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Marchen Chptr 2

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Märchen: The Journey
Chapter 2: Unwanted

"What!? What do you MEAN it's already been taken care of!!??" This is what was to be heard from outside, not long after Aki had received her drink. Rather rude, considering the time of night, even if most of the town was still up. Shortly after this shout, a figure came storming in through the door.

By the looks of it, he was an elf. Ears pointed, and rather elongated; more so than the common elf. He smoothed his heavily gloved hands over his cloak, pressing back his hood for a better view, thus allowing a long ponytail of silver hair to sway over his shoulder. He glowered over the room with a sort of pout and single raised brow.
"Who caught the Sleep-spirit!?", he called out, puffing out his chest in a form that showed superiority and power. No one spoke though, and remained ever silent.

From the bar table, Aki flinched at the loud noise and cleaned out her ears from the sound. She took a drink from her cider, then slowly turned to the newcomer with a raised eyebrow. "That would be me. Is there a problem with that?"

Aki rose from her stool, but it hardly made a difference... The man was still more than a head taller than she. But she stood her ground non-the-less, confident that she could deal with the man. He's just a little riled up and disappointed, I presume. If he really insists on arguing I'll just buy him a drink and that'll be the end of that.

This scrawny little shrimp? This toddler got to the Sleep-spirit first? Before me?! The man thought. He raised both brows in obvious disbelief. "You?" he pointed a finger at her. And were it not for her gender, he'd have jabbed her in the chest. Frowning in distaste, the stranger turned off to the side, raising a hand and reluctantly keeping from curling it into a fist. then leaned his head back, bringing said hand to his forehead, frown wavering. His other hand propped itself on his hip as the man leaned forward, now making a sort of whining sound, groaning in disdain and disappointment.

"AWWWOOO! I wanted to get the sleep-spirit!" After a moment of mumbling and muttering, cursing under his breath, the stranger looked to the female from between his fingers, glaring gently with suspicion. "Tough break..." As he said this, he let his mind wander a bit. Gah...beat by a girl...Hmph...At least she's cute.

Aki wore a smug smirk across her face. "Aaaaw, it's alright..." She said, reaching up and patting him on the shoulder. "How about a drink? Some warm cider should make you feel better!" she said in an almost motherly tone. "Come. Sit!" She said, sitting herself back on her stool and gesturing at the seat next to her.

By her tone and pat to his shoulder, the man raised his brows in a blank stare of utter disbelief. Was she talking to him? Did he look like a whiney little four-year-old to her? Frowning gently and giving a slight ‘hmph’, He accepted the offer and settled himself onto a stool beside the younger creature.

"Rather kind of you. Don't think you can butter me up though. I won't slide that way. Just wait, I'll get the next one." Laying his arms on the counter, he laid his head upon his arms, using them as a pillow. he shifted enough to stare to his side over his arms at the female elf beside him.

Aki just smirked at his comment and took another drink of her cider. We'll see about that... She thought.

"How's a cutie like you get the goods anyway?" That probably hadn't come out the way he'd meant it to. It was likely meant to be more of an insult than a compliment, if anything.

At that comment, Aki sat up straight in a stiff, proud sort of manner. 'CUTIE?' Not that I mind being called that so much, but this guy has some nerve.

"Intuition. Practice. Intelligence. Magical power..." She replied. "In other words, skill." She emphasized the last word especially before taking another sip. "And being as cute as me is an advantage, of course." She said with a wink.

The man sat himself upright a bit more, leaning on his elbows and intertwining his fingers together, so that he could lay his chin against his hands. He tilted his head slightly to the side upon his hands to keep his eyes on the female.
Magical power. Skills. She says those things like I haven't got them. Is she intending...? He snorted to himself, indignant by her emphasis.

Blinking, he then stared blankly. He raised a single silver brow at her, curious about that wink. "Really? Huh...I don't see it.", he stated broad as day light, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Glancing up, he raised his hand to the passing bar keep, Gahrroe. A nod or two and lisped words were exchanged. A drink was settled before the stranger.

Aki set her glass down a little more roughly than intended. "Say what you want, but the score still stands 1-0 in my favor." She began stirring her cider absent-mindedly. "Who are you, anyway? I'd like to know should we have the displeasure of meeting again." She said snidely.

"1 to 0, eh? Well, I can assure you we won't be meeting again.” He seemed to reconsider his statement for a moment. “Then again…you might be seeing a lot more of me after tonight, after all. My name is Ryuu…And I hate coming in second…", he replied informatively, an air of calm, cool, sincerity to his words; laced with a fine venom that thickened with each passing breath.

From there, he narrowed his reflective eyes almost villainously. A smirk playing ever gracefully upon his gently curved lips. An expression that quite literally promised revenge.

But all at once, Ryuu smiled with a glowing warmth. All trace of that before glance vanishing into thin air. Only kindness and hospitality linger now in a charming manner. "So? Where might a Pretty Miss like you be headed from here anyway?" He lifted his drink to his lips, drinking quite sparingly of it. Either he enjoyed that which he consumed and wished to savor it, or was gesturing a hint that he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

Maybe it was what he said, or maybe it was just her imagination running away with her... But something about the man suddenly seemed oddly eerie. What does he mean by...? She thought, as her heart raced for a moment and a fearful glance betrayed her feelings.

But the moment passed quickly, and he was back to his friendly demeanor. Aki tried assuming her previous attitude as well. "Aki Ameko." She said stubbornly. "My name is Aki Ameko. And I'd advise you to use it, since you went to the trouble of giving me yours, Ryuu." She took another sip of her cider. "And at the moment I don't know... I just go where I feel prompted to, to where people need me..." Another sip and she was finished with her cider. "I think I ought to retire for the night now. 'Night, Ryuu..." And Aki rose from her seat and started to walk off.

Aki Ameko… His eyes shimmered merrily as he tossed the name about in his mind. He wondered how it would sound, how smoothly it would roll off his tongue when spoken. He resisted speaking it though, as he was far more interested in other things spoken here.

"W-wait", he called out, surprised at her sudden choice to leave. he jumped to his feet, though looked around for an excuse to hold her back, for a moment longer. "Ah…", he choked, though. Unable to bring himself to say anything. She was already off anyhow. Snapping his fingers, Ryuu swirled around back to his seat. As he finished his drink, Ryuu glared into the dark liquid that swirled about inside at him. He suddenly smirked, and raised his head. "Oh, Barkeep? Might I have a word with you…?" He smiled to himself, rather pleased with the plan set out in his head.

--

Ryuu... Aki thought, arriving in her room and removing her cloak. ‘…Well, I can assure you we won't be meeting again… …Then again…you might be seeing a lot more of me after tonight, after all...’  ...What did he mean by that...? She kicked off her boots and lay lazily in her bed. In any case, I should take great care that I'm not followed... It gives me an uneasy feeling... She turned over in her bed and got into a more comfortable position. I must remember to thank the Innkeeper properly in the morning. He really went to great lengths for me...this bed is one of the softest I've slept in for months...

~*~

Aki rose when the light peaking through the curtains was too much for her to ignore any longer. She emerged from her room rather quickly and entered the hallway, taking great care to peak around and see if anyone was nearby...

The tavern was silent this morning, except for those few who bustled about in the kitchen, cooking for the few customers who resided in the tavern restaurant or at the bar that morning. It was as though there had been no ruckus of a spirit the night before.

Among those who bustled about the tavern quietly was Gahrroe, who tended the bar. He was presently cleaning a mug, which was set below the counter before a pile of scattered crumbs was wiped away after. As for Ryuu, he himself was nowhere in sight. Perhaps a plus for Aki?

Seeing nobody in particular around, Aki made her way down to the bar. "'Morning, Gahrroe!" She said cheerily. "Thank you so much for you hospitality." She curtsied. "...But unfortunately, I must be off early this morning... Do call on me again if you have any more spirit troubles!" And with a cute little wink and a wave, Aki turned to the door.

Gahrroe glanced up from his morning chore with a start, humming gently in question. Though he smiled when he saw the merry face of Aki, the curess. He was about to wave in goodbye himself when he suddenly realized something.

"Oh! Miss Curess! I've a package and message for you!", Gahrroe called out, waving frantically for Aki as he reached under the counter with his free hand.

Aki froze just as her hand had almost reached the doorknob. "A package...?" She asked, bewildered. And a message... She thought. It gave her a foreboding feeling...but she had no choice but to accept.

She approached the barman, trying not to give away the nervousness inside. "A-are you sure it's for me...? I can't think of anyone who would send me anything... My family has no idea where I am, you see..."

"I'm afraid this isn't from anyone of great distance away though."
What the barkeep brought to set atop the counter was a heavy-duty leather carry bag with a strap and silver metal clasp. (More or less, it looks like a detective’s kit item.)

The single buckle of the strap of the bag was of pure silver and lain with intricate vinery, as it were. The over flap was decorated in a burnt on elvish embroidery. And the fastening clasp was of what appeared to be a fang, with carved decor which made up a seal of protection in the fangs surface.

"A months worth of rations: Dried meats and fruits, bread, cheese. Buckskin water canteens, a hunting knife, blankets. Honestly, I don't know how that man made it all fit...and it weight naught more than a few pounds."

The note stuck to the side read in fine handwriting: ‘Sorry for the trouble. ~Ryuu’

"Oh, yes. There is a horse in the stables made up right and ready for you. Saddle and all, as well. The stable boy should be out there brushing 'em down now and packing rations of grain for you."

Aki paled and stared at the man in disbelief, still frozen in the same position by the door. "You're...you're kidding me, right? This is a joke..." There was a slight flutter in her voice, as though she was trying to laugh, but it couldn't mask her nervous disbelief.

"Not at all. Such generosity. I wonder what provoked him..?" The bar keep rubbed his stubble in question.

Slowly, Aki walked back over to the bar and picked up the note as if it were something vile. 'Sorry for the trouble. ~Ryuu' Aki's face went bright red with heat, then went stone cold. WHY THAT LITTLE... HE'S GOT HIS NERVE... WHAT THE HECK IS HE PLAYING AT??!!

Aki dropped the note on the table causally. "I can't possibly accept this. I've been doing fine on my own for years, honestly. I can't accept such a gift. Tell him thank you, but I'm sorry..."

"W-wha-wait. I can't take this back. It's already been paid for in full, and besides, this bag isn't mine. I can't keep it. I'm afraid you’re going to have to take this, miss." Gahrroe looked at Aki with stern-ness, pressing the bag across the counter to her.

"If you'd like to tell him sorry, you can say so yourself. The man who left the bag here is out in the stables. He hadn't even left this morning yet."

OUT IN THE STABLES IS HE...? Well then... Aki took the bag reluctantly, face still stone cold. "Fine. I'll go meet him." And Aki walked out the door a little more quickly than she may have intended.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT LITTLE..." She muttered under her breath before walking into the stables. "RYUU!"

--

"So where'd you get him?", the stable boy asked as he hefted a bucket of seed from the ground and onto a ledge. He was a young boy, maybe 6 or 7.

"I found him causing a ruckus way down east, in the mountains on the other side of Paddrom Tills. Since then, he's followed me everywhere I go."
Ryuu grinned to himself as he helped the boy lift the bucket of grain, which was set into a grain shelf.

"Can I pet him?", the boy asked curiously.
"Pet him? How about I let you sit on his back?" Ryuu lifted the boy up and settled him in the back of a pitch black horse. Or at least what appeared to be a horse.

Its eyes were pure red. In place of its hooves were what looked like dragon’s feet, though most of its feet were covered in long hair that started at about the knee. Parts of the body were dotted or patched with a hard gem like material that was melded with the skin; it was apart of the skin. And even appeared to change color; at present it was a glowing red.

Peeking from under the long black, red tipped hair at the top of it's head, where the mane began, was a short 3 inch black razor horn, tipped in crimson.

Said mane went all down the creature’s back to its rear where it became the tail. It's ears still had a horse-like appearance, though were slightly longer and one was pierced with a ring, from which hung an amethyst gem.

Back to the present, no sooner had Ryuu set the boy on the creature’s back and begun to explain a few oddities about the creatures, the two turned to the doorway where Aki had come in. Ryuu blinking wonderingly, wondering why she seemed so mad.

"You know, you’re kinda cute when you’re upset..." He said with a sly grin.

"Who's that, Mister? Is she your girlfriend?", the stable boy asked from atop the strange creature from which he sat. Said creature turned his glowing red eyes in an annoyed manner at Aki, puffing a cloud of hot steam from his nostrils as he whinnied.

Aki stopped for a moment, startled by the sight of the strange looking horse. Then she switched her previous rage to cool venom. 'Cute when I'm upset', am I? 'Girlfriend'??

Arms crossed in front of her, she walked right up to Ryuu and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I don't need your hospitality." She said coolly. "I've been fine on my own for years."

Ryuu looked from Aki to the boy upon the horse. The boy shrugged, "So I'm guessing she's not your girlfriend then?"

"Oookay, I think it's time for little boys to go and finish their chores.", Ryuu sighed gently with an uneasy grin. He pulled the boy down from the horse, whom whined softly.

"Alright. See ya later Mr. Ryuu! Bye Mr. Ryuu's lady friend!", he gave a wave and went off to the far back of the stables.

Ryuu turned back to Aki and rubbed the back of his head. "Kids...heh...anyway...What's this about hospitality?"

Aki gave Ryuu a highly annoyed expression. "Are you playing dumb?? The rations, Dimwit. And the horse...or whatever that is..." Aki gave the 'horse' a rather disgusted look... Perhaps more disgusted than she meant to. The disgusted look was REALLY meant for Ryuu.

"Rations? Oh yeah. I figured we'd need extra. It was really the bag I meant to give you, but I had the bar keep fill it up before hand so it was ready for when we leave. And this isn't a horse. He's a Horgon. And he's mine. Your horse is in the stable yet. She's-- Eh...Aki? I wouldn't stare at him that way....Horgons get real intimidated when you stare, and they're temperamental."

Said creature, the Horgon, lifted his head dominantly in a proud manner, glaring towards Aki all the same with intense narrowed red eyes. Puffing steam from his nostrils, the Horgon stretched his neck out to shake his head, tossing his hair from side to side.

"WE??!!"</b> Aki advanced on Ryuu immediately, ignoring his comments about the horgan. Her eyes burned with anger. "WE??!! I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU. YOU--YOU--" She waved her arms about wildly as she searched for a proper insult, and her eyes fell on his silver hair. "--DIRTY OLD MAN!!"

"D-Dirty old man?!", Ryuu stepped back a few steps. he felt uneasy about that look in Aki's eye. She looked like she was about to kill. Furrowing his brows in his own rage, he stepped up to Aki, towering over her.

"How inconsiderate!" he cried out. "After all the trouble I went to to apologize. And you call me a dirty old man! I'm not even that old, either..."

Aki took a step back, but did not let her guard down. "If you want to be considerate, just leave me the heck alone!!" She said huffily.

Leave her alone? Ryuu thought, Oh dear no. He'd gotten himself involved with her the moment he'd said hello. Well, okay, he hadn't quite said hello, but you get the idea, right?

At his other comment, Aki tilted her head to the side and cocked an eyebrow. "Not that old, eh? Then tell me, how old ARE you...?" A challenging smirk spread across her face.

"Well, if you must know," Ryuu crossed his arms over his chest right diligently, first leaning back, then bowing forward toward Aki in making a point. "I am only just 23 years old! And how are you? It's only fair."

"23?!!" Aki exclaimed in surprise. "Well, I suppose it evens out, doesn't it? You look like you're 50 but you act like you're 5." She smirked again, knowing that she'd probably made another satisfying blow.

50? 5? Appalling! Ryuu exclaimed mentally. As who he was, or more-what he was, taking these insults was quickly getting old. He wouldn't blow his top though. He had better control than that.

Aki folded her arms and stuck up her nose in a superior manner. "Hmph, well if you must know, I'm 19...in human years, anyway." She got a look in her eye as if she dared him to make something of it. "But don't let that fool you. I'm quite strong and independent, if I do say so myself!"

"19. I could say the same for you, scratch the old part." Even after the hefty blow she'd thrown at him, he was still sensible. "Oh, I don't doubt that your head strong. Or independent, but can you get your nose any higher?" He flicked said nose, glaring intensely at Aki.

"Impressions are key, and so far, you're becoming nothing more than a stuck up snob. I thought you'd appreciate it. Can't believe I even tried to apologize in the first place. What was I thinking? It wasn't worth the trouble or the effort. At least I know when I've gone over board and try to make up for it."

Ryuu turned to a post, gathering up a blanket, which was lain over the Horgons back. He returned to said post to lift the heavy saddle, carrying it with ease to the Horgons back

Ryuu had crossed the line.

SMACK! Aki slapped him swiftly across the face.

"How DARE you?!!" She screamed at him. "Who do you think's the stuck up one who thinks he can do whatever he wants?! Well I bid you good day, JERK!!" And with that Aki immediately turned on the spot and marched out of the stable, leaving the trunk and not bothering with a horse.

Ryuu plopped the saddle onto the Horgon, whose head was jerked back in a start from the loud smack. The force of her hand had brought his eye to glance upon the wall, rather than towards the curess. Staring in a blank drawl towards Aki, He hadn't appeared surprised or shocked at all. He had probably deserved it, and accepted the stinging wrath of her hand.

Silver eyes followed after Aki until she was gone from sight. As his fingers came up to his cheek, just hovering from the bright red mark, a high to low whistle passed his lips.
"Oh, touchy? I do believe I did draw the line though, eh? Never was very good with females though…"

Aki stomped around outside, still in a rage. THAT'LL TEACH HIM TO TALK BACK TO ME...!! She thought angrily. She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going either.

"Well...Shall we old friend?” Ryuu said to the Horgon.

--

"I...Ak...Aki...!" Ryuu called out, his words seeming to fall on deaf ears though. Either she's ignoring me or-- Ryuu merely stood in here way as the girl stomped about in her rage, until she of course walked right into him.

He towered over her, appearing rather pissed, though glanced away. "Hey..." he lifted his hand rather swiftly, only to set it atop her head.

"Gackt!" Aki stopped dead, having run headlong into Ryuu. "What the...?! WILL YOU QUIT FOLLOWING ME??!!" But she calmed as Ryuu placed his hand on her head.

"Sorry..." He muttered.

"You're sorry." She repeated dully. "Well I suppose that's an improvement, but I still don't want you following me."

An improvement? He clicked his teeth with a half smirk and an averting of the eyes. "Sorry, but you’re competition and a threat. I've little choice but to follow you." He pressed down on her head, tousling her hair.

Soft. Heh, that only makes her more adorable.

This only brought Aki's rage back up again. "WHAT?! Same goes for YOU, pal!! I have a living to make here!!" She swatted at his hand like a cat as he tried to withdraw it. But she was afraid that as much as she yelled and complained, she wasn't going to be able to change her situation...which only angered her more.

It was hard not to snicker at her. Ryuu withdrew his hand, and took hold of the dangling reins just beyond him. "Then it probably would have been wise to accept the horse, you know? Faster than on foot." The reins he held were connected to his Horgon, and tied to his Horgon’s saddle was a white mare with red markings on her back flanks. Fully saddled and packed for a long journey.

Aki scowled coldly. "Fine. I'll take your danged horse." She marched up to the horse and tried to jump on... But she wasn't accustomed to riding horses, and her height made it...difficult. But she was far too stubborn to ask Ryuu for help.

Ryuu clicked his teeth again with an amused smile. This Aki just got more and more interesting. He first watched as she attempted mounting the mare herself. It was cute; she looked like a child trying so hard to do things all on her own. He didn't bother to ask her if she needed any help, or if she wanted it. It was all too obvious that she 'needed' help up.

Settling his hands firmly at he waist, he lifted Aki up and set her on the saddle sideways. So light, like a feather. Leads me to believe that she's more fragile than she puts on.

"Gyeh!" Aki blushed in shock as Ryuu grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up onto her horse. She was not expecting that, nor did she really know what to think of it. She merely stared ahead of her, wide-eyed and still blushing, and frozen stiff while holding the reins. She had no idea what to do.

Adjusting his cloak and fastening the four belts to the front, Ryuu approached his own steed. He hefted himself up with ease, though of course because he was taller. Not bothering to untie the white mare from his own saddle, Ryuu gave a few clicks of the tongue. The white mare raised her head in acknowledgement and whinnied.
"Stel eb gniog", The Horgon stamped his front feet, scratching the earth. He nodded his head enthusiastically before starting off, the white mare close behind.

"Eep!" The horse lurched forward, and Aki had to grab its mane in order to stay on. Soon she ended up grabbing the horse around the neck to keep herself on more securely. She didn't dare loosen her grip for fear of falling off.

It seemed the trip to the next town was going to be a long one.
Previous: [link]

Isn't Aki a perfect little angel?? :floating: And Ryuu is a stalker. A STALKER I SAY!!!

Got in the mood to upload more Marchen. :P I think that's a good thing.

Let me know if anything sounds really wonky or not understandable. @_@ It's so hard to make the POV switches in the original version flow together better. (And fixing Silver's typos took an hour in and of itself, UGH! And even with the spell checker!)

Märchen: The Journey
Chapter 2: Unwanted
Originally by *AkiAmeko and ~silver-dragonetsu
Edited by *AkiAmeko
Preview Art by: !Raimyu (Not on deviantART)
© 2009 - 2024 AkiAmeko
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VickyViolet's avatar
Yes, I was confused by one part in which Aki and Ryuu are in the stable and Aki slaps him. I counted it to be at paragraph 75, 76, and 77. I'm really not sure what Ryuu was doing and why Aki was angry. This is what I copied:

"Impressions are key, and so far, you're becoming nothing more than a stuck up snob. I thought you'd appreciate it. Can't believe I even tried to apologize in the first place. What was I thinking? It wasn't worth the trouble or the effort. At least I know when I've gone over board and try to make up for it."

Ryuu turned to a post, gathering up a blanket, which was lain over the Horgons back. He returned to said post to lift the heavy saddle, carrying it with ease to the Horgons back

Ryuu had crossed the line.