Disclaimer: Still don't own Champs, sorry.
Note from the Shadows: Helloo again everyone! We're back, with chapter two, and- gasp- it might even be a long chapter! I loved writing this chapter, especially when it came to describing the bedrooms. I admit, these are all bedrooms that I, personally, would love to have, but specifically, I designed them for the characters I had intended to sleep in them. (Except for Lana's) It was a -lot- of fun to design these rooms, I can tell you this now.
[Chapter Two: Find the Pieces]
Maranka glared at those around her as she sat at the lunch table- save for the child, who had started clinging to her a couple of hours ago. Although she would never admit it, Maranka had a soft spot for children- especially this one, who she sometimes fed and gave shelter.
Across from her, looking down, was a young woman with grey skin, and stone wings. The tops of these wings were purple, but the bottom was a dark, dark black. Her left and leg were both prosthetic. Marnaka felt slightly guilty about how she had acted so far towards the woman, but... No. She wouldn't allow herself to falter. Not now. Not in this place.
"I'll begin." That damnable voice... Maranka looked at the man sitting at the end of the table in annoyance. Why did she have to introduce herself? She wasn't planning on staying any longer then it took to escape. "I am Jonathen Herricks. I run this shelter, for those in need of healing." He smiled politely. "Miss Matea, would you like to go next?" Maranka was about to say something rude, when the girl across from her spoke. "I am Serdurni Vastetshera Matea, adopted daughter of Friadon Matea. Before I was brought here, I pretty much died, and then killed someone." Maranka looked at the woman, slightly shocked. This girl was her adoptive aunt? That was... Amazing. The young woman quickly looked down, her striped black and white hair falling in front of her face, shoulders shaking slightly. Maranka shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. No. No. She wasn't going to open herself up to these strangers.
A small voice, muffled by a breather, spoke up. "I'm Neadasyrek, I'm a fairy. Before I came here, I was kidnapped by an android near Viox, nearly killed, thrown in a cage- and none of my friends came to rescue they got me out of the cage, they just forgot about me. Even Tex.." The fairy trailed off, voice choked. Tex? That didn't seem like her... Looking at the fairy and her aunt, Maranka felt suddenly shallow. She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"I am Maranka Matea. I have been on the run for a hundred years, from the man my parents would have me marry, a murderer and a blood mage. Recently, I discovered he was on planet, looking for me once more. And... I panicked." Maranka shut her eyes after she spoke, looking down. She'd broken her own promise to herself, how could she do that?
The next voice that spoke up started all of them. It was quiet, hesitant, and frightened. After a moment, Maranka realized it was the child she was holding. "Am Lana..." the voice said, barely audible. "Bad fire man find again, hurt Lana, hurt Kit... Lana runned, Kit no runned..." The child trailed off, hiding her face in Maranka's shoulder. Maranka shut her eyes, wrapping her arms around the little one and gently rubbing her back. "I'm Kit. I'm Lana's... Familiar, I guess. I helped Jonathen find Lana after I escaped from the demon's hideaway." A sixth voice, male, startled Maranka. Her gaze turned to the source of the voice, finding a small, tabby kitten, sitting on his haunches. Not surprising, for Maranka, especially not in this city. The fairy didn't seem surprised, either, but the young woman- She was definitely startled, at least.
"How long are you planning to keep us here, Herricks?" Maranka demanded, looking at the man. She absentmindedly held the small child close, rubbing her back gently. "Until you are healed. Once I feel you are all fit to return to society, without having a breakdown, I will let you go home. No sooner, no later."
Maranka's eyes widened at these words, though the man seemed to notice. "It will not be as bad as you think, miss Matea. I promise. Now, I believe you four would like separate rooms, so follow me." The man stood, motioning for them to follow. To Maranka's surprise, she did follow.
He led them down a set of hallways, to one with three doors. Wait... Three? "Why are there only three rooms?" Maranka asked cautiously. Herricks turned his gaze on the child in Maranka's arms. "It would be best if Lana stayed in a room with one of you, where someone can watch her." Looking down at the little girl, Maranka silently agreed. "I'll watch her. I don't sleep much, anyway." Serdurni spoke up. "Thank you, Serdurni." Herricks nodded, as Maranka passed the woman the little girl. Lana clung to Maranka for a moment longer, before turning and clinging tightly to Serdurni. "I'll have an extra bed brought in for your room if you need it, Serdurni," he offered, but Serdurni just shook her head. Herricks blinked, but shrugged, going and opening the doors to the rooms.
Each room was different. In one, which Maranka immediately decided would be hers, there was a roof of branches, just far enough beneath the actual roof that she could sit up in it, or so it looked. The walls were a dark green, with a pattern of tree trunks. The carpet was green and fuzzy, made to imitate grass. Underneath a window, which had a curtain made to resemble a leaf, was a bed that looked like it had grown out of the floor, curved wood with a blanket that resembled a million leaves, stitched together. A lamp bent over it, the lamphead made to resemble a flower.
In the room next to it, the walls were painted to resemble flowers. Some of these actually had flowers that stuck out, big enough for the little fairy to sit or sleep on, and once again, the carpet looked like grass. Things that were evidently supposed to be clouds dangled from the roof, large enough for someone to sleep on. There were several windows, with fairly large window sills, cut in the shape of more flowers, but oddly enough, there was no bed. In the middle of the room, dangling from the roof and spinning slowly, was a model of the sun, which had a lightbulb hidden inside.
The last room was black. The floor seemed to be made of some sort of water, yet you could stand on it, without sinking. It too, was black, with little points of light that looked like stars, moving with the liquid. There were other, softly glowing, points of light on the walls, some spots painted to look like far away galaxies, others to look like nebulas. There were windows cut in the shape of stars, with gossamer black curtains that fit them perfectly. Dangling from the rook were little lights that, again, were made to look like stars. Somehow, this all provided the room with light enough to read by. The bed in the corner was made of dark reds and purples, built for someone who was evidently much taller then Maranka.
Herricks's voice intruded on her thoughts. "What do you think?" he asked them. Maranka looked at the room she had chosen as her own for a moment. "It reminds me of home..." she said softly. "It's peaceful," the fairy added, looking at the meadow room. Serdurni simply nodded. "I'm glad you three like them. They were designed to fit your tastes, after all."
Herricks shut the doors, so they could see slots that were about the right size for an index card, though at the moment, they were empty. He passed out index cards to each girl, save for Lana. "Write your names as neatly as you can, please. Serdurni, please add Lana's name to your card." The only sound for a minute or so after that was the scratching of pencil on paper, as each girl wrote their names on their cards. Neadasyrek, Maranka noticed, seemed to be having just as much trouble with the english alphabet as herself. After a few minutes, however, the small fairy had managed. Herricks took the cards back, sliding the one with Maranka's name into the slot on the room with the trees, the one with the fairies name into the slot of the meadow room, and Serdurni's into the last one.
"You'll be sleeping in these rooms for the duration of your stay. Go ahead and get settled in, please." Herricks smiled at them, in a manner that made Maranka's teeth grit. He was far, far too friendly. As the girls went into their rooms, Maranka promised herself she would watch him.
