Chapter 5: Tune-up and Tune-in

Chapter 5: Tune-up and Tune-in

The bell jingled on the workshop door, as Aura walked in with Ken in his arms. He stepped up to the Galkan man at the counter, and said to him "It says it needs a Tune-up..." The Galkan nodded to Aura and motioned for him to hand over the Automaton. With the Automaton in hand, the Galka examined it carefully before looking back to Aura briefly. The large beast began scribbling furiously on a piece of paper, and handed it to Aura just before saying "Bring me everything on this list and I will do what I can. This is an old model, the Automatons today are much more advanced. After the Tune-up I will try to implement the latest technology into this model, but it will be difficult. No gaurentees, understood?" Aura looked down to the Automaton, laying there limp and silent, then looked back up to the Galka, nodded and took the list. 

Aura walked out of the workshop and down the path at a brisk pace, it seemed as if he knew exactly where he was headed. He passed through the city center square and turned into the markets. Walking up to the shopkeeper he waved to every day, he slapped the piece of paper onto his short, small counter made of wood. The shopkeeper looked at him, confused. Aura belted aloud, "I need everything on this list, right now." The thin, almost skeleton-looking shopkeeper looked at the young man and nodded, took the list, and began digging through baskets behind his counter.

"Aura..." a voice said from behind. Aura turned around and Raven was standing there, without her turban, and wearing a strange outfit, somewhat resembling the garb of a witchdoctor. The bones around her neck, and strings of beads that were flowing down from her body gave fullness to the simple leather patches that covered her body as a two-piece bikini would. With so much skin showing, the ink drawings all over her body were completely revealed. The intricate tatooed designs woven within one another were complimented by her long streaming black hair. She spoke again, "Aura, I have been thinking." The young man stood there with a look of question over his face. "About my situation, Raven? ...I already told you, I have to do this. It is the only way." Raven shook her head slightly, leaving her long shining black hair still perfectly placed. "Aura, I want to help you. She was my Mother too. I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't help." Raven stated bluntly.

Aura sighed dejectedly and pursuededly remarked "Alright Raven. But only if you promise me one thing..." She looked at him and smiled, "Anything, Brother." He held back his smile to communicate his seriousness, and commanded "When the time comes, I need to do what I need to, no matter what it is. Promise me you will let me go." Raven's smile faded into a sorrowful look, knowing exactly what her brother was saying. Her eyes, glittered an emerald green, thus revealing her understanding to him before she let out a solid confirmation, "Yes, I understand." Aura smiled, hoping for the same in return. Raven lowered her head, but moments later, she looked up to her brother with a smirk and belted out "So where is the doll you are going to use?" Aura's smile turned into a large grin across his face as he tilted his head back and to the side, shifting his weight to his right foot. With his arms crossed, still smiling, he informed her "We had a little accident, so I left it at the workshop near the northern seaport. Its getting a Tune-up, whatever that is." 

Just then, the shopkeeper dropped a box of materials on the counter, which grabbed Aura's attention. The shopkeeper announced "Everything is here, take a look if you'd like." but Aura shook his head, and the shopkeeper replied to it with "Alright then, that'll be fourty thousand gil." as he pushes the box forward. Aura reaches into his jacket pocket and threw a bunch of coins on the counter before picking up the box and reminding the shopkeeper "You still owe me fifteen thousand." Before the shopkeeper could reply, Aura turned around and began walking back to the workshop with the materials in hand and Raven following closely behind him.

When they arrived at the Workshop, the siblings entered causing the bell to sound that familiar jingle. Aura walked up to the Galka at the counter and set the box down in front of him. "Ahem." the Galkan man said before continuing with, "I have finished the Tune-up and mapped out the advancements for your Automaton, but if I am to work with such an old model, it will cost a bit more than normal. I will have to charge five Imperial Gold Pieces." Aura, without hesitation, nodded and set five gold pieces on the counter. Raven, standing behind Aura, looked curious, and thought to herself "Where... is he getting all of this mo...?" but before she could finish her thought, the Galkan workshop owner interrupted with "I will start adding on the upgrades immediately, I should be finished with the end result by tomorrow morning. Come back then." Aura nodded and turned around, walking out of the workshop. Raven looked to the box of materials, then to the Galka briefly before turning around to follow Aura out.