Chronicles of Cehydes
It was a popular inn at the edge of Danile Kingdom, situated beside the main road for weary travellers from all over the Land. In name of hospitality, Danile Kingdom folks were the most friendly out of the entire eighty-eight kingdoms of the Southern Land. However, this only means that there will be all kinds within the Waterfall inn.
A mere inaudible creak of the old wooden door was only the only signal to a new customer. As they come and go all the time, and the volume within the inn was tantamount to that of a thunderous night, there was really no point in making any kind of effort to keep track of the doorway. Customers carried on with their conversations about distant kingdoms and current affairs of the world as a cloaked figure entered the inn and approached the counter. The only one who noticed him was the innkeeper.
"May I help you?" The gruff voice of the seventeen-year-old was there to greet the newcomer. Although to those that knew Ikki, he seemed almost like a lad of seventeen, however, most others would immediately assume that he was over twenty with his tall and well-muscled statues and deep voice. He looked everything of a fully-grown seasoned warrior that no one in their right mind would dare to cross.
"A glass of Esmok wine." The cloaked figure was much slighter, letting the well-built innkeeper tower over him as a fir tree would over a weeping willow. He was shrouded from head to toe in a dark cloak, his voice wasn't high or low, but somewhere on the middle, it was even difficult to truly assign a gender to this particular individual with the scare amount of information given. Ikki could smell it, this kid was trouble.
"What are you? A prince? Scurry back to your little country then, because this place ain't loaded 'nough for your shit!" It was Jason, a regular. He has an all right temper when he was sober, but once drunk, even the slightest prickle on the skin would rile up a storm in him.
He was about to intervene, to pass Jason another bottle of good wine to keep his mouth busy with something else, but the newcomer put in one of his own cool remarks before Ikki could lift a finger. "True, considering only thugs like you takes up the space." Bad move.
Wooden stool hit the floor with a hard thud, startling a few customers out of their conversations to turn and watch. " You son-of-a-bitch! Let me teach you a lesson!" A red-faced Jason roared furiously, one could almost feel the heat radiating out of his body accompanying every exhalation of his heavy, alcoholic breath. He pounced at the cloaked figure with a fist, growling angry obscenities. The newcomer merely sidestepped him, causing Jason to slam into a table with his own inertia. Plates and cups shattered onto the ground, eliciting another growl of humiliation from Jason. The drunken fool swung at the figure again, this time, armed with a wooden stool. In a blink of an eye, Jason and the stool landed halfway across the room in a pile of shattered table, glass, plates, and wasted food. That's got the whole inn watching, excited customers begun yelling for a fight and bloodshed. Jason, in his drunken state fuelled with onlooker's excitement, stood up once again shakily, grabbed half a table and charged towards his demise like a mad bull.
"ENOUGH!" A strong voice boomed through the inn like the voice of god. It was truly amazing how everything stopped moving so abruptly at that command. Ikki had placed himself so that he bodily separated the two brawling parties from each other, clutching a wrist in each hand, effectively immobilising the opponents from engaging in further violent dispute. "Jason, calm down. I'll deal with him." Slurring his mumbles, the drunken Jason reluctantly trekked back to his corner and set about to have another round of drink.
Ikki gazed hard at the hooded visage of the person in front of him, yet received no words of defence but only futile struggle out of his iron-grip. Finally, he began with a neutral tone. "I can't have a pompous prude chasing away my regulars-"
"Who are you calling pompous!" Ikki barely caught the glint of silver upon a sharp object that suddenly shot towards him. Thanks to his good reflex, the object merely managed to scrape past his cheekbone and embedded itself deeply in the wall behind him. Unfortunately, in his rush to dodge the deadly attack, he had to let go of his grip on the cloaked figure. Even taking advantage of his best reflex afterwards only let him succeed in catching the hem of the newcomer's hood. It fell back, and a dazzling display of soft green strands spilled into the dimness of the inn, framing the stranger's delicate face. The sight made Ikki quickly letting go of the hood, still in a daze from the twin shock he had just received this afternoon.
Cat calls sounded from somewhere at the back of the inn and numerous men in the front laughed and mumbled amongst themselves. The revealed stranger stood frozen in place, head bowed and looking thoroughly embarrassed by all the attention.
Shaking himself out of the trance, Ikki faced the customers and yelled, "Alright. Everyone back to their drinks!" Miraculously, the inn became as noisy as it was before as though nothing that afternoon had ever taken place. He turned back to the green-haired stranger and saw that the chain weapon had extracted itself from the wall and was now winding back under the stranger's cloak. Ikki noted absentmindedly that the stranger didn't seem to be even moving a muscle through the whole process.
"Sorry, I didn't know you are a girl." Ikki approached the stranger to apologise, but upon finishing his sentence, the stranger snapped back at him with fury.
"Who are you calling a girl!" The twin angry green eyes confronted Ikki's own shocked face, so intense that he could only blink. Such a delicate face with such a horrible expression doesn't go together at all, it was the only thought that managed to run through Ikki's numb mind then.
"Wait!" Ikki only managed to choke out after the stranger had turned to leave, he settled a strong hand upon the other's shoulder, halting his step. "Look, you've broken my tables and smashed my plates, even riled up my customers…" The other opened his mouth to argue, but Ikki continued before he could. "…I won't chase you up about it…" The boy merely eyed Ikki warily, but kept his silence to hear the rest of his explanation. "…but that chain attack, it really took me by surprise. And take my word for it, no one ever managed to beat me before. "
"Then you need to get out more." The boy coolly replied, then narrowed his eyes when his cold remark was met by Ikki's booming laughter.
Ikki leaned against the wall in amusement. "I like your idea, kid. We still have a spare room in the inn, you are welcome to stay." Ikki was about to turn to lead the boy to his suit when he saw a hand appeared in front of him.
"I'm Shun from Velda."
Surprised at the unexpected friendly gesture, Ikki stared at the small white hand for a second before encasing it in a large, tanned one of his own. "I'm Ikki of Waterfall. How about let's say a truce."
He was even more surprised to find a shy, radiant smile competing against his own.
Candlelight flickered in the dim stairway to upstairs. Ikki showed Shun the way to his suit, cringing at the creaking noises that sounded upon each of their steps. This place is getting old. Ikki thought. Perhaps a sooner renovation would do it good.
"Here." Ikki opened a door that led to a neat small single room equipped with simple, but pleasant looking furniture that include a four-post bed, a table and a chair, and a small fireplace.
Shun took off his cloak and slung it over the table, then put down his travel bag by the bedside. He sat down on the soft mattress with a deep sigh of comfort. "Thank you. I guess I'll turn in for the night."
"Without food or drink?"
"No, I think should rest first."
"I'll bring up some food, just in case you want them later."
"Thanks, Ikki." Shun smiled.
As the burly innkeeper shut the door behind him, Shun threw himself against the soft pillow and pulled the thick blankets over himself, thoroughly enjoying the gentle comfort the small place offered. He had been travelling on the road for days, having to sleep on the hard earth that was truly difficult for someone who has always slept on a mattress for his entire life. In away, he liked fights, considering how often they bring him unexpected friends. The noise of the inn downstairs could still be heard through the rather thin wood that separates them, although it was much more muffled and quieter. Shun thought about what happened earlier that evening and winced. He hated it when that happens – its certainly not the first time someone mistaken him for a female. His cursed looks! Although it was an advantage in battle – as men instinctively held back by their sense of honour when they had to fight him, and most underestimate him – but no one – not even women would want to be whistled at by grubby old men in a bar! Shifting, Shun yawned, feeling tingly and numb as sleep begun taking him. He didn't even have the energy to remove his clothes before he slipt out of consciousness.
"Was it trouble out there a moment ago I hear?" The little ancient purple master asked his pupil as he peered at Ikki curiously with his heavy-lidded wise eyes.
"Yes, master. We had a traveller from Velda causing a little riot out there. But it's all settled now." Ikki answered his master as he continued frying his octopus pie. Then, the little master stopped mixing his own concoction and sighed deeply, causing Ikki to stop his own work and look at the master in confusion. "What is it, master?"
The purple creature dipped a purple finger into the concoction and tasted for its readiness, then replied, "Just a moment ago, I felt a great disturbance in the universe." The master added a little more sugar into the mixture bowl and stirred. "It was a disturbance I haven't felt for many, many years." He tasted the mixture again, and this time, turned his full attention to his pupil. "Remember what I told you on your fifteenth birthday?"
Ikki frowned, but answered nonetheless. "Yes, you told me I had a brother named Moon (月), and that he has a burn the shape of a phoenix on his back."
"Hmm. There is much I haven't yet told you." The master shook his head and continued. "I didn't tell you this because I feared that you would act impulsively, but now, it seemed the real thing had already came upon our door step. Now is the time as good as any for me to tell you the whole story."
Ikki quickly put out the fire as he smelt the sharp scent of burnt meat. He can worry about that later, but what master wanted to tell him now seemed to be something that's truly important.
"Ikki, you are of noble birth."
"What!" Ikki could feel his jaw slacken at his master's shocking words.
"Yes, its true Ikki. Your name was Sun of Cehydes (瑟海迪斯之日). Like you, your brother would have changed his name too, so don't bother with finding a Moon. The reason your names are changed is to protect you from the Nighthunters – the underlings of Death Mask who ordered the destruction of your parents' kingdom. Serving your parents, there were a clan of warriors who had sworn to protect your family – they fought fiercely, but only two managed to survive and hide you and your brother away. I, knight of Libra took you here, and Shaka the knight of Virgo took your brother to another kingdom. We do not know each other's location in order to ensure greater security for you both. Since in order to fool the enemy, one had to fool himself first."
The purple master shook his head sadly and pointed his cane at Ikki. "Your parents were not killed in a hunting accident, they were the king and queen of Cehydes kingdom who were brutally murdered by Death Mask."
The atmosphere of the kitchen took on a darker mood, replacing the energetic and cheery one of before. Slowly, his numb senses begun taking notices of his surroundings, he heard the thunder splitting the air outside, the smell of rain striking the dirt road.
"The Nighthunters." Master Donko closed his eyes and spoke insightfully, "they are coming for you."