:: Through the Rain ::
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or the title. SSO belongs to Hajima Sadawa (who did the manga, which is the original work in this case). The title belongs to Mariah Carey's new song... .o Forgive my unoriginality, but it was what inspired this fic in the first place and... Er... Disclaimers shouldn't be this long. o.o;
Rating: G
Pairings: None, really (wow! I did a Majic fic without a pairing! O.O)
Warnings: None. Wow. o.o;;
Notes: *claps* A Majic-fic! With no pairings! I'm amazed at myself.
Silken Fire is being evil again because my Writer's Block is REALLY bad without Muse-chan around to help with it. *sniff* I know what I want to do, sort of, but I have no idea how to do it. So when things like that come up, I come up with weird little ficlets like this.
Hope you all enjoy it. I encourage criticism, so please feel free to tear the fic to pieces. ^_^
He'd been told several times -- every time he'd gone to play outside, actually -- that the forest behind their home was too dangerous a place to play in. Majic Rin was a good boy, and he'd always done what his parents had told him. Even after his mother mysteriously vanished before he had even reached five years of age, he'd always heeded her warnings.
Growing up in Totokanta, Majic had heard many stories about the forest, the very same one. Many of the stories were outrageous, but people seemed to believe that there was always a little truth beneath wild tales, and so the only people to have ever ventured into its depths were hunters and a few brave teenagers.
When Majic began to take part in intermediate education, he met a few of those brave teens. Mostly boys, and mostly done on bets, they were usually reckless people that he found himself wishing to not associate himself with. It was hard enough as it was to go to school the required six days a week, one of those days a simple half day. His father's business at the tavern they lived in had been doing poorly since his mother had disappeared, most likely because of rumors. But because of this, the boy found it hard to make friends at school. After all, who wanted to be friends with someone who barely had the time to give you a formal greeting every morning?
After a while, he simply stopped trying. Perhaps that was what proved to be his mistake, or maybe it wasn't his fault at all.
Because of his "loner" status, Majic was rarely approached by anyone other than girls who wanted to borrow a pencil. It startled him, then, during one lunch recess that a small bunch of his male classmates came up to him one afternoon.
"Your name's Majic, right?" one of them asked.
Majic blinked his girlishly wide turquoise eyes, visibly taken aback. "Yes," he said, earning snickers from two dark-haired boys behind the first. The first boy hushed them, scowling and narrowing ice gray eyes. Majic knew him by name; he was Aizada, and was one of what his father would call a "delinquent."
Aizada turned back to the blonde, who was now nervous. Even before he had stopped attempting to befriend people, Majic had always steered clear of him particularly. Aizada was a year younger than he, at age twelve, but something about the way his eyes could glint with a silver flash always scared Majic. "Are you doing anything after school?"
The blonde rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "I do have to help Father with the tavern, and no doubt we'll have homework--"
"It'll just be for a few minutes," Aizada coaxed. "Me and my friends just need your opinion on something."
If it was for a few minutes, Majic was sure it couldn't hurt. His father was a little lax with him, many a time telling him to go out and play for a while whilst he tended to things on his own, but most of the time he'd refused. Taking up the often-offered freedom once shouldn't have been too bad, after all.
He agreed, and was told to meet them outside the school gates when classes were over. Still uneasy, Majic reluctantly nodded.
Most of them were waiting for him outside a few hours later, grinning expectantly. Aizada immediately went to work in false attempts to put the boy at ease, which only made Majic regret everything all the more.
"Have you ever been into the Kaschu Forest, Majic?" a thirteen-year-old beside Aizada asked suddenly, a strange light that wasn't entirely curiosity in his green eyes.
Majic shook his head, brushing stray strands of dust-gold blonde hair from his eyes. "No. Mother and Father always told me not to." He could hear a few muffled giggles in response, as well as a murmured, "Momma's boy," somewhere in the back. He ducked his head, blushing furiously.
"Isn't your mother--" Aizada elbowed a third boy, gray eyes glimmering dangerously. Majic faltered in his next step, dread growing on him.
He glanced up, saying in a somewhat shaking voice, "It looks like it'll rain... Are you sure it has to be today?"
"All the better," Aizada replied, smirking. "Rain just makes the sight even more... Interesting."
Majic bit his lip but kept silent. He began to fidget when they grew nearer to the edges of the Kaschu Forest; the exact same one his mother had always warned him about. The long grass rustled in the breeze that had picked up, and Majic felt a single raindrop fall on his nose.
"Ah," he began uncertainly, but then Aizada stopped and turned, eyes glittering with something full of mischief. The blonde cringed, taking a step back, but was quickly stopped by a chestnut-haired kid he vaguely knew was called Hajirito.
"Aizada didn't say you could go anywhere," he practically hissed.
"Aw, be nice," Aizada said in mock-chastisement, smirking. "We don't want to scare him off. Majic, I want you to do me a favour."
"W-what?" the nervous blonde stammered, disliking the situation more and more. Hajirito's grip on him slackened, and suddenly he was shoved forward, toward the forest.
The gray-eyed youth licked his lips, pulling something from deep within his pack. Metal glinted faintly as it began to sprinkle, tiny drops slipping down its cold surface. Majic paled; how had he gotten a gun?! Those things were so hard to find, and did he even know how to use it?
"We'll give you a head start," he said calmly. "You have five minutes to run into the forest, and we'll see if we can hunt you down. Run anywhere else, I'll shoot you on the spot." As though to back up his statement, he fired the gun into the air with a loud bang. A loud yelp of fear escaped the trembling blonde before him, and he grinned wickedly. "One... Two..."
Without so much as even a wordless exclamation, Majic bolted.
Hajirito snickered. "Nice victim, Aizada."
The addressed boy grinned, tapping the gun against his side. "Kid's an idiot," he mused. "And he really IS a loner. Any idiot 'round here knows I can't shoot for my life... And besides, Dad only lets me have blanks for practice." An almost mournful sigh escaped his lips. "Too bad. That was my last one."
Appreciative laughter rolled over his friends. Unknown to them a single figure watched, a frown gracing positively male features. The frown quickly changed to a mischievous smirk, and a soft incantation passed his lips.
Aizada dropped the gun back into his pack, heedless of the loud thump. "Well, our fun's over. If he's lucky, we'll see him at school tom--"
A sudden shriek emitted from Hajirito and the gray-eyed boy whirled, eyes widening as blue fire burst forth from a nearby shrubbery.
The boys scattered, several of them shrieking, and all the hidden figure did was chuckle. Served them right, picking on kids like that...
It was raining steadily by the time Majic came to a halt, nearing hyperventilation as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn't heard them following him, but he HAD heard screams a short while ago, which had only succeeded in frightening him more.
He sank to his knees, heedless of the mud soaking through his pants. There was a stitch in his side that hurt badly and he clutched at it in an attempt to quell the pain, whimpering softly. It was beginning to catch up with him that he was in the forbidden forest... Oh, his mother would be so disappointed if she knew!
Brushing away blonde strands sticking to his face he glanced up, shivering. The forest was dark and cold, and he was soaking... Not to mention he had no idea where he was.
"Father," he whispered, biting on his lip. 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot...'
He was at a complete loss as to what to do. Surely he could have simply turned around and gone back the way he'd come, but that was impossible. He couldn't remember which way he'd come from. He was in unfamiliar, forbidden territory. And, for the first time he could consciously recall, he's disobeyed his parents' wishes.
Majic was thoroughly disgusted with himself to the point of tears.
He sniffled, wiping his eyes on his wet sleeve, knowing it would do little good. If he called for help, would anyone hear him? It was doubtful in this weather, as everyone would be inside, but it was worth a shot.
Majic got to his feet, cupping his hands around his mouth as he cried, "Help!" His only response was a strong gust of wind that whipped wet hair in his eyes. It stung but he just pushed his wet hair back, flecks of water flying at the movement. "HELP!" he screamed louder, calling over and over again.
The weather seemed to taunt him; clouds grew blacker, and it began to rain so hard that there finally wasn't a dry spot on his body. Majic wrapped his arms around himself, shivering and crying to himself. He collapsed against the rough bark of a tree, hearing a tear of something snagging his sleeve. He brought a hand to his face, trying to stifle his cries. Tears would do him no good right now. He had to think of something.
As he slowly calmed down, his mind began to piece the events together. No one was after him, if they even had been in the first place. It was growing dark, raining hard, and he had no idea where he was. No one could hear his cries, which only disheartened him to know that he was so deep in the woods. Everything looked the same to him. Every tree and shrubbery was set at complete random.
Majic slowly picked himself up, driving his knuckles into his head as he thought. Obviously sitting still would do him no good, especially not with the risk of dangerous animals. Hunters had told tales of creepy things they'd seen; strange hairless wolves, a flesh-eating wild woman, rabid rodents, violent birds... All sorts of things that Majic couldn't help but fear in the dark setting.
He let out a shuddering breath, deciding the only thing he could do, the only option open to him, was to wander around and hope he didn't go even deeper into the woods.
He began to walk, stumbling over roots impossible to see in all the rain. He quickly grew tired; the pain in his side had yet to heal, and quickly reminded him of it after what couldn't have been any more than five minutes. Many times he stopped, but each time a mixture of fear and determination would push him onward.
Perhaps on a sunny day he would have appreciated the Kaschu Forest. On brighter days the leaves were fresh and green. Around spring, little yellow blossoms would bud, blanketing the treetops with gold. Some of the trees had pale, smooth trunks that would have been good to carve into useful, sturdy things, such as tables, chairs, even tools, perhaps.
Several times Majic would pause and look at his surroundings, trying to assure himself he wasn't going in circles. The woods didn't thin out any, nor did they grow any more dense. His hair was plastered to his head; raindrops dripped off his nose. Every time he shook his head water would spray in all directions, a useless thing to do since it would become soaked again in a matter of seconds.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been at least two hours. In no time he could hear distant howls that sent cold chills down his spine, shaking his thin frame. He glanced down; his pants were dirty, his boots caked with mud and grass, small twigs sticking out from his soles. He sneezed twice, dismayed to think that he might be sick after this.
Of course, it wouldn't matter if he couldn't even find his way home!
But he was determined more than ever now. The cold malice in Aizada's eyes stuck out in his mind, making him grit his teeth and trudge on. 'I won't lose to you,' he thought in uncharacteristic anger. 'I won't let you push me around. I'm tired of it, and I WILL make it home!' Then he would come to school the next day, sick or no, and smile at Aizada and his friends. He WOULD get through this, because he hated being a victim to anyone!
His determination faltered few to several times. He collapsed once, legs shaking, tired and hurt. His calves ached; he wasn't used to so much exercise. He was a thin boy, but that was mostly because his father barely made enough to put food on the table and keep the tavern going. Slowly business was growing better, but it was a gradual thing, all the same.
He groaned softly, tightening his arms as he tried to keep himself warm. "... Help," he whispered hoarsely, curling up on the cold ground. "Anyone, please..." And then exhaustion finally took its toll on him, and he passed out.
The first thing he noted when he awoke was that his head ached. He could feel the blood throbbing in his temples and he groaned, lashes fluttering open.
Light blinded him and he winced. When his eyes finally adjusted, he found himself in a room. The only light was from a lamp, a brightly lit one, and he was in his own room. He tried to sit up, but the pain kept him from doing so, making him sorely aware of his hurting limbs.
"... How...?" he rasped, rubbing his forehead weakly. He knew he'd fainted in the forest -- or passed out; fainted sounded so hurtfully girlish to him -- but how close had he been to home by then, and who had brought him back here? Surely he would have remembered coming back on his own!
It was a good hour or so before he could force himself out of bed, changing into fresh clothes (someone had put pajamas on him whilst he was unconscious) and slowly making his way downstairs.
He wasn't surprised to see his father, but it did strike him odd that there was a customer there. He must have come while he'd been asleep; surely he would have remembered this person!
His father noticed him, frowning disapprovingly. "Why are you up? You're sick; go back to bed."
Majic shook his head, wincing as a sharp pain in his skull flared once again. "No, school--"
"It's too late to go to school; it's well past noon," Bagup Rin said firmly. "Go on back to bed, and when you wake up I'll hear your side of the story."
Majic blinked, utterly confused. "My side?"
"Yo," a new voice cut in, and he focused his attention on the customer. He was rather young, either in his late teens or early twenties, and was grinning, though it seemed a bit more like a smirk to the boy. Unlike Aizada's unnerving smile, however, this one was simply one of mild amusement.
"This young man found you in Kaschu Forest," Bagup explained. "If what he says is true, some boys threatened you with a gun?"
"Yeah," Majic said slowly.
"No worries," the young man said, shrugging. "The brat only had blanks, and he used the last one to scare you." Sienna-coloured eyes glinted with smugness. "I scared 'em off shortly afterwards."
Which must have been the screams he'd heard...
"Go on to bed," Bagup repeated a third time, moving to physically urge his son to do so.
"Wait," Majic protested, gripping a chair to keep himself balanced; his knees felt oddly weak. "Who are you?"
"Orphen," the man answered simply, spiky chestnut hair shifting as he turned his face away, a strange smile playing on his lips.
"To bed," Bagup said yet again.
Majic nodded and stumbled back up the stairs, relieved to finally crawl beneath the covers. He settled down, a sort of drug-like sleep blanketing him comfortingly. He fisted sheets in his hand, slowly drifting off, grateful that even if he hadn't been able to do it entirely on his own, he had made it through the wind and rain and was safely home, oblivious to the knowledge that it had only been a prelude to his adventures to come.
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or the title. SSO belongs to Hajima Sadawa (who did the manga, which is the original work in this case). The title belongs to Mariah Carey's new song... .o Forgive my unoriginality, but it was what inspired this fic in the first place and... Er... Disclaimers shouldn't be this long. o.o;
Rating: G
Pairings: None, really (wow! I did a Majic fic without a pairing! O.O)
Warnings: None. Wow. o.o;;
Notes: *claps* A Majic-fic! With no pairings! I'm amazed at myself.
Silken Fire is being evil again because my Writer's Block is REALLY bad without Muse-chan around to help with it. *sniff* I know what I want to do, sort of, but I have no idea how to do it. So when things like that come up, I come up with weird little ficlets like this.
Hope you all enjoy it. I encourage criticism, so please feel free to tear the fic to pieces. ^_^
He'd been told several times -- every time he'd gone to play outside, actually -- that the forest behind their home was too dangerous a place to play in. Majic Rin was a good boy, and he'd always done what his parents had told him. Even after his mother mysteriously vanished before he had even reached five years of age, he'd always heeded her warnings.
Growing up in Totokanta, Majic had heard many stories about the forest, the very same one. Many of the stories were outrageous, but people seemed to believe that there was always a little truth beneath wild tales, and so the only people to have ever ventured into its depths were hunters and a few brave teenagers.
When Majic began to take part in intermediate education, he met a few of those brave teens. Mostly boys, and mostly done on bets, they were usually reckless people that he found himself wishing to not associate himself with. It was hard enough as it was to go to school the required six days a week, one of those days a simple half day. His father's business at the tavern they lived in had been doing poorly since his mother had disappeared, most likely because of rumors. But because of this, the boy found it hard to make friends at school. After all, who wanted to be friends with someone who barely had the time to give you a formal greeting every morning?
After a while, he simply stopped trying. Perhaps that was what proved to be his mistake, or maybe it wasn't his fault at all.
Because of his "loner" status, Majic was rarely approached by anyone other than girls who wanted to borrow a pencil. It startled him, then, during one lunch recess that a small bunch of his male classmates came up to him one afternoon.
"Your name's Majic, right?" one of them asked.
Majic blinked his girlishly wide turquoise eyes, visibly taken aback. "Yes," he said, earning snickers from two dark-haired boys behind the first. The first boy hushed them, scowling and narrowing ice gray eyes. Majic knew him by name; he was Aizada, and was one of what his father would call a "delinquent."
Aizada turned back to the blonde, who was now nervous. Even before he had stopped attempting to befriend people, Majic had always steered clear of him particularly. Aizada was a year younger than he, at age twelve, but something about the way his eyes could glint with a silver flash always scared Majic. "Are you doing anything after school?"
The blonde rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "I do have to help Father with the tavern, and no doubt we'll have homework--"
"It'll just be for a few minutes," Aizada coaxed. "Me and my friends just need your opinion on something."
If it was for a few minutes, Majic was sure it couldn't hurt. His father was a little lax with him, many a time telling him to go out and play for a while whilst he tended to things on his own, but most of the time he'd refused. Taking up the often-offered freedom once shouldn't have been too bad, after all.
He agreed, and was told to meet them outside the school gates when classes were over. Still uneasy, Majic reluctantly nodded.
Most of them were waiting for him outside a few hours later, grinning expectantly. Aizada immediately went to work in false attempts to put the boy at ease, which only made Majic regret everything all the more.
"Have you ever been into the Kaschu Forest, Majic?" a thirteen-year-old beside Aizada asked suddenly, a strange light that wasn't entirely curiosity in his green eyes.
Majic shook his head, brushing stray strands of dust-gold blonde hair from his eyes. "No. Mother and Father always told me not to." He could hear a few muffled giggles in response, as well as a murmured, "Momma's boy," somewhere in the back. He ducked his head, blushing furiously.
"Isn't your mother--" Aizada elbowed a third boy, gray eyes glimmering dangerously. Majic faltered in his next step, dread growing on him.
He glanced up, saying in a somewhat shaking voice, "It looks like it'll rain... Are you sure it has to be today?"
"All the better," Aizada replied, smirking. "Rain just makes the sight even more... Interesting."
Majic bit his lip but kept silent. He began to fidget when they grew nearer to the edges of the Kaschu Forest; the exact same one his mother had always warned him about. The long grass rustled in the breeze that had picked up, and Majic felt a single raindrop fall on his nose.
"Ah," he began uncertainly, but then Aizada stopped and turned, eyes glittering with something full of mischief. The blonde cringed, taking a step back, but was quickly stopped by a chestnut-haired kid he vaguely knew was called Hajirito.
"Aizada didn't say you could go anywhere," he practically hissed.
"Aw, be nice," Aizada said in mock-chastisement, smirking. "We don't want to scare him off. Majic, I want you to do me a favour."
"W-what?" the nervous blonde stammered, disliking the situation more and more. Hajirito's grip on him slackened, and suddenly he was shoved forward, toward the forest.
The gray-eyed youth licked his lips, pulling something from deep within his pack. Metal glinted faintly as it began to sprinkle, tiny drops slipping down its cold surface. Majic paled; how had he gotten a gun?! Those things were so hard to find, and did he even know how to use it?
"We'll give you a head start," he said calmly. "You have five minutes to run into the forest, and we'll see if we can hunt you down. Run anywhere else, I'll shoot you on the spot." As though to back up his statement, he fired the gun into the air with a loud bang. A loud yelp of fear escaped the trembling blonde before him, and he grinned wickedly. "One... Two..."
Without so much as even a wordless exclamation, Majic bolted.
Hajirito snickered. "Nice victim, Aizada."
The addressed boy grinned, tapping the gun against his side. "Kid's an idiot," he mused. "And he really IS a loner. Any idiot 'round here knows I can't shoot for my life... And besides, Dad only lets me have blanks for practice." An almost mournful sigh escaped his lips. "Too bad. That was my last one."
Appreciative laughter rolled over his friends. Unknown to them a single figure watched, a frown gracing positively male features. The frown quickly changed to a mischievous smirk, and a soft incantation passed his lips.
Aizada dropped the gun back into his pack, heedless of the loud thump. "Well, our fun's over. If he's lucky, we'll see him at school tom--"
A sudden shriek emitted from Hajirito and the gray-eyed boy whirled, eyes widening as blue fire burst forth from a nearby shrubbery.
The boys scattered, several of them shrieking, and all the hidden figure did was chuckle. Served them right, picking on kids like that...
It was raining steadily by the time Majic came to a halt, nearing hyperventilation as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn't heard them following him, but he HAD heard screams a short while ago, which had only succeeded in frightening him more.
He sank to his knees, heedless of the mud soaking through his pants. There was a stitch in his side that hurt badly and he clutched at it in an attempt to quell the pain, whimpering softly. It was beginning to catch up with him that he was in the forbidden forest... Oh, his mother would be so disappointed if she knew!
Brushing away blonde strands sticking to his face he glanced up, shivering. The forest was dark and cold, and he was soaking... Not to mention he had no idea where he was.
"Father," he whispered, biting on his lip. 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot...'
He was at a complete loss as to what to do. Surely he could have simply turned around and gone back the way he'd come, but that was impossible. He couldn't remember which way he'd come from. He was in unfamiliar, forbidden territory. And, for the first time he could consciously recall, he's disobeyed his parents' wishes.
Majic was thoroughly disgusted with himself to the point of tears.
He sniffled, wiping his eyes on his wet sleeve, knowing it would do little good. If he called for help, would anyone hear him? It was doubtful in this weather, as everyone would be inside, but it was worth a shot.
Majic got to his feet, cupping his hands around his mouth as he cried, "Help!" His only response was a strong gust of wind that whipped wet hair in his eyes. It stung but he just pushed his wet hair back, flecks of water flying at the movement. "HELP!" he screamed louder, calling over and over again.
The weather seemed to taunt him; clouds grew blacker, and it began to rain so hard that there finally wasn't a dry spot on his body. Majic wrapped his arms around himself, shivering and crying to himself. He collapsed against the rough bark of a tree, hearing a tear of something snagging his sleeve. He brought a hand to his face, trying to stifle his cries. Tears would do him no good right now. He had to think of something.
As he slowly calmed down, his mind began to piece the events together. No one was after him, if they even had been in the first place. It was growing dark, raining hard, and he had no idea where he was. No one could hear his cries, which only disheartened him to know that he was so deep in the woods. Everything looked the same to him. Every tree and shrubbery was set at complete random.
Majic slowly picked himself up, driving his knuckles into his head as he thought. Obviously sitting still would do him no good, especially not with the risk of dangerous animals. Hunters had told tales of creepy things they'd seen; strange hairless wolves, a flesh-eating wild woman, rabid rodents, violent birds... All sorts of things that Majic couldn't help but fear in the dark setting.
He let out a shuddering breath, deciding the only thing he could do, the only option open to him, was to wander around and hope he didn't go even deeper into the woods.
He began to walk, stumbling over roots impossible to see in all the rain. He quickly grew tired; the pain in his side had yet to heal, and quickly reminded him of it after what couldn't have been any more than five minutes. Many times he stopped, but each time a mixture of fear and determination would push him onward.
Perhaps on a sunny day he would have appreciated the Kaschu Forest. On brighter days the leaves were fresh and green. Around spring, little yellow blossoms would bud, blanketing the treetops with gold. Some of the trees had pale, smooth trunks that would have been good to carve into useful, sturdy things, such as tables, chairs, even tools, perhaps.
Several times Majic would pause and look at his surroundings, trying to assure himself he wasn't going in circles. The woods didn't thin out any, nor did they grow any more dense. His hair was plastered to his head; raindrops dripped off his nose. Every time he shook his head water would spray in all directions, a useless thing to do since it would become soaked again in a matter of seconds.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been at least two hours. In no time he could hear distant howls that sent cold chills down his spine, shaking his thin frame. He glanced down; his pants were dirty, his boots caked with mud and grass, small twigs sticking out from his soles. He sneezed twice, dismayed to think that he might be sick after this.
Of course, it wouldn't matter if he couldn't even find his way home!
But he was determined more than ever now. The cold malice in Aizada's eyes stuck out in his mind, making him grit his teeth and trudge on. 'I won't lose to you,' he thought in uncharacteristic anger. 'I won't let you push me around. I'm tired of it, and I WILL make it home!' Then he would come to school the next day, sick or no, and smile at Aizada and his friends. He WOULD get through this, because he hated being a victim to anyone!
His determination faltered few to several times. He collapsed once, legs shaking, tired and hurt. His calves ached; he wasn't used to so much exercise. He was a thin boy, but that was mostly because his father barely made enough to put food on the table and keep the tavern going. Slowly business was growing better, but it was a gradual thing, all the same.
He groaned softly, tightening his arms as he tried to keep himself warm. "... Help," he whispered hoarsely, curling up on the cold ground. "Anyone, please..." And then exhaustion finally took its toll on him, and he passed out.
The first thing he noted when he awoke was that his head ached. He could feel the blood throbbing in his temples and he groaned, lashes fluttering open.
Light blinded him and he winced. When his eyes finally adjusted, he found himself in a room. The only light was from a lamp, a brightly lit one, and he was in his own room. He tried to sit up, but the pain kept him from doing so, making him sorely aware of his hurting limbs.
"... How...?" he rasped, rubbing his forehead weakly. He knew he'd fainted in the forest -- or passed out; fainted sounded so hurtfully girlish to him -- but how close had he been to home by then, and who had brought him back here? Surely he would have remembered coming back on his own!
It was a good hour or so before he could force himself out of bed, changing into fresh clothes (someone had put pajamas on him whilst he was unconscious) and slowly making his way downstairs.
He wasn't surprised to see his father, but it did strike him odd that there was a customer there. He must have come while he'd been asleep; surely he would have remembered this person!
His father noticed him, frowning disapprovingly. "Why are you up? You're sick; go back to bed."
Majic shook his head, wincing as a sharp pain in his skull flared once again. "No, school--"
"It's too late to go to school; it's well past noon," Bagup Rin said firmly. "Go on back to bed, and when you wake up I'll hear your side of the story."
Majic blinked, utterly confused. "My side?"
"Yo," a new voice cut in, and he focused his attention on the customer. He was rather young, either in his late teens or early twenties, and was grinning, though it seemed a bit more like a smirk to the boy. Unlike Aizada's unnerving smile, however, this one was simply one of mild amusement.
"This young man found you in Kaschu Forest," Bagup explained. "If what he says is true, some boys threatened you with a gun?"
"Yeah," Majic said slowly.
"No worries," the young man said, shrugging. "The brat only had blanks, and he used the last one to scare you." Sienna-coloured eyes glinted with smugness. "I scared 'em off shortly afterwards."
Which must have been the screams he'd heard...
"Go on to bed," Bagup repeated a third time, moving to physically urge his son to do so.
"Wait," Majic protested, gripping a chair to keep himself balanced; his knees felt oddly weak. "Who are you?"
"Orphen," the man answered simply, spiky chestnut hair shifting as he turned his face away, a strange smile playing on his lips.
"To bed," Bagup said yet again.
Majic nodded and stumbled back up the stairs, relieved to finally crawl beneath the covers. He settled down, a sort of drug-like sleep blanketing him comfortingly. He fisted sheets in his hand, slowly drifting off, grateful that even if he hadn't been able to do it entirely on his own, he had made it through the wind and rain and was safely home, oblivious to the knowledge that it had only been a prelude to his adventures to come.