty seat on the other side of the bar where I could reflect on what I just learned. 

Something was terribly amiss. Leena had definitely said I wasn't out that long, a few hours max. How did a whole chapter of a history book occur within that time frame? From the clerk's perspective, these events sounded like they spanned a few months maybe even years. I knew for a fact before the Opassa incident that no news was ever mentioned about Porre hosting a coup. Arni may not have been a metropolis like Termina but had we heard such news we would have taken the appropriate measures. Also, I don't recall neighboring Guldove undergoing any precautions either. Then there is the issue with this supposed "dictator" Lynx and his companion who so happens to look like me and share my name. If what the clerk said is true then I definitely need to think of an alias for myself. What about my appearance? Although nobody but the clerk seemed to be taken aback by the resemblance. I'm starting to really think I am in over my head. I just don't know where to proceed from here.

                                                                         C R A S H

"Oi bloke, whaddya go and do that for?!" 

I knew that voice. A crowd began to swarm around the site of the crash. It seemed like a bar fight was in the atmosphere. Curiosity made me want to see what the ruckus was, however I knew lying low would be the more viable option. I peaked between a few sets of soldiers and saw the silhouettes of a man and a woman. 

"Goddamn thief!" I could see the man throw his hands up in the air, clearly outraged.

"You best lay off those coldies. YOU knocked into ME. I know it's hard when you ain't never seen a sheila like me before, eh?" 

That accent is completely guttural. I mused over its familiarity, which seemed to escape me. I could hear the clerk muscle in between the two. "What is going on over here?"

The girl responded with a slight coquettish edge, "Me mate here doesn't do too well with the pretty ladies like me self. Why, he rubbed up right against me."

"LIAR! Don't believe a word she says! She tried to pilfer my wallet! Look!" The gentleman began to rummage through his pockets only for his wallet to fall haphazardly on the ground. A collective gasp emerged from the surrounding crowd. 

"B-but, no you see, she must of put it back somehow." 

"I knew it! You pull the wool over me eyes. If you wanted to ask me on a date you could have said so... this sheila don't bite."

"All right, enough! Guards! Take this gentleman out he's had enough to drink. Sorry sir, we are going to have to cut you off for this evening." 

"B-but s-she, ahh!" Two burly soldiers accosted him on either arm and began to usher him out the entrance. 

"Better that you hit the frog and toad. I woulda kicked yer arse so hard you could kiss the moons!" 

"BITCH!" The disgruntled man spat. "Come on, buddy" The soldiers tossed him out onto the sidewalk. Cheers made their way around the crowd and the bar settled into a vivacious rhythm of chatter once more. 

A server slipped in front of me setting my dish down on the table, "squid ink pasta?"

"Yes, Thanks." I gave a curt nod and looked down at the dish. The smell was beyond tantalizing. Despite Arni being a fishing village, we didn't serve such seafood delicacies as Termina did. We ate fruits and vegetables as they were bountiful for us. We weren't adventurous with other sea critters in our cuisine. We tended to only devour fish in all of its' forms. Fall harvest always brought fisheye stew to wither away the mild chill in the air. With the advent of spring came heavier feasts, such as fish fry or fish charcoal (fish on grilled planks.) On special occasions we would hunt for komodo dragons and make a celebratory meal with their hearty meat. The scales were preserved to make accessories, such as jewelry. Hence my outing for Leena that resulted in my peculiar circumstance. 

I picked up my fork and twirled an ample amount of pasta around it. The taste exceeded the smell, which I almost didn't think possible. Perhaps I was biased because I was a bit ravenous; after all, all I ate was some grainy bread and those oily churros. A hint of the sea played on my lips. The combination of the brine from the squid ink and the succulent tomatoes and herbs seemed to melt away all my nerves. 

"Water?"

I gazed up to see pretty boy. An alarm from somewhere deep within began to sound throughout me. He set the glass down and pulled a chair out from across me, "may I?"

"By all means." I couldn't very well of said no, that only would of cast suspicion. I set my fork down suddenly losing interest in the euphoria that was in front of me.

"You should drink some water with that dish. The amount of salt from the brine can be heavy on the stomach.  I don't think you ever told me your name."

"Oh, it's...um," I felt some of the pasta get stuck in my throat. I took a swig of water as though I was in an interrogation room. If the lack of answer didn't give me away, I'm sure my mannerisms were. What does he want from me?

"Verne!" I choked out.

"Hm, you don't look like a Verne." A moment of tense silence passed between us before he stuck his hand out, "I'm Guile." His hand was suspended midair for what felt like eternity until I cautiously shook it.

"Nice to meet you."

"Yes, likewise. You know, you seemed quite curious about the Porre invasion..." His mask may have hid half his face but it only proved to make his eyes more impenetrable.  "Forgive my forwardness, I just feel as though I know you from somewhere. I know you resemble Serge but your spirit is different. Gentle. What business do you seek in Termina?"

How could I tell him what I was looking for when I myself wasn't even sure? The rough around the edges energy radiating off of him seemed to ease and I felt my apprehension wane. Maybe he can help me.

"I must be honest; I had an accident not too long ago and I just needed to get away for a while. I just feel, strange."

"A vacation of some sort? Well, the Porre army invading under the guise of a demi-human trying to ingratiate himself with the general is also quite strange. Maybe we are living in strange times? I will not pry myself in your business but if you'd like a guide, I'd be more than happy to assist. If you are interested in the recent events that occurred perhaps visiting the Viper Manor ruins would be a good day trip. Hell, maybe we'll learn something new together." Guile held up his hand abruptly- "on the premise you tell me your real name."

An uneasy smirk tugged on the corners of my mouth. "I don't look like a Verne, do I?"

He sat expectantly, anticipation mounting more so on my end than his. I'm taking a risk by trusting him. "The thing is... my name... my name is Serge."

Guile gave me a lighthearted smile," strange times indeed. So, you also share the same name. Relax, as I said I know you aren't the same person. You said you had an accident, did you not?"

"I did."

"Do you remember anything from the accident?"

"I do not."

"Now it makes sense." Guile tapped his knuckle on the table and paused in thought for a moment. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at 8 am. We'll leave first thing for the ruins."

"Wait..." I wasn't quite sure how to ask my next question without casting suspicion on myself once again. " This Lynx character and my identical evil cohort, how much does he- does he resemble me?"

"Resemble you?" Guile gave me another sturdy raise of his eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Serge, if you were wearing a black military jacket and black pants, you'd be the exact same person. He is your complete doppelganger except for his eyes. I've never seen such potent malice resting beyond someone's eyes. When I look at you, here and now, all I see is inquisitive innocence. And" Guile seemed uncertain if he should finish, "Loss. You've lost something. Perhaps yourself. Although now that you've disclosed what you have, it is starting to make sense." 

Loss. It certainly felt like a part of me was missing. 

"Good night, Serge. I'll see you here tomorrow." With a flick of his braid and his jacket flowing freely behind him, Guile was gone. 

I unraveled some pasta from my fork and couldn't help but feel like my life was about to unravel in the same sense.

                                                                                   ...

"Serge..."

I recognize that voice.

"I'm coming for ya."

That accent. Why do I know it? The back of the pining blonde appeared once again. Still staring out at the vacant sea. 

"Just remember Serge, we might not realize that you are you and I am me."

Huh?

"It's not in your head. The girl is searching for you."

Everything faded to black, and the only thing left was the omnipresent voice of the senile psychic. This is a dream. I want to make it stop. I want to wake up.

"You can't make it stop. Just like SHE can't make it stop either."

"Please let me wake up. I'm begging you."

"She's coming. Get ready."

Suddenly I was encompassed by a much-welcomed silence. 

Little did I know with the coming of dawn would be the coming of...

Kid.