Girl in the Forest
"Wake up Stahn," called Lilith, "Your breakfast is getting cold. Come to the table this instant young man."
The blue-eyed man with long blond hair yawned and climbed down the ladder from the top bunk of the pair of beds. Stahn loved sleep more than anything, and hated being woken up in the morning. "Lilith, why can't you let me sleep in?" he asked.
Lilith yelled, "Because I'm not cooking another breakfast. Either you wake up on time in the morning, or learn to cook for yourself!"
Stahn grumbled, and followed Lilith into the kitchen. He toyed with his food for a bit, and then - -noticing his sister's glare - - he ate it all. Once he had finished his breakfast, Stahn got up and began to leave the house.
"And where do you think you're going?" Lilith questioned.
"Training maneuver," replied Stahn, "In the south forest."
Both Lilith and Grandpa Thomas dropped their forks. "Stahn! What have I always told you about going to that place?" inquired Thomas.
Stahn sighed. "Never go into the woods. It's said to be haunted by evil spirits. Anyone who goes into the forest is never seen again. But grandpa. . .I'm nineteen years old, no longer a child. I have the right to make my own decisions."
Thomas said, "I'm just worried about you. Before my only child died, he only had one son of his own. You're the only one who can carry on the Aileron name. So promise me Stahn.you'll never go to visit that place."
"I promise," stated Stahn. But no one saw the fingers that he'd kept behind his back were crossed. He went to his room and changed into a white tunic and red breeches. Then, he put on some iron boots, gauntlets, and armor. Over that went another suit of armor that vanished upon coming into contact with his body. Just before leaving, Stahn grabbed his spear.
Stahn left the village and headed for the woods. He knew his sister and grandfather wouldn't be suspicious since he often went to the fields outside of town to train. It was in fact the place where most young warriors trained. The young warrior climbed a plateau, and soon came to the forest.
The young man walked around a bit. All the monsters he faced were the same weaklings that lived in the field. Stahn couldn't understand how people were disappearing here. After all, these beasts were no match for a young untried Dragoon, let alone full blooded warriors. He began to think that all the tales he'd heard were just told to scare him.
Suddenly, he heard a lout howl from the trees. Stahn looked up and saw a girl about his age. She had long black hair and ethereal violet eyes. Her body was wrapped in some sort of animal skin, and at the point where an animal's tail would be, she'd tied a good-sized lock of her hair. A closer inspection showed her hair was uneven, perhaps as a result of creating her "tail".
"Vaporeon," she screamed as she vaulted out of the tree. The girl landed on top of Stahn, knocking him down.
'This must be who's been killing the people who enter the forest,' he thought, 'I can't use my weapon, she's unarmed. So I'll have to use my fists to fight her.'
Stahn kicked her off his body. When she charged him again, he punched her in the stomach. The girl tried to stand, but was unable to do so.
Stahn turned to leave. But just then, he heard a girl's voice begging him to wait. When he looked back, all Stahn saw was the girl he'd fought.
"Please hear me out," she begged, "Since you've defeated me in combat, you are now my master. That is the way it's always been among us Pokèmon."
Stahn stifled his laughter at the young girl's claim. "But you're not a Pokèmon. You're a human being, just like me."
"Well, that's where you're wrong. When I was small, a sorceress burned my family out of our home. Only my twin sister and I survived. The sorceress transformed me into a human from my Vaporeon body. My sister and I then made our home with a family of Growlith," she stated.
Stahn found some verifiability to her story. The older villagers often told of a great fire nearly seventeen years ago. Stories also spoke of it occurring after the mysterious sinking of a ship carrying a Sienegaldian noblewoman. Ever since he was a boy, Stahn believed the events to be related. This sorceress could very well connect them.
"Ok, you can come home with me," said Stahn, "But first, I'm Stahn Aileron. What is your name miss.assuming you have one."
The girl replied, "It's Rutee. . .Rutee Katrea. That's the only thing the only thing my sister and I remember before the fire. . .our names."
As if on cue, a Vaporeon ran into the clearing. She began to sniff Stahn to see if he was friendly. "This is my twin sister Vapor. Can she come too?" asked Rutee.
"Sure," answered Stahn, "I'm sure Lilith and grandpa won't mind. Just let me do the talking and everything will be ok."
* * *
"Stahn! What did you do to this girl?" demanded Lilith.
Stahn began the little story he'd cooked up. "She tried to cross the forest, and her clothes were ripped up. When I found her in the field, I skinned a monster to make her something to wear. Then I said she could stay with us. Any problems?"
"No," replied Lilith, "Just let me get the poor girl some new clothes. And a good haircut."
* * *
Lilith dressed Rutee in some of her clothes, and cut her hair in a neat arc around her face. Then they went to the clothing shop to buy her some things of her own. They took a long time to figure out what to get as Rutee had never been in a clothing shop before. She finally settled on a light blue tube top like dress, black shoes, and a light blue choker. On the dress was a pair of strange symbols in gold. The top one looked like a T, only the horizontal line was slightly slanted, two more horizontal lines crossed below it, and the bottom curved like a scythe. Below it was what appeared to be a rectangle laying horizontally, with two vertical rectangles - - laying contiguous to each other - - right underneath it.
They returned home later that day, just in time for Lilith to cook dinner. All four humans in the house enjoyed Chicken Fajita Pasta Salad. Vapor was given some of the extra chopped up chicken. When it was finished, they all relaxed.
At bedtime, Stahn slept on the couch while Rutee took his bed. But she slept very little the whole night. For her dreams were haunted by fire, and the sound of a woman's scream.
- - - -
How was it? The part where Stahn puts on his armor was making fun of the fact that you never seem to change clothes when you change armor in an RPG- except Legend of Legia-but some characters do wear armor. I'll go into it in detail later. Oh, and the symbol on Rutee's dress is Japanese for the art of causing illusions (magic).
"Wake up Stahn," called Lilith, "Your breakfast is getting cold. Come to the table this instant young man."
The blue-eyed man with long blond hair yawned and climbed down the ladder from the top bunk of the pair of beds. Stahn loved sleep more than anything, and hated being woken up in the morning. "Lilith, why can't you let me sleep in?" he asked.
Lilith yelled, "Because I'm not cooking another breakfast. Either you wake up on time in the morning, or learn to cook for yourself!"
Stahn grumbled, and followed Lilith into the kitchen. He toyed with his food for a bit, and then - -noticing his sister's glare - - he ate it all. Once he had finished his breakfast, Stahn got up and began to leave the house.
"And where do you think you're going?" Lilith questioned.
"Training maneuver," replied Stahn, "In the south forest."
Both Lilith and Grandpa Thomas dropped their forks. "Stahn! What have I always told you about going to that place?" inquired Thomas.
Stahn sighed. "Never go into the woods. It's said to be haunted by evil spirits. Anyone who goes into the forest is never seen again. But grandpa. . .I'm nineteen years old, no longer a child. I have the right to make my own decisions."
Thomas said, "I'm just worried about you. Before my only child died, he only had one son of his own. You're the only one who can carry on the Aileron name. So promise me Stahn.you'll never go to visit that place."
"I promise," stated Stahn. But no one saw the fingers that he'd kept behind his back were crossed. He went to his room and changed into a white tunic and red breeches. Then, he put on some iron boots, gauntlets, and armor. Over that went another suit of armor that vanished upon coming into contact with his body. Just before leaving, Stahn grabbed his spear.
Stahn left the village and headed for the woods. He knew his sister and grandfather wouldn't be suspicious since he often went to the fields outside of town to train. It was in fact the place where most young warriors trained. The young warrior climbed a plateau, and soon came to the forest.
The young man walked around a bit. All the monsters he faced were the same weaklings that lived in the field. Stahn couldn't understand how people were disappearing here. After all, these beasts were no match for a young untried Dragoon, let alone full blooded warriors. He began to think that all the tales he'd heard were just told to scare him.
Suddenly, he heard a lout howl from the trees. Stahn looked up and saw a girl about his age. She had long black hair and ethereal violet eyes. Her body was wrapped in some sort of animal skin, and at the point where an animal's tail would be, she'd tied a good-sized lock of her hair. A closer inspection showed her hair was uneven, perhaps as a result of creating her "tail".
"Vaporeon," she screamed as she vaulted out of the tree. The girl landed on top of Stahn, knocking him down.
'This must be who's been killing the people who enter the forest,' he thought, 'I can't use my weapon, she's unarmed. So I'll have to use my fists to fight her.'
Stahn kicked her off his body. When she charged him again, he punched her in the stomach. The girl tried to stand, but was unable to do so.
Stahn turned to leave. But just then, he heard a girl's voice begging him to wait. When he looked back, all Stahn saw was the girl he'd fought.
"Please hear me out," she begged, "Since you've defeated me in combat, you are now my master. That is the way it's always been among us Pokèmon."
Stahn stifled his laughter at the young girl's claim. "But you're not a Pokèmon. You're a human being, just like me."
"Well, that's where you're wrong. When I was small, a sorceress burned my family out of our home. Only my twin sister and I survived. The sorceress transformed me into a human from my Vaporeon body. My sister and I then made our home with a family of Growlith," she stated.
Stahn found some verifiability to her story. The older villagers often told of a great fire nearly seventeen years ago. Stories also spoke of it occurring after the mysterious sinking of a ship carrying a Sienegaldian noblewoman. Ever since he was a boy, Stahn believed the events to be related. This sorceress could very well connect them.
"Ok, you can come home with me," said Stahn, "But first, I'm Stahn Aileron. What is your name miss.assuming you have one."
The girl replied, "It's Rutee. . .Rutee Katrea. That's the only thing the only thing my sister and I remember before the fire. . .our names."
As if on cue, a Vaporeon ran into the clearing. She began to sniff Stahn to see if he was friendly. "This is my twin sister Vapor. Can she come too?" asked Rutee.
"Sure," answered Stahn, "I'm sure Lilith and grandpa won't mind. Just let me do the talking and everything will be ok."
* * *
"Stahn! What did you do to this girl?" demanded Lilith.
Stahn began the little story he'd cooked up. "She tried to cross the forest, and her clothes were ripped up. When I found her in the field, I skinned a monster to make her something to wear. Then I said she could stay with us. Any problems?"
"No," replied Lilith, "Just let me get the poor girl some new clothes. And a good haircut."
* * *
Lilith dressed Rutee in some of her clothes, and cut her hair in a neat arc around her face. Then they went to the clothing shop to buy her some things of her own. They took a long time to figure out what to get as Rutee had never been in a clothing shop before. She finally settled on a light blue tube top like dress, black shoes, and a light blue choker. On the dress was a pair of strange symbols in gold. The top one looked like a T, only the horizontal line was slightly slanted, two more horizontal lines crossed below it, and the bottom curved like a scythe. Below it was what appeared to be a rectangle laying horizontally, with two vertical rectangles - - laying contiguous to each other - - right underneath it.
They returned home later that day, just in time for Lilith to cook dinner. All four humans in the house enjoyed Chicken Fajita Pasta Salad. Vapor was given some of the extra chopped up chicken. When it was finished, they all relaxed.
At bedtime, Stahn slept on the couch while Rutee took his bed. But she slept very little the whole night. For her dreams were haunted by fire, and the sound of a woman's scream.
- - - -
How was it? The part where Stahn puts on his armor was making fun of the fact that you never seem to change clothes when you change armor in an RPG- except Legend of Legia-but some characters do wear armor. I'll go into it in detail later. Oh, and the symbol on Rutee's dress is Japanese for the art of causing illusions (magic).