The first sun began to set over the port city of Gunn. Quatre looked up at the horizon. The smaller sun was almost hidden by the tall mountains that protected the city. The blue sky was slowly turning darker, fading to a crimson hue. The moon was visible to the east. He felt a light breeze drift past him as he walked towards the castle with his friend.
"You were there. At the battle." Trowa said suddenly.
Quatre nodded solemnly. "I couldn't help them."
"Who was it?" Trowa asked looking over at the blond mage. The pair walked in silence as the setting suns over the mountains cast a black shadow over the city.
"I wish I knew. The battle began shortly before dawn. I was hit by a blast of energy. By the time I came to, the battle was over."
"You weren't hurt."
"Not much. The battle was very short. The second sun hadn't ever lifted over the horizon yet." Quatre sighed. "The strange thing is that I was the only survivor."
"That's why you summoned me."
"The same thing happened to you. The mysterious foe, the entire mercenary camp was destroyed, you were the only one who survived."
"Because you saved me. By all rights I should have died with the others." Trowa stated quietly.
Quatre nodded sorrowfully. He walked for a second before he felt the presence of a magical being. He whirled around facing the mountain. "The gate!" He shouted as he ran towards the entrance to the city.
"Friend or Foe?" Trowa asked as he began to run.
"Both!"
Outside the city of Gunn
"Faerie of the Light, come to me." Duo whispered into the air as the sky turned dark.
A diminutive light green feminine being with iridescent wings appeared before him.
"Hey, it's getting kinda dark. Think you can offer a little bit of light for me and my friend as I travel."
The faerie giggled. "You are a strange elf. It's rare for an elf to summon a faerie and not speak in an incantation."
"Granted. I only do incantations during battles and stuff. This is more of an informal request." Duo replied with a wink.
The faerie disappeared and a bright light appeared in Duo's outstretched hand.
"We have light!" Duo smiled happily at Heero.
A tall figure clad in golden armor appeared.
"Did you see that?" Heero whispered to Duo.
"He just appeared outta no where." Duo replied. "I have a feeling this guy's up to something."
"Ifrit, dark creature of the fires of the underworld, stand before me!" The man's deep voice filled the air.
The ground began to shake and a large flame erupted in front of the man. The flames resided and in it's place stood a large monster. It was tall as a building, and heat seemed to waft from its brown fur.
"As you are bound to this emblem you are bound to me! You will do my bidding! Destroy the port!" And as quickly as the man appeared he was gone.
Duo stood staring at the monster in shock. "I've never encountered magic like that before."
Heero withdrew his sword. "We have to stop that monster!"
"Uh, Heero, here's a thought…Do you think that's what destroyed the army? If so, how are we going to…?"
"Shut up, Duo." Heero said as he rushed towards the monster.
"Humans." Duo sighed as he began so summon the spirits to aid his friend. "Undine, spirits of the oceans, come to me!" The water spirits appeared and began to attack the monster, but they only seemed to annoy the monster more than injuring it.
"Umi no!" a young voice called nearby. The monster whirled in the direction of the voice as a blast of water stuck it.
"A mage?" Duo looked to see a small young man with platinum blond hair clutching onto a staff.
"Foolish creature!" Ifrit growled as he shot a ball of fire at the mage, which the mage avoided.
Duo could only watch as the monster struck the mage with its large clawed hand, before it turned toward the knight who was attacking furiously.
Heero continued to battle with the demon, narrowly avoiding its powerful blasts of fire and sharp claws.
"Shiva, beautiful creature of light, stand before me!" a female's voice could be heard from far off in the distance. "As you are bound to this emblem you are bound to me! Protect the city, and those who have tried to protect it."
A bright flash of light appeared and an angelic figure appeared before them. The feminine creature held her hands above her head and a brilliant ball of light began to form. When she lowered hear hands toward the ground the light turned into shimmering shards of ice. The fire monster was enveloped in the ice, and began to howl in pain.
Heero lifted his broadsword and began stabbing the trapped creature. Trowa flipped onto the injured creature's shoulder, and jammed his broadsword in the creature's eye.
As the creature known as Ifrit died, the creature summoned to defeat it disappeared.
"I'm not sure what just happened." Duo said as he looked at the dead beast.
"Nor I." Quatre sighed, slumping toward the ground in exhaustion, clutching his side.
"Who are you two?" Heero asked the taller man who stood before him.
"I'm Trowa. He's Quatre." The mercenary said as he helped his friend stand.
"And?" Duo asked.
"I felt the presence of your magic, and I was drawn here. I wanted to help." Quatre murmured before fainting.
"Hi! Is anyone hurt?" A female's cheerful voice sounded from behind them.
Duo turned to face the woman. "You called Shiva."
The tall woman in armor nodded her head happily. Her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. "I totally forgot I could do that. It's a good thing I remembered. I don't think I would have got here in time!" She smiled as she offered Duo her hand. "You're a cute elf. You remind me of someone I know. Oh, your friend is hurt!" She rushed over to Quatre and Trowa.
A man in black cape with black hair walked up to the unconscious mage. "I can help heal his wounds. Once we are safely in the port city gates, of course. Afterwards we can sit and try to sort things out."
Wolfwood looked over at his traveling companion. Millie was cheerfully talking to the man carring the unconsious youth. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. She was hiding so much from him, and yet she would tell him anything. She insisted that they make the journey to Gunn, but she wouldn't tell him why. She handled confrontations along the way with the ease of a seasoned warrior, yet claimed that she's never been in a battle. She was amazed at his holy magic, and yet she just cast the most powerful spell he had ever seen. She seemed so clueless, but always knew everything.
"Mr. Preist, I need you to travel with me to Gunn." Millie looked at the direction of the mountains. "I can't go alone. And I have a feeling you wouldn't let me go by myself."
"What's so important in Gunn?" Wolfwood asked as he looked at the unconscious bandits at his feet. "It's not you I'd worry about. I'd worry about the poor souls who would try and mess with you."
"We are needed in Gunn." Millie stated cheerfully as she tapped the large blade of her sword on the ground. "They should have left us alone shouldn't they, Mr. Priest?"
Wolfwood looked at the woman. There was something truly strange about her. She had an air of unfailable confidence. There was something strange about the way she looked at him. Or how she didn't look at him. Her bright blue eyes remained fixed in one direction, and her mannerisms while she spoke reminded him of a blind person.
"Oh, I'm not blind." Millie said happily as her gaze finally drifted towards his direction.
Wolfwood stared at her.
"I can't read minds either, but I bet that's what you were thinking just then." she said teasingly.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm called Wolfwood."
"Well, Mr. Preist, I'd love to waste time convincing you to join me. If we don't leave now we won't get there in time. You owe me." She turned and walked towards the temple. "Hurry up and get your things, we have to leave before sundown."
"I can't believe I followed a complete stranger through the desert, from town after town, over the mountain range...just because she never gave me a chance to say no." Wolfwood thought to himself as he began to heal the mage's wounds.
Questions raced through Wolfwood's mind. Questions that he couldn't answer.
"Who is Millie? What does she want with me? What is that emblem on her sword? Why was it so important to go to Gunn?"
End of Chapter 2
Note from the author: Whaddya think? Please R+R, emails are welcomed and encouraged! ^_^ Thanks to all who review in advance. Phew...my brain is getting fried from writing two multi-series crossovers at the same time. I think I'll take a comedy break. A sequel to Soup's On or maybe a song parody, I haven't wrote one for Sorcerer Hunters yet...Oh, joy! ^_^ Ja ne!