Title: Another Day on the Road

Summary: It certainly took a long time for the Dragon Knights to get back from recovering Nadil's head. Or maybe not so long, considering all the side trips, demon fights, and treasure hunts the group went on. A missing tale from the road, where Rath fights, Thatz whines, and Rune wonders why he's doing this in the first place.

Notes: I'm pretty sure that Rune is writing this vicariously through me. Nah, this is just my addition to Manga #1. 'Cause it was so cool. And it's humorous because, well... seriously, read the first manga. That is the funniest shit ever.

Warnings: Violence. Much of it threatened by Rune.

Disclaimer: Na-na-naaaaa, I can't heeeeear you...

Another Day on the Road

Strangely enough, Rune awoke to the sound of shouting.

"Thatz!" A smacking sound. "Tell me, Thatz! Tell me, tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"About the demon! You were just talking about it!"

"I said nothing! Now get off!" There was a brief sound of struggle, and then a loud bang echoed throughout the room. "Ow! Ow, Rath! Ge'off!"

"You're on my arm!"

"Get off – my – HEAD!"

A few moments later, during which – Rune assumed, from his position with his head buried in his pillow – Rath and Thatz struggled, got their clothes tangled up, and wound up breaking both a vase and a table, there was a sudden silence throughout the room. Rune fought the urge to sigh in relief, hoping – but not believing – that the fight was finally over, and he could go back to sleep.

Please, please, please, just make them shut up, Rune thought desperately. However, whatever forces were at work in the universe decided not to listen.

"Thatz," Rath whined, breaking the silence, "Tell me about the demons!"

"No! We're not going to go hunt demons!"

"You're just lazy!"

"Yes! And hungry!" Rune heard Thatz begin to walk around – he knew it was Thatz because it was hard to hear the sound of the footsteps, even though the thief wasn't trying to be quiet; if Thatz hadn't wanted to be heard, Rune knew that he wouldn't have heard. Then Thatz continued, "Where is our breakfast? Didn't Rune pick something up yesterday?"

"It's probably under this mess somewhere," answered Rath, with a pout to his voice that Rune could clearly hear. Envisioning the possible mess that had resulted from the fight, Rune resisted sobbing – it would surely cost more to pay for the damages to the hotel room, and knowing his luck, Rune would have to explain it all. He could picture it now: "Gosh, I'm sorry about the room, miss. It's just that my companions act like four-year-olds who need to be watched all the time, and I needed to sleep." That likely wouldn't go over too well.

There was the sound of shuffling, and another smashing sound. "Oh, shit, I broke a picture. Oh, well. It was ugly anyway."

"Rune's going to be mad at you," sang Rath in a sing-song voice.

"You're the one who started the fight," Thatz defended. "Now help me find the food."

The sounds softened to the steady theme of sorting, and Rune felt himself relaxing once again in sleep. He didn't dare check what time it actually was – likely was way too early to be up. Rune didn't know why Thatz was up, as the thief tended to sleep until it was time to leave – mere minutes before, at times –, but if Thatz was hungry, Rune knew he would forego sleep. It seemed the only thing more important to Thatz than his rest was his stomach. As for Rath, Rune wasn't sure. The demon-hunter was somewhat of an enigma, even now after so many years of knowing him. In any case, it wasn't too strange that Rath was up.

"I found it!" came the all-too-cheerful voice of Rath, and the crumpling sound of paper.

"Great! Give it here!"

"No! Tell me where the demons are!"

"Argh, shut up!" Thatz sounded very aggravated. "I just want to eat. If you ask Rune nicely, maybe he'll let you hunt demons, and then I'll tell you, but right now I just want my food!"

"Rune won't let me! He's mean."

"Yes. Yes, he is. Now give me my food."

"Tell me where the demons are! Maybe I can go get one before Rune wakes up!"

"No, Rath! Please give it to me!"

"No!" And then the very distinct sound of someone sticking their tongue out and blowing.

"Argh!" Another loud bang, and the sounds of a scuffle. Every so often, Rune could hear a distinct voice or threat – "Dammit, Rath!", "Take that! Bah!" –, but for the most part, the sounds all melted together into one loud fight. Rune's fists clenched.

"Give it to me! Ouch! You ass!"

"All – ow! – you have to do – omph – is tell me!"

"Hey, stop pulling my hair!"

"Ack! You bit me!"

Rune could feel his fingers twitching, his veins throbbing, and his eyebrows narrowing. Even his hair felt stressed. His annoyance was growing with increasing intensity.

"You deserved it – ow! Ow, ow, ow! That hurt!"

"I'm bleeding!"

"You didn't have to kick me! Now – give me my – FOOD!"

"No! You'll never get it! Now that you've bit me!"

Finally, Rune had enough. He sat up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and glaring at his roommates in one move, his body trembling with irritation.

"Would both of you shut the HELL up?!" snapped Rune, eyebrow twitching. Like rats who have suddenly noticed the presence of a cat, Rath and Thatz halted mid-fight, both poised quite humorously in the midst of attacking each other. They had enough grace to look shameful, though they clearly were just waiting to see how Rune would react.

Rune calmed down a bit, opting to simply glower at the two of them balefully for waking him up, and deliberately not noticing the disarray in the room. He didn't have the energy to yell at them. Especially since, Rune noted as he glanced out the window, it was still dark out. Rune sighed, it's too early to be UP yet, much less baby-sitting these two. It was just his luck.

Noticing Rune's lack of action, Thatz and Rath relaxed as well, sitting atop a pile of a broken mess. For a few blessed moments, no one said anything. But then Rath opted to try his luck.

"Rune? Do you know where the demons are located?"

And that was it.

"Argh!" Rune cried out, unable to express just how irritated he really was. Instead he grabbed his pillow and blanket, and stormed towards the door, trying as hard as he could not to turn right around and throttle his roommates.

"Where are you going, Rune?" Thatz asked, apparently recovered from any guilt he may have felt over the whole thing. He was munching calmly on an apple that had fallen from the bag of food.

"Rune?" Rath asked quizzically, resembling nothing more than an innocent child.

"I'm sleeping outside!" snarled Rune in response, and he left, slamming the door on the way out.

Another brief silence occurred, in which Rath and Thatz stared at the closed door with perplexed expressions. Then Thatz turned to Rath.

"I wonder what's wrong with him?"