To Chase Lightning
Prologue: Planning is the Key to Success
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

          She came to that conclusion even as she stood at the balcony atop the high castle tower; the feel of the wind whipping through her hair with long swishing motions; the sudden briskness of fresh air assailing her nose, crisp and piquant from the midday sun; the soft quiet rustling of wings of the large griffin named Feather at her right, a huge majestic bird with a heart of gold. Northwind Castle was one of the highest structures of anywhere within the Jowston vicinity, and standing on its balcony, at the very pinnacle of its highest tower, allowed her a beautiful view of the horizon that seemed to stretch out for miles and miles below her. She was told that it was Flik's favorite place to brood; therefore it was hers as well. 

          And Northwind Castle was her home now, at least for the meantime, though she supposed that Greenhill would always be her real home. Most of its residents --herself included-- were comprised of the successfully fledging Jowston Army, led by the young Hero Genkaku, only a year or so older than she was. And if the rumors were to be believed, Northwind Castle had formerly been taken up by some insane vampire named Neclord, and that the people previously occupying the ghost town had been attacked and transformed into rancid zombies --her skin crawled at the thought of vampires, ghouls and other things that creep in the night-- but she forced herself to push away such dire and distraughting thoughts, to be set aside until later for contemplation. There were more matters that were greater, and far, far more important.

          Yes, this was the happiest day of her life. 

          For Flik, blue-banded Lightning Flik, Flik of the former Toran Liberation Army, and now of the City-State Army, would profess his undying love for her today. 

          That is, he would, if he knew what her plans were for him, for the both of them. 

          All it would take would be a tiny little push in her direction, that's all. 

          She had known it would be him ever since that fateful day he had saved her from those annoying Highland soldiers, promptly chopping them up into little dried stinking pieces of human meat that they really were. It took only a smile, a kind word, and that cute way he cocks his head to one side, for her to fall in love for the first and what she knew would be for the only time in her life. Flik was everything to her. 

          Except of course, that he wasn't hers. Yet. 

          Lately however, Flik had almost always been missing whenever she wanted to find him, which was all the time. People she had questioned had said that Flik would disappear scant minutes after she had arrived in the area, usually on some important mission or task that Shu or the Genkaku boy had asked of him. 

          That must be the reason why they call him Lightning Flik. 

          She looked everywhere, in every area that Flik was known to frequent; at Leona's tavern, although how people could stand such a mixture of cheap ale and wine is beyond her comprehension; pacing up and down by the Matilda Knights' quarters (though she imagined some of the knights were fast becoming nervous at the thought of what a young --and pretty!-- girl like her would be doing in their part of the castle); and even here in the balcony where, thanks to a *very* helpful guard, she had learned of Flik's usual nocturnal habits. All for naught. 

          If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Flik was avoiding her.

          Impossible. 

          "Flik is a gentleman!" She said aloud, then stopped when Feather twisted his head to flash her a curious look; better no one knew her plans until it's too late to stop her. But it was true; he would never resort to such immature and childish tactics, especially not if it was *she* whom he wished to avoid; she was pretty, she was smart, and she had a gentle personality. Only a fool would try to run away, and Flik was no fool. 

          Silently, she berated herself for thinking such a thing about her Flik. Because no doubt about it, he *was* her Flik.

          But it was also because he was a gentleman, that he has yet to throw advances or overtures of a personal nature her way. All throughout his stay in Greenhill, long before she had ever heard of his being part of the resistance movement against the Highland Empire, he was overly polite and respectful, though she was sure his eyes never left her when she was around. Nina had once thought that Nanami, another of her allies who had been accompanying Flik at that time, was his girlfriend, until she learned otherwise. Which was a good thing, because she liked Nanami, headstrong tomboy as she is, and would have hated to up one over her in the feminine department, especially when it comes to her hero. 

          How to make him hers? She wanted to be as discreet about it as possible; she knew a bit about how the male mind works, and ego seemed to play an important part. Even if it was Flik. The poor boy probably thought that it should be the man responsible for courting a woman, and not the other way around. 

          She had been waiting for the most opportune time to spring her tra- er, decision on him, and now, with the Highland Empire slowly crumbling under the might of the Jowston Resistance, seemed like the best time to begin her campaign. 

          Flik was as good as hers. 

          Tossing a loose strand of blond hair over her shoulder, Nina turned away from the majestic view she didn't really see, to head back downstairs into Northwind Castle; humming to herself, plotting. 

          Behind her, Feather let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like the equivalent of a human sigh, and resettled himself on his perch, musing on the deviousness of the human mind.