Disclaimer: Gods...I hate this things. Peh, whatever. So I don't own Ragnarok, it's the property of Myung Jin-Lee-sama. . And I don't have any plans for world domination either. There! Are those legal suitors happy?
I just found out the joy of reading the Ragnarok manwha (hope I got that right...) when it came here in the Philippines. (Thank you Summit Media! We love ya' all!) Especially Captain Loki ). Which was all the reason I was driven to write a ficcy about him. (Argh! Now what to do about my battle acolyte fic?!?! ). But anyway, whether you kids will like it or not, I will seek to create and finish this fic side by side with Tiger God Byakko (my pRO character in Odin Server).
Dedicated to my yahoo! Group, Night of Blood: Loki's Sentinels. Man, will somebody else join us?
C'mon people, search for it in the Yahoo!Groups.
Okay...so I guess...I better start with my fanfic...
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Chapter 1: Relive the Past
The sound of battle has never made me more...excited...
Everytime I stretch the tether of my bow...whenever I feel the soft texture of the raven feathers in the arrow tail...I feel energy coursing through me.
More so, whenever it lands itself into its intended targets.
"Sturaiker...that's enough for now..."
I look back at the cerulean-haired man that was standing at my back, supervising my training.
"Yes, Captain Loki..." I sighed, setting my oversized bone bow back to its hilt on a shelf nearby. I stretch my fingers after taking off those painful bow thimbles I bought for training. Frankly, I doubt they did anything good for me...
"Seems you've been doing well for the past few days, your mark is improving..." Assassin leader came close and took the arrows that neatly buried itself into the wooden dummies. "...But you have to work on your aim. Practice in inserting the arrows at the breaking points of different types of armors." He threw the arrows back at me.
"I will, Captain." I caught the arrows and bowed before him as he walked past me. I was ecstatic over the results of my training. This was the second time I received a non-insulting praise from him. The others were purely down casting my mood.
I walked, closely following him. I was intent on taking a break from the night's training. Sigh...what a good sleep would do...
"Ack! Hey, let go!" I struggled; realizing two snake-like creatures writhing across my chest dragged me into the shadows.
"Ibrahim! Let go of me..." I kept pushing myself off those insane meandering things. A grin, made of pearly white fangs came from the darkness.
"Still not good with detection, hm Sturaiker?" He laughed, settling me down onto the ground. I rub my sore body from the grappling that occurred.
"And I can see as well that you're still no good in controlling your extra appendages?" I grinned, much to his annoyance. The big oaf. Ibrahim may be a maniac in battle, but he's different inside the guild.
"You take care of yourself, shiro. I'm sure Captain Loki wouldn't want his puppy dog getting hurt..." He walked off, snickering. How I hated that, being referred to as somebody's puppy dog.
But...
Somehow, I do enjoy it. Being referred to as Captain Loki's own. I can only scratch my flurry of hair in annoyance as I proceed to sleep in a hanging rope that served as my bed for tonight.
Why do you ask that people call me as Loki's puppy dog?
--Flashback
You see, a few years back, I was just a "relic hunter" (or as what other people call a "Thief"), scavenging across the desert, looking for some valuable items to sell. Sure, why didn't I just steal my zennies in town? That would've been easier...
I also wanted to train. You can't gain knowledge in fighting if you just stay in town do you?
So there I was, prodding the sands for anything shiny, while slaughtering face worm tots that I had encountered. I had scarcely trailed my bow into the sand when something flew towards me, sticking itself upright into the ground, centimeters near my foot.
It was throwing daggers, but what horrified me was the peculiarly familiar- looking emblem that was engraved into it...--
The assassin guild emblem...
"You...how dare you trespass into the grounds of our Sanctuary?"
I looked up to see a cloaked persona standing nimbly onto a pile of ruins, his eyes were the only visible evidence it was a human before me. I had heard that there were these people called "assassins" that were situated here in the desert, but I never thought I would run into one...
No time for that...
"Woah! Feet, carry me far from here!" I turned around, high tailing towards the opposite direction. I didn't mind looking back to see if he was following me, all I cared was I was free to go towards the opposite direction.
Wishful thinking...
The sands before me exploded, revealing several more assassins beneath it. It was a group of them, by the looks of it; there were three males and one female. The largest of the group leapt from their backs and lunged towards me, snake-like things coming from his cloak. I panicked, running in erratic circles, the snakes missing my body a few centimeters.
Boy, snake-man was annoyed. I ran towards another direction, but the male, which seemed to be the leader of the group, headed me off. I tried the other way, but the other man and the female blocked me too. Snake-man finally got his arms free and began a death walk towards me.
Hmmm...three choices. Take down that normal sized man, a duo, or a giant that was intent on squeezing the life out of me. Guess you knew which I chose right?
Groan...bad choice indeed.
I ran towards his direction, lowering myself briefly to scoop up some sand, and aimed it straight at his face. The assassin merely raised his cloak to cover those mysterious, piercing eyes that intrigued me, the sand bouncing off the fabric.
Peh, what was I thinking at that time? I admired his eyes and he was trying to kill me!
Plan B. I took hold of my trusty Gladius and plunged straight across the cloth that was raised before me. Tough luck for him.
"Sneaky...but not good enough." A voice crept behind me.
I only realized as the cloak hung lifelessly into the point of my knife as I turned around and saw him. He was clad in what seemed to me as bone armor, and he wore a tight-fitting blue suit. Other than that, was a skull- jaw mask that covered half of his face.
I heard the gentle sarcastic laughs his companion let out, as I felt like a fool. I heard the female assassin speak...
"Wrong move to square off with Captain Loki, dear boy. You've sealed your fate."
Loki? Will this be the name of the one who will end my life? No way! I'd rather have someone do it than a stranger...
I slid my dagger back into its sheath as I grasped my bow I fashioned from dead animal bones. I had some arrows in my leg pocket and I efficiently shot and loaded my bow, aiming to hit the amused assassin's head.
"He's toying with me..." I gritted as sweat glistened between my brows, nit in concentration in hitting the annoyance before me. This Loki guy was closing his eyes as he was neatly dodging each and every arrow I let off.
"Man...can't you die?" I asked in terror, as he was getting tired of this little "game", and started to walk towards me.
I had only realized that I had one arrow left. I gave everything to it, letting it go, sending it towards his face.
"Bingo!" I shouted, grasping that he wasn't able to dodge it.
It was in vain, actually. The arrow was a few centimeters short in hitting flesh and landed into the mask, bouncing off of it. The mask fell from his face, much to the gasp that I heard behind me.
"Oh...no...the little shiro has no chance of survival..." The snake-man passed a tsk, tsk, tsk between the fangs of his mouth.
The female continued. "The only beings that held Captain Loki's visage were the ones that had already passed away...he's gonna suffer a horrible death..."
Gulp. By the look of things, even that cerulean-haired guy wasn't amused too. Looks like he got tired of playing around and glared at me like a predator would do to his prey.
I dug my bow to the ground, and took my dagger once more, readying to defend myself. If I would die, I would go down fighting for my last breath...
I kicked the sand at my feet, sending it towards him. He instantly vanished...knew he was going to do that.
Without hesitation, I twirled my Gladius; its tip now facing me. As I said, I'd rather have someone kill me than a stranger...and that someone would be me.
The luster of my blade passed through my eyes, as it was lost in the shade of my shadow, I had hoped it would bring me a swift death.
"Ouch! "I fell backwards, the knife went gliding to the air as I realized that the assassin reappeared and knocked my weapon off my numbing hands with his bone sword.
He swooped and caught me, cradling me by the neck. My hair annoyingly blocked my view of his face, but nonetheless, I could still see him.
So noble...so comforting to see such a face...
I felt a shiver run down my spine as he was holding me. As if something inside me told me, that this was what I was looking for.
I could only stop thinking about things when he gently squeezed my neck, and sent me to unconsciousness.
I woke up a few hours later, half-naked, bound in chains and kneeling. There was an elder before me, and beside him was that Loki guy. I saw him talking to that older one, and with a nod, I was set free from my bindings.
I rubbed my sore wrists, but I was still angry with him. Why did he let me live anyway? I felt dishonored...it was a sign of incompetence in my part.
I lunged for him, fists curled for a punch. He only looked at me, and I realized his clawed hands were holding me up, preventing me from delivering the punch I had set my mind to.
"It seems that you are right, Loki. He's a mighty fine fellow. You take care of him..." The elder observed us.
Take care of him? Hah! The nerve! I've heard of respecting your elders but this is ridiculous. But I had other things settled into my mind when I saw Loki's eyes...
That cold, piercing eyes...what was it that was drawing me towards him?
I didn't know what went into me, but I suddenly weakened upon seeing him. I relaxed myself and went limp on him, either fatigue or nervousness got towards me. He let me go, and I found myself kneeling back to the ground.
Some assassins took hold of me and dragged me to an empty, run-down room where I spent the night, shivering in the cold.
That morning after, he returned, and handed me a set of clothes similar to his. The minor difference was in the design of the bone armor that bordered his blue suit.
"What?" I gave a snide remark. "Do you expect me to wear that crap piece of clothes that looks like a lousy excuse for a costume?"
The Loki guy just looked at me. Somehow, I bit those words and hastily wore the suit he had given me. He just leaned on the wall, observing me as I changed clothes.
Gods...I felt almost...naked in the tight fitting suit, revealing my slim form and muscles. I almost forgot that Loki was also wearing one. Seeing that I have finished, he motioned for me to follow him out into the halls.
I felt embarrassed indeed. Although Loki was indifferent of the reactions around him, I wasn't as thick faced as him. Of course, the assassins we met prostrated as he walked by, but I could hear distinct murmurs on my back why Loki's outfit and mine looked similarly close.
"Uhmm...can I call you Loki? Why do people hold you so high before them?" I tried asking him.
He was oblivious to my question, but instead of being annoyed at him; I felt embarrassed now. I feel like, I've done something wrong. So, with nothing else to do, I hung my head in guilt and shame as I meekly followed him to where he was going to lead me.
"Because I am the captain..."
I looked up towards him; his head was still turned against me. I was glad he spoke to me. And I felt heat starting to creep up my face.
"I...I'm...sorry then. Captain Loki...sir..." I stuttered, a few moments of discomfort for me.
He stopped. I almost ran towards him, good thing reflexes started to kick in. I only realized that we were in front of a door to a larger room.
He opened the doors and I followed close to him. A few moments and he called out specific names on the shadows.
"Ibrahin..."
A large figure came from the shadows. It was snake-man that I remembered.
"Taulin..."
An obviously female figure came from above us, settling in front of captain.
"Mustafa..."
The other male assassin I saw the other day, a bit taller than Loki...
"Hajatu..."
Neh, I've never seen this guy before...
"This is Sturaiker, our new member. I expect that you will treat him with civility as you do with the members of our guild. Make sure that he will be attended to if he has any questions regarding our jobs..." Loki spoke with fluency and dominance over all of us.
He looked back at me.
"I expect that you would do everything to improve your skills that would benefit the guild. Use your time here to train and perfect your art in fighting..."
I bowed low. "I will...Captain Loki..." Nervousness rang across my voice.
With that, he left me to fend off with my new family. Everyday, he would see to it that I was busy in training and that I was well taken care of. Captain Loki's group adopted me as one of their own, making me the youngest of the lot.
I was good in forging and alchemy, and I was good with the bow too. Captain and the others would find me deep in the abandoned armory below the guild where I would spend day and night developing new weapons. Occasionally, I would bring my finished work to him, and he would examine it suspiciously. After a roundabout the continent, he would bring it back all broken and destroyed.
I didn't mind, heck I even appreciated it. It only meant that he used it. My efforts were not in vain to satisfy and impress him. But he saw something deeper in me...
A few months after, I was forced to make forging and alchemy a second priority as he supervised my training in bow handling. He saw the need for a sniper, a support fire assassin in his back. Seeing me handle the bow back then, I was the perfect candidate for it. Ibrahim and Mustafa was kind enough to collect a few bones and horns for me that I would need to create the bow, and sister Taulin was very much fine to lend me an assassination string for me to use as the bow string.
A few weeks of practicing, my dexterity drastically improved under his training regiment. People now began to tag me as "Captain's puppy dog" because of the immense attention Captain had been giving me.
--End Flashback--
So, here I am, about to sleep in a rope that most assassins use as a bed. Tomorrow will be another day.
I look at my sleeping comrades, those who had been kind enough to let me settle under their wings...
But most especially, I look out into the moonlight that reminds me of Captain...
As long as I get to see him, I will always look forward to tomorrow...
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Hey! No yaoi here! It's pure hero worship here, so don't start ranting there's going to be yaoi later on.
Actually, I'm going to go off the actual story of the manga. But, heck! No! It is not mine! The concept is mine, but the story is not. This will be a good chance to see what if things never happened the way they were supposed to be...just because one person was added into the world.
"The Fates intertwine the threads of time, insuring that the past, present and future are connected to one another..."
Now to get back to my other fic...starts typing Chapter 8 o