Growling under his breath, Lovino dragged his luggage off the carriage. Not only was his bag heavy, but his legs were stiff from the long ride and he was starving. The driver had refused to stop along the way because of ice. Freezing, slippery, hellish ice. Lovino hated the Ice region.
The cold winds that tugged his scarf and the snow that clung to his hair. It was dreadful. Not to mention his whole body was numb.
The coldest it ever got in the Fire region was a whopping forty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Since it never got cold, Lovino had to buy a ratty old coat that itched his skin. He swore it had fleas, but it was the best he could get. They didn't sell coats in the Fire region.
The brunet swung the suitcase over his head and marched through the town. Beggars lined the streets, trying squeeze every penny out of the naive tourists. "Come son, buy a watch," they bargained, backing into a darkened corner. Or "Souvenirs, buy one get one free," they yelled, throwing useless knick knacks at the tourist. Lovino was glad to hurry down the street.
Around the corner was a towering cathedral. It had two large pillars, painted a pearl white, that connected into a point on the roof. The top of the building was paint a deep radiant grey and two crosses were on either side. Lovino had heard about the cathedral, but he had never seen it before. It was tall. Beautiful. Regal. If Lovino didn't know any better, he would've thought it was a castle. He stood in the middle of the stone path way, admiring the magnificent structure. "Get out the road, you crazy fire head." An angry man yelled from a carriage. A string of insults followed his complaints.
"Fire head" is a discriminatory term used to describe a person from the Fire region. Long ago, the fire region had walled itself off from the other regions. They claimed that the other regions would contaminate the gene pool. They stayed walled up for years and years, long enough for the children to spread rumors. They used to think that people from the Fire region could control fire. Parents would scare their children into thinking that fire heads would set them a blaze. The term evolved into meaning a narcissistic, bad-tempered, Fire region citizen.
"Excuse you, bastard. I'm walking." Since Lovino wanted to be on his best behavior, he didn't punch the man in the gut. Punching the stranger would require Lovino taking his hand out of his pockets. He would do anything to avoid cold hands, including not acting on his anger.
He shuffled off the road, pausing at an intersection to look at street signs. The signs were top-heavy wooden poles nailed into the cobblestone roads. They weren't as efficient as the signs in the Fire region, but at least they had signs.
Once Lovino had his direction, he marched down the road, only pausing to take a final glance at the cathedral.
Lovino shifted his luggage to one hand then hammered on the front door. A few locks later, the door creaked open. "Uh, Bonjour?" A man with bright violet eyes answered the door. His golden blond hair bunched around his ears and a small lone curl bounced as he talked. The man looked surprised to have visitors. "Ciao, I'm Lovino, here for the thing." Matthew was more than surprised that anyone had actually come.
Why would anyone want to join him on a completely idiotic death trip? At least one of them wouldn't make it out. One would have to be suicidal to join him. If that was the case, why was Matthew even doing this? He didn't want to die.
"Oh, um. Welcome." Matthew pushed the door open wider, letting Lovino through. "You can put your coat in the closet." Lovino stripped off his coat and hung it, glad to rid himself of the flea ridden mess. He slammed his suitcase on the ground then turned to Matthew. "Do you want me to take your things?" Based on Lovino's scowl, Matthew assumed that he had offended his guest. He had never met anyone from other regions so Matthew didn't know how to talk to one. "No, I'll take it. Please, point me to where I'll be staying." Matthew stepped back from Lovino and led him up the stairs. "First door on the left. Sorry for the inconvenience." Lovino dropped his bags in the room.
If he were home, Lovino would be sitting in the grass under the shade of a tree. He would be reading, not only to himself, but to whoever wanted to listen. He'll sometimes be telling a made up story. Most adults avoided him, but the children, they flocked to him. They would drag their parents to that shaded tree and force them to listen to the funny man and his stories. Lovino would put on his best smile as he talked to the children. He would act out what was happening. The children loved him. Unfortunately, with the increase of monster attacks, the children almost never came outside. They would watch from their windows, longing to hear a story.
Lovino dug into his luggage and pulled out a book. Taking this as a his cue to leave, Matthew back out if the room.
Matthew tiptoed in the kitchen after Lovino settled in. He whipped up a batch of pancakes. He didn't want his guest hungry.
Before his mother died, she would make pancakes on special occasions. They were fluffy and tasted like cake. Matthew loved them. His mother would drain the sap from maple trees and drizzle them in top of the pancakes. Matthew had soon become addicted to the topping. He would put it on everything, his morning coffee, pasta, bacon, toast, sausages, biscuits. He'd even pour the syrup into the snow until hardened, that way he could eat it plain. Matthew scooped the pancakes onto a plate as there was a knock at the door. "One minute please." Matthew made sure the cast iron stove was off, then hurried over to the door.
A tall muscular man stood at his door step. He wore heavy armor that protected his vital organs. He had a stern face with piercing icy blue eyes. His trimmed hair brought about an air of obedience and fear. Matthew thought he looked terrifying.
"B-Bonjour." Matthew stuttered, letting the warrior inside. "Hallo, I'm Ludwig Beilschmidt. I'm joining you on your journey." The bluntness of his guests surprised Matthew. He had never expected them to show up on their own accord. Matthew convinced himself that these people would want something from him. He thought he'd have to put up a reward. Instead, people were throwing themselves at him doorstep, ready to die. Matthew shook his head. He mustn't think of it as dying. He must think of it as saving, with possible chance of failure. Not death, Failure. "I'm M-Matthew Williams. You c-can put your coat in the closet."
Ludwig slid his coat into the closest. He then followed Matthew up the stairs to the guest rooms, taking his time drinking up the scenery.
Paintings, medals- engraved with Alfred's name-and Ice region flags decorated the walls. Hickory wood and velvet furniture laid about the living space. And everything centered around the beautiful granite fireplace. On the ledge if the fireplace was the hollowed out horn of an Eisbär. Ludwig knew how hard it was to kill one. He turned head towards Matthew.
The man had curly gold hair and bright purple eyes that seemed to hold the universe. It wasn't the color that made his eyes seem that way, it was the hollow look to them. Matthew's eyes seemed like the void. They seemed endless. Despite being empty pits, they held everything. They sparked with emotions and curiosity. His eyes weren't what caught Ludwig off guard though. It was the way this man held himself. He slouched so he looked small and weak. He walked with head facing the floor. It looked as if, Matthew didn't trust the floor. He didn't trust that the earth's gravity would keep him grounded. Based on these assumptions, Ludwig concluded that Matthew didn't live alone. And whoever he lived with, was strong enough for two.
"I'm sorry Mr. B-Beilschmidt but we only have a limited amount of rooms. You'll have to stay with Lovino. Sorry." The guest room had two beds, one on either side of the room. The walls were dark maroon, much like the rest of the house. There was large window on the back wall that looked out to a bustling farmers market.
The other man, Lovino, was flipping through the pages the page of a book. One could guess Lovino's region with ease, based on his light olive skin and dark hair. Fire region, Ludwig sighed, sliding his luggage underneath the bed.
Ludwig had problems with the Fire region. Everyone there seemed to look down on Warriors from other regions. They'd spit on him when he passed. They'd ignore him. They had even increase the prices of groceries for him and only him. In a simple term, they hated Ludwig and he had no idea why. He quickly set his luggage down and began straightening out the room. Much to the annoyance of his roommate.
Lovino was amazing at reading people. He could know someone's personality after having one conversation with them. It was like a super power. A super power Lovino often abused. And after on look at the Warrior, Lovino knew two things. One, this man had a stick up his ass and two, Lovino didn't like him. And He would treat him so.
By later that afternoon, three more guest had arrived at Matthew's house. Each one was from a different region and no-one worked the same occupation. Unfortunately, not everyone got along. "Who are calling old, you bloody twit?" Especially Arthur and Alfred. "Dude, you like you're fifty." Matthew flinched as a glass plate smashed into the wall. He wasn't worried about the plates, they were cheap. "I'm twenty-three! You idiot!" No-one seemed to care that Arthur was choking Alfred. Matthew let loose a sigh, the fighting would end one way or another.
Everyone was minding their own business and enjoying Matthew's pancakes. Lovino curled up on the couch, immersed in his book. Ludwig dusted off the house. While Mathias and Yào had a friendly conversation. All ignored the fighting. "Excuse me?" Matthew whispered. "I was about to go over plans for the trip. So can you guys stop fighting?" It was a wonder that Matthew had convinced Alfred to stay home. His stubbornness paid off in his favor. Matthew was more than happy with his decision. "No need to get your panties in a twist." Alfred laughed, push the earth region doctor on the ground. "Plus my little bro is trying to talk. You don't want to ignore him." He leaned in, hissing into Arthur's ear. Alfred would protect his brother no matter what. He knew Matthew was anxious and worried that this journey would be too much for him. Alfred was the kind of brother who wouldn't act like they cared, but would kill for his sibling. No, he wouldn't die for his brother, he's do more than die. Alfred would scarifice his moral goals, his freedom, to protect the only family he had left. But, Alfred also had to let Matthew do this one his own.
"Uh Thanks Al." After gaining his guests attention, Matthew began describing the plan.
The plan was to travel to each region, in each region the group would climb each mountain. The goal of the journey was to find out why, after hundreds of years, the monsters were leaving the mountain. They hoped to stop the monsters from ever leaving.
Matthew got the idea from legends. Legends, as old as dirt, told of special forces that controlled the monsters. At the top of the mountains were these special hidden forces. Or so the legend told.
Most people didn't believe in these superstitions, but it was the best Matthew had. "Pardon me, lad, but what order will we visit each region?" Arthur asked, sipping tea that tasted of maple syrup. He had stopped trying to murder Alfred because it would be rude. "Um, I know you all came for your own reasons, so I was thinking we could go in order of importance. If you don't mind." Matthew was asking for the group to share their personal stories. To find out which regions they would visit first. "Not at all, Mr. Williams." Arthur gently placed the cup down. His eyes shadowed slightly. "I am joining for revenge. Those blasted beasts murdered my little brother. I do not wish to speak more of the subject." Despite the guilt Arthur felt, He had finally pulled himself out of grief a few months prior. The other five travelers understood. They had all dealt with losses. Ludwig cleared his throat and stood up. "I am here to serve my region, As requested by my Marshall." Ludwig felt that any job given by his superiors made it his personal duty. "My main job is to protect you all." Matthew hadn't expected any region leaders to care about their expedition. He hadn't even expected a Warrior coming to join them. Matthias, who was smoking in the corner, placed his cancer stick in the ashtray, then stood up to speak. "I came here to find my family. Whispers took them a few nights ago and I need to find them before it's too late." Despite the hopeless possibility of his family not being alive, Mathias smiled. It wasn't a sad smile, or a happy one. It was a hopeful smile. Matthew stared at his feet. He had heard rumors about whispers. Everyone knew, those taken by whispers were dead. One does not survive a whisper. After everyone had shared their reasons, Matthew devised a plan. He figured since Mathias had family taken, they would start in the wind region. The six of them would travel in a circle from Mathias's region and end in Lovino's. They planned to leave first thing in the morning. "Um, I need to go shopping. Does anyone need anything?" Matthew mumbled, pulling on his coat. Arthur stood next to him. "I'll join you. I'm rather good at baking and I'd like to pick up some groceries." Matthew agreed and the two headed out.
Matthew led Arthur through the town. Vendors lined the streets. Which sold anything imaginable. Tourist crowded around magicians or band's that performed for simple cash. Matthew tossed gold coins to street performers as they wandered the market. He always paid them. After all they worked all day, playing music or performing life risking tricks. One street always had drunks no matter what time of day and smelled like rotting milk and body odor. That street was a popular tourist spot, for some reason. Matthew made sure to steer them away from that street. Towards the end of the market was bakeries, small shops and the farmers market. "I usually buy my food from here." Matthew mumbled, digging through a crate of apples. Arthur sifted through bags of sugar. "My family had a garden since our town didn't have a farmers market." The two walked around the farmers market, grabbing what they needed. "What town do you live in, Mr. Kirkland?" Matthew asked as he paid for a carton of eggs. Arthur tossed the vender a couple of gold coins. "Please, called me Arthur. We will be spending quite some time together." Arthur grabbed the eggs from Matthew. "I'm from the town of Mormur, by the way." Mormur known for it's high population of Homosexuals. They weren't hated upon, as they used to be, but that didn't mean Homosexuals had it easy. In fact, most looked down upon them, as lowercase citizens. For this reason, most migrated to a small town in the middle of the earth region. "Does that mean you're..?" Arthur interrupted Matthew before he could speak. "Heavens no, I'm as straight as pole." Matthew paid for the groceries and they left the market. The two took their time walking home, arriving before the sun dipped behind the horizon.
O~O
Ludwig woke up before the sun rose, he quickly dressed. He repacked his luggage and headed downstairs. The sweet aroma of Orange juice and over easy eggs welcomed Ludwig as he entered the kitchen. Matthew stood in front of the stove, watching eggs as the sizzled in a pan. He had his hair pulled up, and he wore a flour coated apron. He focused on making them perfect. Matthew wasn't a perfectionist, unless it came to food. If food wasn't perfect, then it wasn't edible.
With Matthew occupied, Ludwig took it upon himself to clean the living. He didn't want to leave the house a mess.
Ludwig's father had been in the military throughout his childhood. He was a strict man and had forced Ludwig to grow up under military standards. Such as, waking up earlier or keeping clean and organized. Ludwig's childhood hadn't allowed much fun, but he didn't mind. Ludwig thought fun was pointless. Wanting to follow in his father's footsteps, Ludwig also joined the Military. "Good m-morning Mr. Beilschmidt. Are you packed? W-We are going to leave when everyone wakes up." Matthew shoveled the eggs onto a plate and handed them to Ludwig. The Warrior nodded and took his plate to the couch. Ludwig's quietness put Matthew on ease. He was used to chatter around. It was easier for him to slip in the crowd, unnoticed.
Matthew left for his room. He shut the door behind him, leaning against it. Matthew worried about the endless dangerous he could encounter on the trip. He couldn't stop thinking. His thoughts were endless. Matthew had never left the town, he had no idea what to expect. Thinking about the vast, unknown world made Matthew panic. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It didn't help. The others were expecting him to lead the journey. They would hate Matthew when they found out he had no idea what he was doing. Should he should call it off? But then he had wasted everyone's time. If Matthew called it off, Mathias might never find his family. Yao's company would fail. The children in Lovino's village would still die. If no one stops the monsters, who else would die? Matthew took one more deep breath. People needed him, needed them. He padded over to his suitcase, grabbing random outfits and shoving them in. Matthew shut the lid and dragged his luggage to the door.
He was going to stop the monsters.
O~O
A few hours later, everyone had eaten and were loading their bags into a carriage. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come with you?" Alfred asked as he carried Matthew's bag to the carriage. "Absolutely positive."
A small girl with short blonde hair approach the group. She had blue ribbon and she wore a pink dress. "Um, Excuse me, Sir." She said tugging on the hem of Yao's shirt. Yao threw his bag onto the carriage, then turned to the little girl. "Can you please help me find my big bruder? He was here just a second ago." The girl frowned, her eyes filling with tears. "This is my first time in this region and I have no idea where i am. Please help me find my Bruder." By now the little girl had everyone one distracted. The door of alfred's house was left wide open so they could get the bags through the door and no one was inside. Yao couldn't stand someone losing their family. He also understood the horrible lost feeling one could have in a different region.
In the midday rush hour, streets crowded with people. Sweaty workers slid against each other, pushing to get home. It was the capital city of the fire region, the fourth most populated place In the word. The atmosphere was overwhelming for any first timers to the city. Especially young children.
In Yao's family, when a child turned six, they could leave the region. It was a tradition that was around since the beginning of the Wang family. This was his first time ever leaving the region and He could feel the panic boiling in his chest.
With the space around them closing, Yao reached out and grabbed his father's hand. The man turned back, giving his son's hand a gentle reassuring squeeze. He gave a small smile as He rushed Yào through the crowd. The two were heading for their cottage but the crowd of people swept them away. Most elbowed past each other, some mumbling sorry. Small children weaved between the legs of adults to avoid getting trampled. One could get lost in a crowd as large as the cities crowd was.
In the midst of rush hour a large bell rang followed by screams of children. All at once the people in crowd spun around. They ran off in a crazy and unordered fashion. A large winged beast flew in the distance. Gooey drops of magma flowed from its jaws and dripped off it's wings. Sizzling on the ground below it. The monster's scales were black. They pulsed and oozed. The beast coughed ash into the air.
Yao could feel his father's hand slip. Both tried to hold on, but the crowd swept them away. The beast let out a roar as Yao called out to his father. The ocean of terrified people bumped and tossed Yao. The crowd trampled him. A child laid on the ground, lost, alone and terrified. This was the moment when Yao realized how important family was.
Without family, He was trying to run in a sea of uncertainty. A sea where the they only way to live is to swim, but no one told you how. Family is a life vest. They keep you afloat.
"Sure, Little lady. We'll help you find your brother, aru." Yao couldn't ignore the girl. She was looking for her family and family was everything. She was looking for everything.
"Thank you. Thank you so much. He has hair like mine and…" As the girl keep talking, a person with long platinum blond hair snuck into the house. She had a knife clenched between her teeth. She shuffled through the house, shoving anything of value into a bag. She carefully walked about the house. "Hey you! Bitch who is stealing shit!" Lovino yelled, dropping his luggage and blocked the door.
The woman darted toward towards him. She dropped to her knees and slid between Lovino's legs. "Lilli, My люблю. We must be off." The woman with platinum blonde hair, stretched her hand out. Lilli, the little girl, spun around. She slid her hands into Yao's pocket, drawing out his money. "Natalia!" She called, grabbing hands with the other woman. Natalia gave Lilli a small kiss on the forehead before she picked the girl up. "Come back you whores!" Lovino yelled.
Alfred and Ludwig Both ran forward. The two warriors caught up with the girls in no time. Alfred reached and pulled Natalia to the ground. Lilli fell from Natalia's grip, landing on the stone without a scratch. She quickly gathered the money that had dropped. The little girl hopped to her feet in a rapid motion. In one quick motion, kicked Ludwig in the groin then sped off. Natalia flipped Alfred over, slamming his back onto the ground, then followed Lilli. They moved in rapid motion, disappearing before either warrior could recover. In their rush, the thieves had dropped the stolen items on the pathway. Alfred picked up his property and returned them to their rightful place.
With no further delays, the adventurers finished loading their things and left.
Each person had a wave of emotions running through their heads. Emotions ranging from excitement to dread to fear. Uncertainty and adventures lay ahead, and they were ready to face it all.
Here we go, Chapter 3. Sorry it took so long to get out. I had finals and a bunch of other shit. This chapter wasn't interesting, I know. I honestly I hate the chapter but the story has to start somehow. I added the part with Liechtenstein and Belarus to add some action and test out how to write both of them for future fan fictions. (I'm going to make them assassins.) Th.e next chapter should be more action packed.