The Real Story

(Rebecca is the narrator for this)

Sagus told me that after he and Marianne escaped from a gang of bandits, who wore normal clothes, they came into Senhopen to try to lose them in the ruins. It was there they met a certain alchemist, who told them that if they wanted to come through her ruined town, they would need to pay the toll of 2,000 Zand. Being them, they couldn't pay the greedy alchemist, so she tells them that if they can't pay in money, they would have to offer something as good and worth her time. Since all they had was his sword and the clothes on their backs, they tried to go around the town. Anything you care to add at this point?

Sophie: I only asked for two hundred. I'm not that greedy.

Rebecca: Oh, my deepest apologies. Anyway, when they tried to go around, they found the remaining bandits had the place surrounded. So, ignoring the alchemist's demand...

Sophie: Suggested donation.

Rebecca: ...demand. Instead of paying, they ran past her into the town to try to lose them. The alchemist....

Sophie: Just say it was me.

Rebecca: ...you ran after them to try to make them pay up, but one of the bandits grabbed you and told Sagus if he didn't give him what he had, he'd kill you. Sagus must've thought you had a nice body or something, because he turned back and emptied his pockets.

Sophie: Wait a minute! Why can't he have done that because he's a good guy?

Rebecca: Just because Marianne is his first choice doesn't mean he never looks at you. So anyway, when the bandit went to pick up what was now his, Sagus snatched you away from him, then attacked him. Marianne says he fought ten guys, but Sagus says only seven. Either way, he eventually beat them back. This of course left him tired, so he stopped to breathe. You asked him, in awe, he said, about themselves, and he told you about the journey and all that. By then you were so impressed with him, that he says you asked him to take you with him so you could use your skills as a saleswoman to fund the trip. Sagus never could say no to a woman, so here you are.

Sophie: That's only half-true. I did not ask "in awe", I was mildly amused. And I never promised to fund the trip, that would be stupid and obviously something I couldn't do. I said I would pay for myself, and I only offered that because I realized I wasn't getting any business where i was, and it was safer travelling with people than alone. And lastly, he didn't agree because he wanted me. He agreed because he thought he might need an alchemist down the road and I looked the most trustworthy of the ones he'd seen.

Rebecca: Hmm. Must've been some pretty evil-looking alchemists where they'd been.

Sophie: Hm? What was that?

Rebecca: I said you don't look that trustworthy. But that still doesn't explain why you care about whether or not they get together.

Sophie: Well, since we're all about the real stories now, I'll tell you.