Rondo strode confidently off the warp pad. Her strategy was simple: explore the whole floor to see if she could find anything. The encounter had motivated her to try and get something done. It was a change in the monotonous tone her existence had started to take on. Her lips curled up at the edges, the only sign of her anticipation.
It dawned upon her that she was not alone on this particular level of the maze. She stopped for a moment. Battered and butchered bodies of unknown monstrous beings were strewn about. A distinct slash across their body's lengths was the clear cause of death and the signature of the swordsman.
"Fugue." Rondo said the name in such distaste as though it were bile. It was not because he was a lackluster fighter, his abilities would suffice for his purposes, but it was his attitude that so greatly irked her. She just wanted to punch a hole through the I'm-better-than-you expression on his face. The entire time they spent serving under Count Waltz, they competed with each other, trying to prove themselves better than each. They were evenly matched and they hated that fact. It was a battle for dominance and it always ended up the same way: each of them exerting themselves to the limit while Count Waltz took advantage of their blind eagerness.
The thought of beating Fugue and leaving him to rot here for eternity greatly amused Rondo. This was the chance to make it clear who was the better of the two. This also might be the last chance she had to do so. Looking for Soul Shards would only last for so long. She would not be satisfied without finalizing who the rightful winner was.
Rondo shook her head and pulled out of the reverie. She brought back her focus to the floor she was on. It was a square with branches on each side. It was a cake-walk to maneuver, but which way? It was obvious which path Fugue had taken, the right, seeing he left fallen bodies in his wake.
She turned her nose up at the right pathway. She would take the left, of course. Someone did not have to clear a path for her sake, she could handle herself on her own, especially seeing who "someone" was in these circumstances. It sickened her to think she would ever stoop so low. Rondo did not think twice and planted each of her steps firmly, her heels echoing her prominent presence. There was no available challenge on this floor, a swift uppercut from her blades silenced any disturbances she encountered. It was merely minutes before she reached the first diverged pathway.
She glanced sideways in mild interest. Something, a foreign sight to her eyes, caught her attention. Her curiosity perked as she took another look, walking towards it apprehensively. She would have rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but she would never doubt her own perceptions. It was an orange box. A treasure chest? Such a thing no longer existed in her vocabulary. The color gave Rondo a headache.
This must be a hoax, she confided within herself. There's no way a magical box of wonders will conveniently pop up that coincidentally follows the series of strange events that seem to be plaguing today. It all seemed suspicious. It did not sit well in her stomach, there had to be some sort of catch. She gazed around, waiting for something to clutch at her from the surrounding shadows. She strode up to the box and stood in front of it silently. She tensed and was ready to defend herself.
Nothing happened.
Was she just being paranoid? Rondo was not sure what to expect anymore. It was impossible for her to go insane, she had already accomplished that long ago. Why was she showing weakness? She got angry at herself for being so spineless. She booted the box open. She inhaled sharply.
A Soul Shard glowed faintly within the confines of the chest. Now she was completely uncertain about what was going on. What was wrong with the world today? How to react? It was a hard choice between being happy about her untimely fortune or throw her hands up and yell, "What the hell?" She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath.
Don't ask, just work with what you've got, she told herself. Tossing away the baffled thoughts in her head, she bent down to pick the shard up. She quietly sighed in relief when nothing stirred as she did so. She held the shard in her hand, looking at its glimmering facets. Why she failed to sense the Soul Shard when she had initially gotten on this floor she did not understand. Had her senses dulled?
Rondo became wary. She stiffened. Her eyes narrowed and she let out a breath that seeped through her teeth. She spun around, one of her blades held up. It stopped centimeters away from the intruder's neck, just as their blade was next to hers. Both glared at each other in mute resentment, their blades rigid in the air and only a hair away from making contact with skin.
"I don't recall inviting you here," Fugue hissed.
"I took the liberty and did it myself, saves you from the chore," she retorted. He made a sound that went along the lines of a "humph" and continued to stand there stubbornly. He rested his blade on her shoulder then slowly began to press the blade against her neck.
Rondo was fairly certain blood was beginning to draw on her neck. Something wet inching down her throat confirmed her thought.
"What's the problem, Fugue? Can't hold your own sword up by yourself?" She said. "You were never very patient to begin with." He frowned.
Rondo jerked backwards just as Fugue tried to slice her skin. A thin crimson line stained her neck. She did not feel a thing. It failed to be any sort of nuisance whatsoever.
"Look," Fugue said calmly, "just hand over what is rightfully mine and I shall be out of your way and you out of mine."
"What could you possibly be talking about?" She asked innocently.
"You know perfectly well what I am referring to, wench. The Soul Shard," he demanded.
"Oh, this thing?," Rondo said, tapping the Soul Shard gently against her cheek. He appeared to be ready to tackle her, his knuckles visibly tighter. She smirked, "I don't know. The trade doesn't seem fair. I refuse your offer."
He sighed in frustration, "You know I have little tolerance for your behavior, Rondo. Just hand the damn shard over and this will be done with. Besides, you're not the one that endured what this floor had to offer. I'm entitled to it more than you. You are barely deserving of anything, for that matter."
"Excuse me," Rondo snarled. "You prance in here and cut up a few pathetic monsters. You really give yourself too much credit."
Fugue took a step forward and sighed, "I hate wasting energy on you." He swung at her. Metal clanged. She parried each swing with one hand. Her other hand toyed with the Soul Shard. This was nothing. They both knew that. They had beaten and bruised each other more when they had sparred when under order of Count Waltz.
"Careful, you might damage your precious Soul Shard," she said.
Fugue laughed as he thrust out with his blade, "The fact you are currently handling it has ruined it beyond repair." She scowled at his remark. The nerve of him!
"I'm done playing." Rondo swung her idle blade suddenly, Fugue did not expected the motion. She managed a gash on his upper arm and grazed his cheek. He cursed. Rondo began backing up. If she could attach the Soul Shard to the rest of hers, they would belong to her permanently and this unsavory encounter would be at an end, seeing he would be unable to do anything even if he desired to. She tried reaching into her back pouch, but it left a gap in her defensive form. She continued slowly backing up.
"Why so hasty?" Fugue said. His cheek was smeared with blood, the cut still bleeding. He had a dangerous glint in his eyes and his lips were turned in a slight sneer. They both stopped moving, their anger and impatience smoldering.
Think fast, Rondo commanded. She felt anxious, keeping her composure was never one of her strengths. She could run, connect the Shards together despite Fugue's obvious protest, risking the chance of enduring his spite, or she could put up a fit and earn the right to the Soul Shard fair and square. The Shard was larger than usual, it felt like the equivalent of two. It would be worth it, either way. If she won the fight, he would most likely honor that. Sure, his ego would be tarnished, but he knew to respect those who were victor. Rondo was no coward. She was furious at herself for even considering running. What truly was wrong with her? The maze was getting to her. She shook her head in disappointment. Then, she lunged at him.
She hacked away at Fugue. The blows were absorbed by his sword. She growled and continued relentlessly striking at him. The sound of clashing steel reverberated around them. Sparks were sent flying each time their swords connected. Rondo crouched then sprung upward,trying to get in a good slash on his torso. He back flipped and returned to his stance.
"Fighting you is more of a bore than doing nothing at all," he jeered. Her jaw clenched, but she said nothing. They ran at each other.
Their swords met with fervor, both blades eager to meet vulnerable flesh. They were at a stand-off, both trying to gain the upper hand in the situation. They stayed this way for a while, sweat growing and teeth gritting as their arms went under great strain. Rondo was close enough that she could smell his blood. She was sure her blood as well was in the mix.
"You've quite the blood scent on," she mocked.
He laughed coldly, "Oh, how very droll." They had taken enough. They gave each other a shove, both of them stumbling backwards. Rondo skidded across the tile, her heels digging into the marble. Fugue was not nearly as affected as she was, already advancing upon her. He smirked as she recollected herself. She looked up just in time to see the attack coming one moment too late.
"J'accuse!"
Rondo was sent reeling, stomaching the entire blow. She landed on her back with a painful thump. She was crushing her hand that held the shard with her weight. She moved to get up, but stopped as Fugue's blade hung over her stomach. If she tried to sit up, she would impale herself on his sword. She glared at him.
"Hand over the Soul Shard, Rondo," Fugue said sternly. He stood there unwavering, despite the daggers she threw with her eyes. She knew she was not in the position to refuse. The shard was pressed firmly into her palm. She ran her finger over it. She mentally swore as she felt a crack. How did a Soul Shard manage to crack? Just my luck, she thought bitterly. At that moment, she got an idea.
Rondo stared up at Fugue for a moment then sighed.
"Fine," she said. He removed his sword as she sat up. She revealed the hand with the shard in it. Fugue snatched it greedily, examining it. He nodded in approval, sensing its familiar aurora. Rondo stared at the shard Fugue held, not feeling much of connection anymore, only faintly.
"Well, I suppose I shall be off," Fugue said, pocketing the shard with the rest. Rondo stood up, blocking his way.
"I don't trust you," she said accusingly.
He raised an eyebrow, "I do not see why I should care about what you think."
"Explain this." Rondo held up a Soul Shard.
"Where did you get that?" Fugue tried to grab it, but Rondo drew her hand back. He stared at the fragment she held in her fingers, slowly lowering his arm. He only recognized it as his own scarcely, it seemed like a ghostly resemblance to his own. He would not bother fighting for it.
"It was stuck to your shard. I broke the two apart," she explained. "Why that is so is beyond me. Nor do I care. The only thing that concerns me is the fact that you could be walking out of this place with one of mine."
Fugue stared at her then shrugged. "I don't see what you want me to do about it."
She threw her hands up, "Of all people, I would expect you to manage to make some sense out of this."
"It's not my fault you cannot sort things out yourself. If I find one of yours, I am deeply sorry, but that's not my problem," he said brushing past her. "I have three more to find before I can finally get out of this place. I'm not letting you get in the way of that."
Rondo balled her hands into tight fists. She wanted to beat him senseless. How did the bastard have a soul to even reconnect? He could accidentally take one of her shards and connect it to his own, meaning she would be missing one and never able to complete her own. She knew she might even possibly connect to one of his; her nose crinkled in disgust at the thought. She paused. Wait, this might work, she thought quietly.
"And what if I take one of yours?" She asked.
Fugue glanced over his shoulder, "What?"
"If I take one of your shards, would you be happy about that? Hell with it then. Finders keepers," she said indignantly. "I don't care anymore."
He thought to himself, analyzing what she had just said. He could see where she was coming from now. It did seem unpleasant to be stuck here longer because one took the other's shard. It was rude, even.
"All right," he said, passive. "Have fun on your own, then."
"Humph." She walked past him without even a glance, looking down at her hands, connecting her shards together then pocketed them. He should be out of her hair now. There were bruises and wounds that needed mending after that minor ordeal she just had. She glanced back and noticed he was walking behind her. He needs to get to the warp pad, too, she reminded herself. She sped up her steps and he adjusted accordingly. No matter what speed she went at, he followed in proportion so he was always just a few feet away. They ended up sprinting for the warp.
She spun around. "What do you want?" She asked in dismay.
He gave her an incredulous look, "I'm being certain that if you do indeed run into any Soul Shards, they are not in actuality my own. If they are, I have the right to confiscate them from you. The same goes for you."
"Are you kidding me?" She practically yelled.
"I kid you not," he said with a smug smile. The urge to sock him square in the face grew almost unbearable. She gave him a harsh look before turning around. It would be useless trying to get rid of him. He was enjoying seeing her in discomfort and it would most likely take him a long time to get tired of it. It would not be worth the wasted effort.
"Just don't get in the way," Rondo said.
Fugue smiled, "I shall do my best to do the exact opposite." She sighed in defeat and stepped onto the warp pad, involuntarily cringing as he followed right behind her.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, but ta-dah! Chapter two. Your comments are worth volumes to me.
Disclaimer:I do not own Eternal Sonata, no characters mentioned in this story are of my own creation and belong to their respected owners.