Thorns – A MasterMunchie Fic
After completing 'The Gala' I realised that all of my successful fictions were comedies (I am not counting the SSX Tricky ones as they were done before my account resurrection). I just wanted to do something a little deeper, might have some humour in it, but not the good ol' Munchie humour you all know and love… well… maybe… anyway, enjoy my attempt at a serious work.
The days grew longer and the nights got warmer as I lay dormant in my Study. There was no time to sleep as I had wanted to do, as it was the only outlet just to give me a break from trying to seek answers. It took me a long, agonizing week to finally succumb to slumber. I woke up a new man, but not as in I woke up vibrant and full of life, I literally woke up a new man. Of course I wanted answers, but for the first time in my life (or the first time I can remember in my life) I sought after some alone time just to be with thoughts other than questions. My mind was not straying to 'A New World', more or less to my own world. I attempted to leave my manor when Yossi, one of my eldest servants, confronted me. I stared at him with dead-man eyes as I had not exactly slept well, my back arching over a desk.
"Master… I can sense something is wrong…" he said, his grey hair always in place in a ponytail I had always thought was a bit informal. I just stared at him blankly as if to say 'Well of course, you imbecile, I have lost the girl I promised to protect and my infected mind has finally come to its senses after years of mindless destruction' but my heart was too light for that now. Why? Of course I do not know, it was on the endless list of questions I was forcing myself to answer.
"Yossi, you've always been there, you've seen generations after generations of Sorel. You're almost like an elder brother." I told him this with what felt like sociability. Perhaps the first time in years I haven't yelled orders at him or used him like an object… was this guilt? And if so, why do I not feel as guilty towards breaking a promise to the girl of which I loved? So many questions, but I did not want to answer them, I wanted to break free for a while.
"Thank you, sire!" Yossi said, youthful exuberance returning to his face, which previously looked forlorn and fatigued. It was as if he'd never heard compliments. Well, under me – the old me – I was not surprised. A smile grew on my face, Yossi backed away slightly, almost in fear of me. I look of surprise came upon my face, was I really that callous?
"Yossi… I am a changed man…" I admitted "Please… take the day off… you need it" I said, I slipped him some Francs in a hearty handshake and he stared at them with wide eyes. I didn't have time to acknowledge a hearty 'friendship' with Yossi, so I just clasped my Rapier from it's place on the wall, holstered it and headed out to the wide world beyond.
Paris was considered the most beautiful place in this known world, growing up in Rouen as an outlaw made my mind battle-hardened like a form of mercenary, my Rapier being my only friend until Amy saved me. She barely even reached 16. I couldn't dwell on in any longer and it was almost mid-day. I watched Auguste attend to the plants outside my manor for a few seconds, until I strode outside from my rural palace to the up-market city streets. I fit in well, which was the biggest shock of all, after defending myself from a crazed lunatic that family actually called 'friend' I had forever been chased through the tight winding street of my native France. Of course I had slain Senator Rodolfo, I had no choice. He was infected by the Evil Seed. I guess I had become similar to the common rabid dog, having been infected from another. But it was not time to dwell on that.
I arrived at the Café Blanc. I didn't really have a specific choice of Café, it was just there and I wanted a place to just relax and enjoy the sights of the outside. I never appreciated sights much, after trawling the similar looking streets they all brought back bad memories, some of which more haunting then the last, but I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I sat down outside of the Café, it wasn't exactly tranquil, but the new swept peace brought by the destruction of the two swords meant that there was a less threatening air to the place. Never the less, one should never let down his guard, as suddenly a musket shot was heard inside, followed by the screams of the innocent. Surprisingly, everyone outside ducked for cover underneath the fine tables as I just sat there. The fact that my life was based around being noble, it would have been silly of me to back down. I just sat there while the hoodlum with the musket waved around a dagger and shouting out profanities collecting his swagger. He then took hold of one of the customers, using her has a human shield which I thought was most barbaric, and charged outside still asking for cash. He got to me, almost throttling the poor woman while I did not move.
"Give me all your stuff or the bloody girl gets it!" he shouted at me crudely. Everyone stared at me, the screams stifled to sheer disbelief, whither it was the fact they gave their riches to such an ill-mannered thug or if it was me who just showed mere common sense to stand up to him.
"What could you do with any of my possessions?" I asked simply, standing up while he backed away, dragging the poor girl beside him.
"Give me that sword! Now!" he said, pointing to the sword with his dagger hand, still pressed dangerously hard across the girl's supple neck.
"Oh, this sword?" I asked as I picked it up from floor. "Give me one good reason why I should" I requested, this followed gasps and whispering from my fellow patrons. I guess it'd be unfair to call them my 'fellow patrons' as I never even purchased anything.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't!" he almost screamed out, his arms vibrating rather furiously.
"Well… for starters you don't know how to yield this weapon with any kind of accuracy or precision" I said, examining the sword I knew all too well.
"Place it in my hand and I'll show you what I can do with it, pretty boy!" he said, a toothless grin appearing on his face.
"As you wish, my friend" I sighed, bowing to show nobility. I then struck my sword down and sliced his dagger arm off. He didn't scream or yell or make a scene, then again everyone was similarly silent, he just stared at his arm as it fell from his body to the floor, bouncing as if it was a fish out of water. He watched as I placed my blood soaked sword in the hand of his dismembered arm.
"OK then, show me what you've got" I smiled, folding my arm. His eyes welled up with tears as he released the girl from his Neanderthal clutches and ran away, his screams almost getting louder the further away he ran. I retrieved my Rapier from the lifeless clutch of his now lifeless arm and cleaned it with a cloth; I then sat back down as per normal. Everyone got up from underneath their tables slowly and suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard… clapping. They were applauding me for completely random acts of violence? I had no idea what was going on, but I simply acknowledged their presence with a formal hand wave. I got up afterwards and left without any nourishment of any kind, or any sense of relaxation, just the same clouded haze that my mind had now called home. I felt a clasp on my shoulder and I turned around to see who was disturbing me. The girl who I had saved from the thug was standing before me, dressed in a blue tunic and looking quite amorously at me.
"I need to thank you for saving my life" The girl said to me. She looked in her mid 20's and had a rather confident tone to her voice.
"I don't see any need for you to thank me…" I said, admitting my faults. "I'm just a battle hardened mercenary who's just lost too much".
"Please, let me do anything" she pleaded to me
"I'm sorry, I cannot think of anything" I said, turning away
"At least let me know my heroes name!" she beseeched.
"You may call me… Raphael" I said, pondering on whither or not giving her a fake name would be of use, but obviously people in France had forgotten about my past mistakes otherwise they wouldn't have accepted me as a 'Hero'.
"My name is Cassandra Alexandra" she said. "Whither you like it or not, I am forever in your debt" she said, bowing to me.
"We'll see…" I said as I walked away.