Disclaimer: I Haru do not own the writings of Rin. Acella and all content of this chapter belong to Rin.
Note from Haru: Please if you read this fic, review! It is hard for us to know what we can improve if you do not give us pointers. I appreciate that people are viewing the story, really I am; but please if you stop by to read will you review? Thanks ^-^
A story by Nixx
Chapter 2
Rin
Acella looked out across the large body of water she was walking beside. She moved briskly, feeling the crunch of the sand beneath her feet with each step. An icy gust of wind picked up suddenly and whipped her long hair about her body. She swept her sun-bleached curls to the side and brought up her hood. She was used to harsh conditions; Acella was a nomad, and had been fending for herself all her life.
Eventually she came upon a small village, she knew it to be the small fishing town of Rell. Well, it had been a fishing town, until the river grew unprofitable from overfishing. Small towns that had fell on hardships like this had become condemned, cast aside as "non-sustaining and therefore non-reparable" by the Capital. It couldn't make its own money, and the government therefore concluded it deserved no help, monetary or otherwise, from the treasury. So it had become a haven for petty thieves and criminals, ready to take anything they could off the weakened, poverty-stricken citizens of Rell. Acella knew this, and yet continued on.
She walked through the deserted streets; anyone who had spent a short amount of time in Rell knew it was unwise to wander the streets at night. No sooner had Acella reached the end of the main road was this fact made plain. Acella felt the familiar, perhaps too familiar, pinch of a cold blade at her back.
"Just leave your bag on the street and walk away. Don't turn around, either," said a small, quivering voice.
"Unlikely," Acella whipped around and swiped the knife from the thief's hand in one fluid movement. The assailant was knocked to the ground landing with a soft thud. Acella was surprised to see a child, no more than ten years old, shaking on the dirt road, shielding his face with his arms.
"I-I'm sorry! I-my sister, she's just so hungry!" tears were streaming down his pale cheeks. Acella relaxed. She smiled warmly.
"Well, with an attitude like that, how will you ever get her something to eat?" she asked playfully, offering her hand to the boy. He paused, and looked as if he had never been offered any such kindness before, especially from a young woman so beautiful. She shuffled closer and took his arm to bring him up. She proceeded to hand him the knife. It was a small, rusty fishing blade, used to clean and gut small fish.
"I'm Acella. Now, if you don't mind my asking, why the sudden assault? Surely your mother can't know that you're out at night?"
"S-sorry, it's just, no one has ever been so nice to me before, even in such a small way as this." His voice still shook as he reluctantly took the knife back.
"There is no such thing as a small kind deed." She said, putting her arm around his thin shoulders. "Come on, why don't you show me where your sister is? You said she was hungry, and you don't look like you're doing to well yourself."
The boy hesitated. Experience had taught him to be wary of strangers, especially the ones who were kind to you at first. But he looked into Acella's kind, blue-grey eyes, and a mutual understanding passed between them. They had both seen harsh times, experienced unrelenting hunger and thirst, and had been through more anguish than any person of their young ages should. He took her hand and led her down a labyrinth of dirt roads, decrepit hovels, and ragged, makeshift tents to a small circle of stones with a fire burning in the middle. Each stone was carved with an elaborate design and intricate runes; Acella recognized them as the makings of a powerful protection charm.
"This is very powerful magic." Acella observed. "Very powerful, especially for a fishing village."
"Our mother," said the boy, "She gave all of her essence to make it. A long as you hold my hand you can come inside." He grasped her hand tighter as they stepped over the stones. Near the fire, a small figure was huddled, shivering vigorously as each gust of wind cut through her emaciated body. Acella moved closer, offering her arm to the girl, but each time she tried, the girl inched away.
"Roa, it's okay. This is Acella. She's really nice. She can help you." The boy offered. Roa looked up, her face was even paler than her brother's. She then buried her face in her knees and pulled herself into a tight, quivering, ball.
"It's okay," said Acella gently, and reached into the pouch hanging from her belt and pulled out a small loaf of bread and two gold pieces. She offered them to the boy. "Here. I just wish I could do more."
The boy took the items gratefully, and split the loaf in half, offering one piece to his sister, who took it, and they eagerly finished it in seconds. He then looked at the gold in his hand, as if he had never seen more money in his life. He inspected them as a jeweler would inspect a diamond, carefully and thoroughly. Acella laughed.
"What's your name?" she asked
"Raell," the boy said still squinting at the gold.
"Raell and Roa, huh? Well, I'm going to need you to keep that gold safe, no lavish spending." Raell smiled and Acella laughed warmly. "There you go. A strong smile for a strong young man. Now, don't stray too far from this circle. It'll protect you. Be strong for you sister and—"
"Does my nose deceive me, or is that the pungent aroma of gold I smell?" Acella stood abruptly, almost knocking the boy over. The source of the voice was a small, thin man of a pasty complexion, with a bald head and a thin brown beard. He was brandishing a rusty blade, his yellow-green eyes gazed threateningly from their bony sockets, eyeing the gold in the boy's hand.
"Stay back. I really don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Oh, that won't happen. Long as that boy hands over that gold, and you give me whatever else's in that ouch of yours, young lady." He said, moving closer and holding out his hand. Roa whimpered, and her brother stooped and put his arms around her.
"Stay inside this circle." Acella's voice became sharp and commanding, her eyes a menacing stormy gray as she stared down the thief in front of her. "Stay away, I won't hurt you if I don't need to."
The man laughed a wheezing, gravelly laugh. "Sure, little flower. Just hand over the gold and we'll see who needs hurting."
Acella stepped outside the circle, and unsheathed her long, engraved dagger.
"Oh, well, little flower's got a weapon, now! Ha, ha!" He teased. Acella's face remained hard. Then the man stopped laughing. "Boys!" Acella glanced around her as seven more men emerged from behind hovels, from under ruined buildings, all brandishing different weapons.
"Now, tell me, little flower, who's hurting who?" asked the pale thief. The men around him grunted and snickered. Acella smiled an almost wicked smile. She would be denying herself if she claimed fighting didn't give her any pleasure, although she only fought to defend herself and others. One of the men came from behind her and grabbed a clump of her hair.
"Well, aren't we the pretty one," he said, yanking her head back and putting his knife to her throat.
"Grave mistake." She bent over backwards, making him let go of her hair. She landed on her hands, flipping backwards and kicking him in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious, his forehead bleeding.
"You little wench!" The thief shouted. Three more of his lackeys charged. Some fluid jabs to specific points on their body brought them down, paralyzed, their eyes wide with surprise. Three men ran away in fright, leaving only one lackey and the thief. The last of the thief's cronies, an ugly man with a thin face on a head much too small for his massive body, stepped over to Acella. He was brandishing a broadsword, and swung it swiftly at Acella. She just narrowly avoided being beheaded. She tried to make a move, but the crony beat her shoulder with the handle of his sword and brought her down. She quickly regained her footing and rolled away, just as the behemoth brought his sword down full-force on where she had just been lying.
"Quite the nimble little thing, aren't we? Should start calling you 'little kitten'." The thief called. He started towards Raell and Roa, but as soon as he tried to reach for the pair huddling near the fire, the stones in the circle began to glow and he was shot with a blast of white energy, throwing him back.
"Don't you dare!" cried Acella, and with a great amount of maneuvering, she found herself on the giant's back, and with the butt of her dagger, she hit him on the temple, knocking him unconscious. She jumped, pushing him towards the ground, and landed near the circle of stones. The thief was still on the ground, recovering from the blast.
"Who are you?" demanded Acella. "No common old thief could assemble a team of minions like that." She grabbed him but the shirt and brought him up so she could see into his eyes. He tried to resist, but found himself fixed on her eyes, now a striking blue. His gaze was frozen on her eyes, but hers was much deeper. She was staring into his spirit, reading his essence.
"Who are you?" she asked again, this time, her voice was as striking and powerful as a blade, as though Acella herself was no longer speaking, but a being much more fearsome and powerful, and yet it was smooth as liquid, as though it was pouring into his mind, seeping into every nook and cranny of his consciousness, discovering secrets so dark he even denied them to himself. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he started to tremble. Acella blinked and dropped him, as though she wasn't sure what had just happened. Her eyes became wide.
"Errick," she whispered. Her voice had returned to normal, but was now quivering.
"Yes, it has been a while. I knew those fools were no match for you; however, I had forgotten just how powerful you truly were." The thief stood up, and Acella backed away. He straightened up and began to change. The wrinkles on his face began to disappear, and he grew into a tall, muscular man with handsome features, and what would have been a kind face were it not for the piercing green eyes that now stared at Acella with a passive malevolence.
"I must prepare a little more for the next time we meet. And we will meet again." He smiled maliciously. And with that, he disappeared, dissolving into a silver dust. Acella was left, standing aghast. Raell called from inside the circle.
"Acella!" Acella blinked and turned to face them. She stepped inside the circle and knelt beside the two children, taking hold of one of their tiny hands in each of hers.
"Alright Raell. You're going to have to be strong for your sister. Take care of what little you have, and keep safe."
"Why does it sound like you're leaving?" asked Roa. "You can keep us safe. You're the strongest person I've ever seen. Even stronger than Mother. So why do you have to leave?"
"Because I should never have to use that power. It's very dangerous. I shouldn't be allowed to have it. I'm so sorry, but I have to go," she hugged them close, "stay safe, and be strong, and live, because I know you can. That is why I know I can leave; because you are both so strong."
With that, Acella left the circle, and sprinted off down the road as a hot tear streamed down her cheek. She wiped it away.
Review replies:
Silverrain1312: Thanks Ari! I appreciate it ^-^
Melodie: Merci beaucoup mon meilleur ami! Je suis si heureux vous avez aimé le chapitre! Ayez un repos merveilleux de vos vacances et je vais vous voir bientôt.
