Fox Hunt
Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever (or most likely will ever) own the Sorcerer Hunters. Sadly, like every other fanfiction writer out there, I can only borrow them from Akahori and Omishi for a few pages, and then I have to give them back. The only characters I can claim are Bagel, Lox, Raspberry, and Vanilla in this section. But my birthday is next month . . . ^_^
Warnings: Violence and death and heavy borrowing from the manga.
Author's Note: The Sorcerer Hunters we all know and love will appear in the next chapter; this is just the initial setup for the story. Remember, if they are OOC, I made them that way to fit the story. ^_^
Oh, and things in * * are thoughts. Now, on with the story.
"Enter," said the lavender-haired man in a bored tone, waving a blue velvet-sleeved arm negligently. White ruffles poured out of the sleeve, dripping delicate lace over the pale aristocratic hands. He exchanged an amused glance with the woman in red at his side, and her answering smile was vicious.
The huge red wooden doors swung open, and the leafy pattern of pure gold covering them caught the sunlight from the large window and flung it into the eyes of the pale-haired sorceress as she walked through them. She raised her green eyes to the couple seated upon the raised dais on ornately carved golden and ivory thrones. More sunlight streamed from the large skylight above the thrones, bathing their occupants in a bright golden beam.
*This is it,* she thought as she crossed the opalescent-tiled floor to the dais. She suppressed her eager trembling with a considerable effort. *There's no turning back now. Time to put on my best performance.*
"Lord Bagel," Raspberry Tart said, bowing in a calculated depth to him. It had to be just right for the best impression. She turned to the red-haired woman seated in the throne next to Bagel's. "Lady Lox," she said, bowing again, just as deeply as before. "It is an honor to serve you."
"Of course," Lox said, a faint, indifferent smile curving her painted red lips. "What do you have for us?" She tapped the long red fingernails of her left hand on the arm of the throne beneath her hand in a steady rhythm while her right hand supported her cheek.
Her brilliantly yellow eyes bored into Raspberry's unpleasantly, but the fledgling sorceress did not flinch.
*They will reward me well for this information. I need not fear a turn of their favor; if they lose me, they lose their ultimate goal of destroying the Stellar Church,* she reminded herself confidently. *I am invaluable to their cause.*
Raspberry straightened her slender shoulders, shaking her long blond hair out of her eyes to reveal the sorcerer's mark on her forehead. "The Sorcerer Hunters recently deployed by Big Mama have taken the bait," she began. "They are on their way to Split Pea as we speak."
Bagel frowned, lifting one perfect hand to his handsome face, as if to trace the line of a scar that wasn't there any more. His blue eyes hardened, becoming ice at some imperceptible thought that crossed his mind. Raspberry wondered what he was thinking to cause such a look of pure, unadulterated hatred to fill his eyes.
"Into Vanilla Cream's territory," Lox purred, her yellow eyes smoldering deviously. "Dear Bagel, this could prove a wonderful opportunity for humiliating both the Sorcerer Hunters and our long-time nemesis Vanilla."
Bagel's frown deepened into a scowl and his hand clenched on his cheek. "I do not wish to simply humiliate her," he growled ominously, turning his icy eyes on his consort. "I want her dead."
"Of course, dear," Lox said soothingly. "And I want her scrying crystal. All in good time, all in good time. We'll get what we want, my love. Wouldn't it make it so much more worth while to do it slowly, though, striping her power away from her little by little, waiting for just the right moment to rip the last of it from her grasp?"
Bagel's eyes narrowed. "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously, lowering his hand from his face.
Lox smirked at him, then turned back to Raspberry, who had been waiting patiently through this entire scene, absorbing everything they were saying. One never knew when it could prove of use to someone else - well, someone else willing to pay for it, of course. Charity never fattened any purses, and Raspberry was disinclined to offer her informational services for free in any case.
"What were you able to find out about the members of this Sorcerer Hunter team?" Lox asked in barely concealed glee.
Raspberry smiled inwardly. *I'll have to wing it a little since they were so damned hard to track, but what little information I was able to gather should be enough to satisfy them for now. I wish I could have learned at least one of their names, but I could never get close enough without someone sensing my presence.*
"They have one mage and four fighters," she reported. The mage will probably be the most useful for your purposes from what you have told me, so I focused most of my attention on him." She had their full attention now, and Lox's eyes fairly burned with anticipation. "He uses the Eastern Magic with wards called ofuda, and he seems to rely heavily on the element of fire and on summoning creatures born of the magic. He also excels at performing holy seals."
"You've done well. That's perfect," Lox hissed, turning slowly to smile at Bagel. "I have just the spell for taking care of this mage." She laughed delightedly. "And I think you will especially like what it will do when he meets Vanilla!"
Bagel looked intrigued. "I'm listening," he prompted irritably when she did not continue.
"Ah-ah-ah, not while little ears are listening in as well," Lox chided, her yellow eyes slanting slyly toward Raspberry.
*Drat.* Raspberry schooled her expression to indifference, but inwardly, she was seething with mingled curiosity and irritation. *Who knows how much money this sudden prudence with information in Lox has cost me? Well, there are other ways for me to find out, I suppose, although that is very annoying. Lox is one of my best sources, too!*
"Tease," Bagel said with a snort of contempt. "You know as well as I do how to deal with this type of thing."
"Mm, yes," Lox said lazily. "Such a pity. Ah, well, that can't be helped." She looked at Raspberry, her smile turning slightly feral, in a way that Raspberry really didn't like. "Now, dear girl, it's time for your reward."
The young sorceress brightened visibly, forgetting her unease in favor of the payment she was about to receive. "The last remaining Magic Arrow from Count Elzian's collection?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course, dear," Lox said easily. "That was the reward we promised you." She flicked her hand at Bagel. "Well? It's your treasure, so you should be the one to deliver it, my love."
"With pleasure," Bagel replied smoothly, and Raspberry suddenly realized that he was holding a bow with the Magic Arrow nocked and ready.
"No offence, dear, but we really can't have you running around out where Vanilla might possibly find you and learn of our plans for her, " Lox said with false regret. "It's just better for us this way. I'm sure you understand."
Too late, Raspberry realized that she had been betrayed. She tried to scream, tried to run, but the arrow caught her in the back, right between her shoulder blades. She fell hard on the slick tiled floor, gasping and slipping in her own blood as she desperately tried to scramble out of their reach.
Too late, Raspberry heard both Bagel and Lox utter the words that would seal her fate: "Big Arrow."
*No! This can't be! They still need me! They can't just - *
Pain ripped through her body, searing her nerve endings with white fire as she screamed helplessly, writhing around the Magic Arrow shaft that had driven straight through her body.
As suddenly as it had begun, it was over, and Raspberry felt herself fading into nothingness.
*No . . . it . . . can't . . . be . . .*
The last sound she heard was Bagel's and Lox's mingled laughter.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Author's note #2: I wrote this story when I was suffering severe writer's block on one of my original works. It was a nice break from that story, and it turned out semi-decent, so I let some of my friends read it. Surprisingly, they liked it, but it sat on my hard drive for a year or so before I decided to come back to it and revise it a little. I'm still nervous about posting this, but I thought I'd see if there was any interest in this story from anyone other than my friends, who'd say that they liked anything that I write, but that's a different story. So if you like it so far, are intrigued, or have any constructive criticism for me (no flames, please, my ego is very fragile - no matter what my roommates might say ^_^), please review and tell me what you think.
Arigatou!
~ Lady Cianyin ~
Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever (or most likely will ever) own the Sorcerer Hunters. Sadly, like every other fanfiction writer out there, I can only borrow them from Akahori and Omishi for a few pages, and then I have to give them back. The only characters I can claim are Bagel, Lox, Raspberry, and Vanilla in this section. But my birthday is next month . . . ^_^
Warnings: Violence and death and heavy borrowing from the manga.
Author's Note: The Sorcerer Hunters we all know and love will appear in the next chapter; this is just the initial setup for the story. Remember, if they are OOC, I made them that way to fit the story. ^_^
Oh, and things in * * are thoughts. Now, on with the story.
"Enter," said the lavender-haired man in a bored tone, waving a blue velvet-sleeved arm negligently. White ruffles poured out of the sleeve, dripping delicate lace over the pale aristocratic hands. He exchanged an amused glance with the woman in red at his side, and her answering smile was vicious.
The huge red wooden doors swung open, and the leafy pattern of pure gold covering them caught the sunlight from the large window and flung it into the eyes of the pale-haired sorceress as she walked through them. She raised her green eyes to the couple seated upon the raised dais on ornately carved golden and ivory thrones. More sunlight streamed from the large skylight above the thrones, bathing their occupants in a bright golden beam.
*This is it,* she thought as she crossed the opalescent-tiled floor to the dais. She suppressed her eager trembling with a considerable effort. *There's no turning back now. Time to put on my best performance.*
"Lord Bagel," Raspberry Tart said, bowing in a calculated depth to him. It had to be just right for the best impression. She turned to the red-haired woman seated in the throne next to Bagel's. "Lady Lox," she said, bowing again, just as deeply as before. "It is an honor to serve you."
"Of course," Lox said, a faint, indifferent smile curving her painted red lips. "What do you have for us?" She tapped the long red fingernails of her left hand on the arm of the throne beneath her hand in a steady rhythm while her right hand supported her cheek.
Her brilliantly yellow eyes bored into Raspberry's unpleasantly, but the fledgling sorceress did not flinch.
*They will reward me well for this information. I need not fear a turn of their favor; if they lose me, they lose their ultimate goal of destroying the Stellar Church,* she reminded herself confidently. *I am invaluable to their cause.*
Raspberry straightened her slender shoulders, shaking her long blond hair out of her eyes to reveal the sorcerer's mark on her forehead. "The Sorcerer Hunters recently deployed by Big Mama have taken the bait," she began. "They are on their way to Split Pea as we speak."
Bagel frowned, lifting one perfect hand to his handsome face, as if to trace the line of a scar that wasn't there any more. His blue eyes hardened, becoming ice at some imperceptible thought that crossed his mind. Raspberry wondered what he was thinking to cause such a look of pure, unadulterated hatred to fill his eyes.
"Into Vanilla Cream's territory," Lox purred, her yellow eyes smoldering deviously. "Dear Bagel, this could prove a wonderful opportunity for humiliating both the Sorcerer Hunters and our long-time nemesis Vanilla."
Bagel's frown deepened into a scowl and his hand clenched on his cheek. "I do not wish to simply humiliate her," he growled ominously, turning his icy eyes on his consort. "I want her dead."
"Of course, dear," Lox said soothingly. "And I want her scrying crystal. All in good time, all in good time. We'll get what we want, my love. Wouldn't it make it so much more worth while to do it slowly, though, striping her power away from her little by little, waiting for just the right moment to rip the last of it from her grasp?"
Bagel's eyes narrowed. "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously, lowering his hand from his face.
Lox smirked at him, then turned back to Raspberry, who had been waiting patiently through this entire scene, absorbing everything they were saying. One never knew when it could prove of use to someone else - well, someone else willing to pay for it, of course. Charity never fattened any purses, and Raspberry was disinclined to offer her informational services for free in any case.
"What were you able to find out about the members of this Sorcerer Hunter team?" Lox asked in barely concealed glee.
Raspberry smiled inwardly. *I'll have to wing it a little since they were so damned hard to track, but what little information I was able to gather should be enough to satisfy them for now. I wish I could have learned at least one of their names, but I could never get close enough without someone sensing my presence.*
"They have one mage and four fighters," she reported. The mage will probably be the most useful for your purposes from what you have told me, so I focused most of my attention on him." She had their full attention now, and Lox's eyes fairly burned with anticipation. "He uses the Eastern Magic with wards called ofuda, and he seems to rely heavily on the element of fire and on summoning creatures born of the magic. He also excels at performing holy seals."
"You've done well. That's perfect," Lox hissed, turning slowly to smile at Bagel. "I have just the spell for taking care of this mage." She laughed delightedly. "And I think you will especially like what it will do when he meets Vanilla!"
Bagel looked intrigued. "I'm listening," he prompted irritably when she did not continue.
"Ah-ah-ah, not while little ears are listening in as well," Lox chided, her yellow eyes slanting slyly toward Raspberry.
*Drat.* Raspberry schooled her expression to indifference, but inwardly, she was seething with mingled curiosity and irritation. *Who knows how much money this sudden prudence with information in Lox has cost me? Well, there are other ways for me to find out, I suppose, although that is very annoying. Lox is one of my best sources, too!*
"Tease," Bagel said with a snort of contempt. "You know as well as I do how to deal with this type of thing."
"Mm, yes," Lox said lazily. "Such a pity. Ah, well, that can't be helped." She looked at Raspberry, her smile turning slightly feral, in a way that Raspberry really didn't like. "Now, dear girl, it's time for your reward."
The young sorceress brightened visibly, forgetting her unease in favor of the payment she was about to receive. "The last remaining Magic Arrow from Count Elzian's collection?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course, dear," Lox said easily. "That was the reward we promised you." She flicked her hand at Bagel. "Well? It's your treasure, so you should be the one to deliver it, my love."
"With pleasure," Bagel replied smoothly, and Raspberry suddenly realized that he was holding a bow with the Magic Arrow nocked and ready.
"No offence, dear, but we really can't have you running around out where Vanilla might possibly find you and learn of our plans for her, " Lox said with false regret. "It's just better for us this way. I'm sure you understand."
Too late, Raspberry realized that she had been betrayed. She tried to scream, tried to run, but the arrow caught her in the back, right between her shoulder blades. She fell hard on the slick tiled floor, gasping and slipping in her own blood as she desperately tried to scramble out of their reach.
Too late, Raspberry heard both Bagel and Lox utter the words that would seal her fate: "Big Arrow."
*No! This can't be! They still need me! They can't just - *
Pain ripped through her body, searing her nerve endings with white fire as she screamed helplessly, writhing around the Magic Arrow shaft that had driven straight through her body.
As suddenly as it had begun, it was over, and Raspberry felt herself fading into nothingness.
*No . . . it . . . can't . . . be . . .*
The last sound she heard was Bagel's and Lox's mingled laughter.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Author's note #2: I wrote this story when I was suffering severe writer's block on one of my original works. It was a nice break from that story, and it turned out semi-decent, so I let some of my friends read it. Surprisingly, they liked it, but it sat on my hard drive for a year or so before I decided to come back to it and revise it a little. I'm still nervous about posting this, but I thought I'd see if there was any interest in this story from anyone other than my friends, who'd say that they liked anything that I write, but that's a different story. So if you like it so far, are intrigued, or have any constructive criticism for me (no flames, please, my ego is very fragile - no matter what my roommates might say ^_^), please review and tell me what you think.
Arigatou!
~ Lady Cianyin ~