Chapter 4 – enjoy! PS - I wasn't able to make the action scene very long without it being boring, since the actual fight didn't really have any significance other than getting a result for... well you'll see. So I made it somewhat quick and short. To make up for that, I combined both chapter 4 and what was supposed to be chapter 5 together to make one super long entry! :) (I was aiming for 3000 words or more... only managed to get 2,675, thought - still, that's pretty close, all things considered.)
As for not updating yesterday... I couldn't get onto the internet, and my comp decided it didn't like me anymore and totally threw a temper tantrum (Word wouldn't respond, it was being really slow... I couldn't do anything.) So I wasn't able to make two seperate chapters today like I promised I would if I missed a day. So that means that I had to combine two chapters, which is what I did here. Originally, the fight with Haia and the talk Layfon had with Eko was going to be one, and the rest of it was going to be another (actually, there are some scenes that I cut, and I also shortened this quite a bit from what I had in mind at first).
Anyways, you get two chapters, regardless of whether they're separate or not, so I think you should be satisfied (geeze, my hands hurt from typing...)
In any event, enjoy the chapter[s]!
+-|Chappie 4|-+
Clash!
BANG!
Slash, cut, slice!
Layfon jumped back, panting, his shoulder and chest bleeding from two shallow wounds. He looked at Haia and saw that he wasn't much better off – the wound on his chest was deeper than Layfon's, but at the moment, he didn't seem to feel it.
"Is that all you got, Volfstein? You've gotten rusty," Haia said with a smirk. Layfon grinned warily back.
"Don't insult me, Haia," Layfon said. "If I've gotten rusty, then you've completely lost your touch!" They went at each other again, their katanas slicing through the air as they cut towards one another – BANG! – they leapt apart again, only to jump straight back.
Layfon grinned, somewhat enjoying this new, refreshing challenge – he thought back to how this fight had begun in the first place...
Flashback!
"Layfon."
Layfon looked up to see Haia standing several feet behind him, Myunfa standing behind Haia. He had already sensed Haia coming, but had waited until Haia was ready to be acknowledged.
It had been one week since Layfon's and Haia's first talk – the deadline had arrived, which was why Haia was here in the first place.
"Haia – have you decided?"
"...No, I haven't. However, I came because I had a proposition..."
"...What is it?"
"Since I can't decide for myself what I want to do... I thought that maybe our blades should choose for us."
"Are you challenging me again, Haia?" Layfon's battle spirit, which he had acquired in very recent years from being around the members of the Mercenary Gang, reared its head, and he smirked a bit.
"That depends on whether or not you consider what I'm about to say a challenge," Haia replied with a grin. He drew his blade, swung it around a bit, before pointing it at Layfon, who stood his ground. "Fight me, Volfstein – if you can beat me, with just your katana, then I will agree to come back to the Mercenary Gang. That means no Kei techniques, either."
"You really..." Layfon said in amusement. "That's fine – but I won't hold back this time, so you better not either."
"Of course."
"Shall we do it now?"
"Sure – here?"
"No – over there. It's more open, since the roaming buses aren't there."
"Let's go." They both walked, side-by-side, a little ways away, stood facing each other, drew their blades, and...
Flashback! End
Really, Haia... it's been so long since I've had a serious challenge like this – to think, you've gotten this strong so quickly...!
They were both enjoying themselves... they could sense it, the excitement the other one was feeling. They were at each other's throats again, slash slash, clang, slice! They jumped apart, jumped towards each other again...
When they broke apart again, it was for the last time. With a quick look at each other, they silently decided – the next attack would finish it.
They both prepared themselves, before bending their knees, and...
It lasted for only a mere instant. The moment their blades met... nobody was able to see what happened, it was too fast for even their kei enhanced eyes to follow.
But, when they saw Layfon standing tall and proud, his back facing Haia, and saw Haia kneeling, coughing up blood... the result was clear.
Layfon was the winner.
"One of you take Haia and treat his wounds – quickly! If he loses anymore blood, it'll get dangerous!" Layfon's strong voice, full of command which the other members rarely heard unless the situation was serious, rose loudly above the ruckus of cheers from the others.
-x-x-
A pair of eyes turned themselves away from the sight of Layfon ordering the others around, and the owner of them started to walk away, quietly.
The figure reached a house, and went inside, shutting the door behind her.
"Ah, Eko! Welcome back! Did you enjoy your time with Layfon-san?" Eko's mother popped her head out of the kitchen to look at her daughter. Eko smiled at her.
"Yeah!" Even though he never knew I was there... Eko went up to her room, and lay down on her bed. She thought about the fight she had just seen...
Layfon looked like he was enjoying himself... Eko smiled at the thought. I wonder why they were fighting, however...? I'll just ask him tomorrow when he picks me up from school... And Eko let the matter go.
-x-x-
Several months had passed since Layfon's and Haia's fight – by this time, Layfon had pretty much become a legend in the city. He had defeated Filth Monsters both by himself and with his gang – for some reason that the city didn't understand, they were encountering more monsters than they usually did. This had started even before Layfon and the others came, but it had gotten much more serious for some reason once they got there.
"Layfon Volfstein Alseif," said the City Governor.
"Yes?"
"How much longer do you plan on staying here?"
Layfon thought for a moment. "Not much longer. I need to get back to Grendan before the Queen gets mad at me..."
"Why would she get mad at you?"
"She insists that I come back home every 6 months and stay for at least a week, though she tends to get mad unless I stay longer than that."
"I see... Well, the Roaming Buses aren't ready to be dispatched yet, and I'm afraid I can't let you use your personal buses just yet..." Oh boy... Here we go again... The Governor smiled at Layfon, somewhat slyly, and Layfon raised an eyebrow before smiling politely back.
"I understand, sir – I hope that the buses will be ready soon. Is that all?"
"Yes, that's all."
"Well, then – excuse me." And Layfon walked out the door.
Here we go again... this happens much more frequently than I'd like. They're delaying the buses... just so that they can make me stay here... Layfon thought seriously. He let out a tired sigh as he made his way to Eko's school, intending to pick her up.
-x-x-
"What's wrong, Lay-ton?" Eko looked with concern at the man, who was staring off into space and didn't seem to be very happy about – whatever it was he was thinking of.
"Huh? Oh, umm, sorry Eko-chan - I was thinking about what the city governor said to me when I saw him..." Layfon once again got a distracted look on his face. He was worried, that much Eko could tell.
"What did he say?" Could it have been that bad...? Eko questioned herself.
"He said that the roaming buses couldn't leave just yet..."
"But you have your own buses, right? So that shouldn't be a problem..."
"He said that he can't let me take those out at the moment either."
"Hmm? That's odd... I wonder why?"
"This isn't the first time that this has happened, actually..."
"What do you mean?"
"Basically, the governor is delaying the buses because he doesn't want me or the others to leave..." Layfon noticed the sudden look of worry on Eko's face, and he smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry - this has happened before, like I said. It should be fairly simple to handle. After all, they have to let the buses go sometime, right?"
"I see." Eko's face softened a bit, before she looked away. Then, quietly, she asked, "Where do you plan to go, Lay-ton?"
"Grendan. It's around the time I return there, or the Queen..." Eko saw Layfon sweatdrop at the thought that crossed his mind. What about the Queen? Eko thought in mild curiosity.
She looked away again. "Can - can I come with you...?" she asked quietly. Layfon started and looked at her in surprise.
At a loss for what to say, he was surprised at the answer that came from his mouth. "Maybe... that depends on whether your parents want you to..."
Eko looked at him, her eyes filled with sudden hope. "So, if I get permission from my parents, then...?"
Layfon just nodded slightly, and inwardly winced to himself when he saw Eko's overjoyed expression. He knew he was going to regret this... he could just feelit.
Just what have I gotten myself into...?
-x-x-
"Layfon-san?" Eko's mother, Mrs. Laiten, looked at him. It had been about a week since Eko had asked that question, and Layfon had given his answer. Layfon had been expecting to be confronted by Eko's parents, and from the serious look in Mrs. Laiten's eyes, it seemed the time for the confrontation had come.
"Yes, Mrs. Liten?" Layfon asked, doing his best to be as polite as possible.
"Could you come in for a moment? My husband and I would like to have a talk with you..." Eko looked between her mom and Layfon, before judging that she should probably go up to her room and stay out of this. She did so, and Layfon followed Mrs. Laiten into the living room.
"Layfon-san," Mr. Laiten said, nodding his head to acknowledge him.
"Mr. Laiten." Layfon did the same, before waiting to be offered a seat. Mrs. Laiten gestured towards the couch, and he sat down, looking between the couple as he waited for one of them to start talking.
"We'd like to talk to you about your offer to take Eko with you with our permission." Layfon turned his attention to Mr. Laiten. "That, and we would also like to hear your opinions on your relationship with our daughter."
"Well, first things first," Mrs. Laiten said. Layfon politely turned to her. "Why did you offer to take Eko with you?"
Layfon was silent for a moment as he thought about his answer. He knew that a thoughtful response would be better in this situation than a quick one. Why did I offer to take her... The image of the look on Eko's face flashed through his mind. "At the time, I had been worrying about what the city's governor had said to me... so when Eko asked me that question so suddenly, I really didn't know how to react. I'm still not sure myself why I offered such a thing, but... I think it was because... the look on Eko's face... she seemed so depressed. Like I said, the question was sudden, and I wasn't really thinking about what I was saying, so... I don't really know. I apologize for not being able to give a better answer."
Layfon would never know it, but it was the very fact that he couldn't answer this question outright that convinced the two parents before him that it was safe to leave their girl in his hands.
The couple shared a quick smile with each other, coming to a decision; Layfon's answer to the next question would be the deciding factor. Lately, the parents had come to realize how powerless they would be were their daughter to be caught in a Filth Monster attack - it's not surprising that they would be thinking this, considering the increase in attacks on the city, which had come even before Layfon got there. They had thought about it, and decided that it was better for their girl to be with someone who would care for her, and had the ability and desire to protect her, no matter the situation. So, they were glad this opportunity with Layfon had come up; he was their first choice for a possible caretaker.
"That's fine, Layfon-san. What do you consider your relationship with Eko to be?" Mr. Laiten decided to ask the next question.
"...I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you asking. "
"Let me rephrase then; what is Eko to you?" Mrs. Laiten asked him seriously.
"...I consider Eko to be..." he thought for a second, trying to find the right words. "I consider Eko-chan to be... as important as a little sister. I don't love her in a romantic way at all; I'm already in love with someone else. But, to me... Eko is like family."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes. I grew up in an orphanage. I was always the oldest, so the others looked up to me; we were all like family, and we were able to understand each other well enough to be considered such, even if not by blood."
"I see. So you're used to accepting children, and find it easy to consider them as family."
"Yes, ma'am."
"...I see. Thank you for answering our questions."
"It was nothing."
"We... would like to request something of you." Mr. Laiten looked seriously at Layfon.
"What is it?"
"Would you allow Eko to accompany you on your travels? We feel," the couple looked at each other. "We feel that she would be safest with someone like you, who is capable of and willing to protect her."
Once again, Layfon was very surprised at the answer that came out of his mouth: "...Alright. If you really feel that way, then I won't refuse."
Damn... I knew I'd regret saying that to Eko...