Without looking back he quietly says, "I apologize about my unkind words.
I had no idea you weren't from around here and I am sorry your parents
died. I never knew mine. As for the Kowaii part..."
He turns around to face Aori. He then finishes his comment, "I think
you are even scarier now, but in a mysterious way."
He bows to Enrai saying, "Can you please take care of her majesty? I
need to tend to something."
He walks off to the face of the cliff they had landed on. Glancing back
noting the door shut and no sign of his houseguests he removes his cloths.
He then takes a leap from the cliff. His dive is a perfect swan dive into
the trepid seas. As he breaks the surface he swims with the skill of
someone accustomed to having done so many times. He swims inside of a cave
and ends up in a hidden passage deep within the very mountain itself. He
dons a robe that he had left there and lights a torch. He soon enough
finds his two prisoners who are cowering in a corner. He walks up to them,
looking quite ominous in his shroud. He says, "So. Do you two
regret robbing that tavern the other day?"
The both say, "Yes."
He says, "How do you plan on making your wrongs right?"
One of the two says, "We will do anything master."
Kosuke responds, "Don't call me that. I give you two options.
First is, that you work in the very tavern you robbed to pay back that
which you owe. The second is banishment from the lands. If you
choose banishment, the next time I see you I will not go easy!"
They both agree to do the work and Kosuke flashes them a smile saying, "I
knew you would be reasonable."
Then he points to a large stack of boxes in the corner. He says,
"Tonight I am sure you will eat well. I just pray that you know how
to cook. Last person who didn't know how to cook didn't eat so well.
There's enough food there to feed an army. Help yourself until you
are stuffed. Tomorrow I will walk you to town."
They both say, "Thank you ma...err sir."
Kosuke nods to them and wishes them a pleasant evening. Then he walks to
the corner and shucks off the cloak before jumping into the water and returning
to the surface.
He sighs to himself as he swims, "Now where am I going to sleep. I
used up both beds. Oi Oi I need to plan ahead for such things."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He rubs his chin as he debates his situation. He finally groans and walks
to the peak of the cliff. He nestles himself up against a rock and takes
off his cloak. He lays it out under him, just covered by his undershirt.
Elevates, as his position is he looks off to the horizon. He
wonders, *is now the time for adventure. Finally after years of dreaming?
*, He looks back at the house, *With those two? *
He closes his eyes and enjoys the breeze rolling in off the sea. He knows
it will get colder as the night sets in, but he realizing there's nothing he
can do...
He points to a path leading around the back of the cliff. He also says,
"As for the bed I couldn't..." then he continues, "...Mrs. Yuri
taught me the way to be hospitable. Don't worry about what you said.
I am used to royalty in this land. I had no idea you weren't from
around here. I bet you could tell I'm not used to talking to people.
Sorry for putting the two of you out like this."
As he walks he knows she must be cold in her wet outfit, so once again he
removes his cloak and tosses it to her. He then says, "When we get
back to the house I will find you some more clothes to wear. Something
about the form I can take makes it where I don't get wet at all. When
I'm normal though even though the water abandons my skin the moment I leave
the sea, it still remains in my cloths. Ano...you didn't see...um..."
he trails off.
For the rest of the trip back to the house Kosuke's deep red blush directly
contrasts with the blue of his hair and clothing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quickly before he walked into his home she thrusts her arms around his neck
with a sensual grin on her lips, "Embarrassed because I saw you naked?
You know... you're not half that bad..." She takes one of her fingers
and trails it up his collarbone, letting her hair down at the same time to drip
on him a little making her look a bit more susceptible.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He looks at the ground realizing that he made no sense what so ever.
After walking in silence for virtually ever he looks at the girl and asks,
"So tell me what happened? Its not every day you see a queen
traveling in secrecy. What is your story?"
He prays in silence that he had changed the subject...
He walks around looking for something soft to use. After a fruitless
search he looks out over the calm ocean. He knows the seas obey him and
would never act up in his presence. Somehow this feeling soothes him.
Then a light bulb appears over his head. He shouts, "Soo Desu
Ka! Why didn't I think of this before?"
The boy holds out his hands over the sea. His hands begin to glow with a
tranquil blue color. Suddenly the water presents itself before Kosuke
forming a soft bed of sorts. Kosuke nearly plunges in before realizing his
weakness to the water.... HIS CLOTHES!! He gasps and walks behind a rock.
The water follows him and he quickly disrobes. Then he steps into
the opaque waters. They engulf him, giving him a feeling of floating and
one of natural warmth. He cushions his head against the waters and quickly
dozes off. His dreams are of the adventures that await him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Egah!" Enrai felt something pounce him from his spot on the
ground and instinctively he reached for his claw and held it to the neck of
whoever pounced him. "Oh...its you." Enrai put the claw away and got
off the ground, picking Aori up at the same time and setting her down on the
ground, "If you insist on pouncing me, at least do it when I don't have a
weapon. I could have cut your head off." He frowned a bit before stretching
and heading back to the cabin, "I wonder if the blue boy has any food? If
not, I guess I'm going to have to cook
something."
He glanced at Aori, "You coming?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The young girl tossed her leather-tied silvery-white hair back behind her
shoulder as she crouched back against the tree she was in, pushing back the few
black strands of hair that lay in bangs around her face. The leaves around her
shadowed her perfectly, and no one, had they bothered to look up, would have
been able to see her. Which was how she preferred it. She didn't dislike
people...but she saw no reason to get close to them.
Her light, jade green eyes narrowed in worry as she watched the youngest of the
three children wander off the path. The little one was barely more than a
toddler, but the parents weren't paying much attention.
~~...not good for the little one...~~ the girl thought, and sighed to herself.
The parents needed to come get the child...
The girl rose into a well-balanced crouch, judging the distance between herself
and the next tree. She would have to get the parents attention somehow, before
the child got lost....
She leapt, landing lightly enough on the next branch that it barely moved. Now
she was almost over the child...She looked up, to see the parents several
hundred yards off. Amazing that they hadn't noticed yet...
With a well placed kick to a dead branch beside her, she made it crack open. The
sound echoed like a shot through the forest, and all of the family stopped,
looking around in surprise. The mother, spying her baby so far away from them,
rushed back to pick up the child before she could disappear into the foliage.
The woman bustled off to rejoin her family, gently scolding the little one as
they walked.
The girl smiled, watching them go. The family was safe enough for now...still...
She paused before making her next leap, thinking about how the little ones kept
wandering off. If it happened again...
The girl known as the 'Silent Ghost' blinked, than made her decision...she would
follow them and keep them safe, if she could.
*********************
A few hours later, the family had eaten, played and enjoyed themselves. Once
settled in a sunny spot, the parents had been amazingly vigilant. Soundless, the
Ghost had curled up high in the branches above, allowing herself to doze as the
family played on.
After a while, though, a cold breeze awoke her....a cold breeze, and the
faintest sound. Ghost looked down, realizing that the family has left some time
ago, and the cold breeze she was feeling was the evening winds starting to pick
up.
Smoothing her tattered sleeves against her arms, Ghost sat up, looking around as
she tried to decipher what the odd sound was. It almost sounded like the wind,
distorted as it was by the trees. But after a moment, she realized she was
hearing the sounds of a child in distress...and the fainter sounds of a woman,
calling with a panicked voice. The little one must have gotten lost...
Ghost stood up, quickly getting her bearing on the frightened crying. With
practiced leaps, she made her way through the trees in the forest, searching for
the child and hoping to find her before the monsters of the forest did.
She found the child soon afterwards, curled up and sobbing in the crook of a
moss-covered tree. Ghost paused as she looked down on the child, and then around
the surrounding forest. she could no longer here the woman calling, so the child
had wandered far away...
Ghost sighed. She liked to stay hidden..but...
The little one needed home...
Her leap took her silently to the ground next to the weeping curl. Ghost looked
at the child, who had yet to notice her in it's own fearful crying, and then
kneeled next to the little girl, gently touching the child's shoulder.
Ghost put her finger to her lips as the girl jerked away in startled surprise,
then looked up at the apparition before her.
The child's eyes widened as she took in the white hair, the pale skin, and the
ragged tunic, leggings and ankle boots. Then her mouth formed a perfect, and
perfectly surprised 'O'. Ghost smiled gently, offering the girl a hand.
Hesitant at first, the child stared at the hand for a moment before wrapping her
own around it and standing up. Her brown, innocent eyes looked up at Ghost's
face.
"Forest Ghost take Mimi home?" the child asked quietly. Ghost smiled
and nodded, gently leading her out onto the path and back towards her home. It
took some time, for the child had wandered far before her parents discovered her
missing, but Ghost finally led her back to
where the path led out of the forest.
They could both hear the frantic cries of searching adults, and Ghost looked
down to smile and cock her head at the little one. The child, in return, took
her thumb out of her mouth and laughed at Ghost. They could clearly hear the child's
mother...now quickly approaching, as
she called for her daughter.
"Mimi...? Mimi, baby, where are you....? Mi...mi...?" the woman was
astounded to see her daughter right before her...but was even more surprised to
see the faintest hint of white in the trees above as Ghost quickly made her way
up...and out of sight.
The stunned silence lasted until the child squealed happily, running to hug her
mother.
"Mommy! The Silent Ghost showed me how to come back here...Mommy...she's so
nice...I'm so glad to see you..." the rest of the child's tirade was buried
in her mother's neck as she was lifted and cradled.
The woman let her clutch and ramble on as she looked around the trees. She knew
she had seen something...but what...?
And then she looked at her child, happily snuggled against her, and smiled
herself. Of course...it had to have been the Ghost...and she had once again
brought someone safely from the forest. The woman knew she had been happy, as
had her child, and she hugged the girl closer to her as she looked out to where
she had seen the flash of white.
"Thank you, Wandering Ghost...Thank you for bringing my child back to
me." Nothing answered her but the sound of the evening breeze rustling in
the leaves above, but the woman bowed anyway as she made her way back out of the
forest, and to her warm safe home. She and her daughter.
Ghost watched from the trees above, smiling when the thanks came, but made no
answer. Like a true ghost, she did not speak. But...
~~Be careful, and take care of you and yours...~~ Ghost thought silently back to
the pair, watching them as they quit the forest altogether, and disappeared down
the path leading back to the village. Satisfied, Ghost went to go hunt for her
supper.
*This is no natural fog. I feel it.* The lithe red-haired 16 year old, mused.
"Captain Dellaroyse," She says, turning her midnight blue eyes on the
captain, "is there usually this much fog this time of year?"
The captain jumped when the all-consuming silence was broken, he glanced over to
the young girl. He was surprised to see such old eyes in such a young body.
"Well, ma'am, to tell ye the truth, no. T'is the Sea Serpent's work."
Adrienne frowns, in contemplation. "A sea serpent?"
"Aye, the fools in Furni call 'I'm the Guardian o' the Mists."
Dellaroyse scoffs. "Guardian, HA! He summons up this fog and then terrorizes
the boats traveling to Furni. That's why you had to pay such a pretty penny to
travel. It's expensive to find a crew willin' to travel these haunted waters.
All it takes is one meetin' with the Serpent and the most harden sailors become
landlubbers. No offense meant, Milady."
A sailor tying off one of the lines shivers and says, "T'is said that he
throws overboard those who displease him and then he takes 'em back to 'is lair
and eats 'em."
"Truly? Do you think he will attack us?" Adrienne says, while staring
out into the fog.
"Well, I say we have a sportin' chance. About five other ships left out of
port about the same time as us." Dellaroyse said reassuringly, but he
couldn't keep the small quaver from being heard.
Suddenly, the ship lurched, as a resounding crunch echoed in the silent evening.
Adrienne and many of the crew were thrown to the deck. The captain ran over to
Adrienne, "Are ye alright, miss?"
"Yes, what happened, Captain?" She said as she pulled herself up.
"We ran aground. You'll be safer if you stay here, I'll be goin' below to
see how badly we've been damaged."
Adrienne nods as the captain ran below. As time passed the fog thinned, until
finally Adrienne could see the stars, and soon she could see the land. The
captain returns to the deck. "Now this damned fog decides to lift!" He
snarls as he stalks over to the maps. After a few moments he looks up.
"Miss, I'm afraid we've over shot Furni. But we are within walkin' distance
to
Neet. From there ye should be able to get an escort to wherever ye need to be.
I'll send my cabin boy with ye."
"Thank you, Captain. I would appreciate the escort." Adrienne replied
politely. *Though I hardly need it* She thinks.
Within ten minutes, Adrienne was once more standing on solid land and in less
than an hour she was walking into the inn in the village of Neet.
The next morning...
"To get to Dennigrad you'll have to pass through the Haunted forest. It
would be better for you to follow the coast to Furni then join up with a
caravan." A villager tells Adrienne.
"It may be better but it will take too much time. I have to go straight to
Dennigrad." Adrienne says, turning to leave.
"Well I warned you! Don't you be blaming me when the Ghost comes for your
soul!" The villager shouted at Adrienne's retreating form.
"So, Tobias, 'ow long you give 'er" A farmer asked him.
"Less than a day, then the Ghost'll get her. Pity if you ask me. What a
waste of a pretty girl." Tobias said as the two men returned to their work.
As Adrienne's form faded into the trees.
It was a sunny day, if still a little chill, and she watched with pleased
fascination as the leaves cast varied shadows on the ground below, their shapes
changing with the waving of the branches. The sky above was a clear blue, with
only an occasional wisp of cloud scurrying by.
The Forest itself felt peaceful as Ghost made her way to the edge of the
village--the same one that the little girl from last night had been from. It was
peaceful enough, in the early dawn, a few of the farmers already up and about,
tending to their fields. She watched them for a few moments, happy that all
seemed peaceful.
After a while, she noticed that something had been left at the edge of the
forest, near where the little girl had rejoined her mother. Curious, Ghost made
her way to the place, smiling when she realized that someone had left her a bowl
of milk, and some bread.
Some of the villagers were like that, especially if she had helped them, or
someone they were close to. They would often leave gifts for her at the edge of
the forest...
Some villagers, though, were of the opposite bent...and likely would have run
from fear if they ever laid eyes on her...Ghost felt a little saddened by that,
but she knew that it was human nature...not all humans understood...She glanced
to make sure that the farmers in the nearest fields to her weren't looking in
her direction before she slid down the trunk of the tree and made her way to the
milk.
She lifted the bowl to her nose, sniffing it carefully...depending on when the
offering had been left, the milk might be bad by now...but it still smelled
fresh, telling Ghost that it must have been the first thing the child and her
mother had done this morning...
With a grateful smile, she raised to bowl towards where she though the little
girl and her kin lived before taking a careful drink from it. The bread, when
she picked it up, was still warm...and although she had to knock a few ants from
it, it was fine...and very good. Ghost finished the offered meal quickly, gently
replacing the bowl where she had found it, and then leaving a glittery piece of
quartz inside as thanks.
She was about to make her way back into the forest, when she heard one of the
farmers call out to someone.
"Well, I warned you! Don't you be blaming me when the Ghost comes for your
soul!"
Ghost immediately looked to where the shout came from, in time to see a flash of
red hair disappear into the trees, and the two farmers return to their work,
talking quietly among themselves. She blinked, surprised that she had completely
missed the people that were so near to her spot. But the farmers had not seen
her...nor had who-ever had entered the forest.
Ghost checked to make sure the bowl and stone were secure, then faded back into
the forest, making for the trees as soon as she was sure she was out of sight.
For a moment, she paused, testing the feel of the forest now that a stringer had
entered it. It was still peaceful...but also had the sense of something
waiting...
Waiting for what....?
Intrigued, Ghost made her way to the path, then followed in the trees along it
until she had managed to catch up with the young woman who was even now making
her sure way deeper into the forest. She was lithe, graceful...her hair a deep
red, and she was both armed and armored. Ghost climbed a little higher in the
trees, not wanting to be seen. The weapon and armor made her nervous, for their presence
bespoke of a warrior...but the young woman herself did not seem to be a
threat...indeed...she seemed almost to draw Ghost closer, as if there was
something familiar about her.
The feeling was a little disconcerting for Ghost, but also piqued her interest
more. Finally, she decided...she had to know who this stranger was...or at least
where she was going. If nothing else, it simply seemed...important. So she
carefully, silently kept pace with the red-haired warrior, following as Adrienne
took the old path deeper into the ancient trees....
******************
As Adrienne made her way deeper into the Haunted Forest, she could feel the deep
peace that resided within it. Sometimes, as she walked, it felt as if something
may have been watching her, but if she tried to find out what it was, the
presence would fade away, and she could find nothing.
As she traveled, she could tell that the animals were not as shy as they could
be, and monsters seemed to be all but non-existent. In all, it felt as if she
had walked into the safest place she had ever been. Safe...and
peaceful...guarded.
He steps back outside and tosses a sidelong glance at his two weary prisoners.
He says to them, "Don't worry. Madam Masuko isn't too harsh.
I am sure you will work off your debt in no time."
Soon, the old path was all but covered over by the surrounding foliage. Ghost
sighed. Unless the warrior had been here before, Ghost knew what would happen.
She would get lost.
So it wasn't a surprise when the red-head did, indeed, stop...
Curious, Ghost watched as Adrienne inspected the tree she was next to, staring
hard at the moss.
~~What is she looking for...?~~ it took Ghost a moment to realize that Adrienne
was trying to find north by looking where the moss grew...Ghost smiled. She knew
that that wives tale had spread far among those who were not familiar with the
forest...
But that also meant she needed help getting out...
Ghost did not know where the young woman had intended to go originally, but she
knew that they were nearer to the village on the water than to the village with
the crystal tower...
Ghost had faith that the traveler would be able to find her way to where she
wanted to go though, once she was out of the trees...but that meant that Ghost
would have to show her...
Ghost sighed silently, thinking of the best way to do that...
Finally, after some thought, she made her way to a nearby stream. Its banks were
littered with more of the shiny white quartz
rocks...Ghost filled her pockets with them, then made her way back to where the
young warrior was. Silently, she lowered herself down behind the red-head,
carefully placing the first white stone prominently in the middle of the clear
ground...she repeated the steps silently, until she had a small trail going, and
was out of sight...and then quickly made her way back behind Adrienne, who was
still facing in the other direction.
With careful dexterity, she found another dead branch and cracked it loose. This
time, it was clear that the sound was from behind Adrienne. Ghost faded into the
shadow of the trees, waiting and watching to see if the woman would understand
what she was seeing....
He walks back to his prisoners. He says, "Well I don't suppose you
two want to wait now do ya. Hang on maybe we will leave 'o disturbed one'
here while I get you started and get myself some breakfast."
He pokes his head back in the house and says, "Aori chan? Do you want
to go for breakfast in town or are you going to sleep in?"
He sighs and begins to walk to town. He says to the thieves, "Must be
nice to be rich and never have to do anything."
They nod Kosuke has an unspoken moment with his prisoners. He sweat drops
realizing that socializing with such people could only be bad...
start her daily chores. Her advisors didn't want her to grow being a lazy
not know how to do anything type girl. She had to help the maids
straighten up a lot of things. Then she had her glaive practice, etc etc.
As she had told people before, she's not miss prim and proper even if she was
rich. Besides, she couldn't sit around and do nothing like most people.
After a bit of brushing out her hair and tying it into a braid, and sticking the
rest of her clothing back on she walked outside to breathe in some air.
Seeing Enrai in an irritable mood, instead of saying something she walked back
inside and looked around for something to do. She didn't want to be
bothersome to any of the two guys. Aori quickly spotted a broom and a few
cleaning supplies and began to clean up the little cottage up. It was the
least she could do.
A rather feisty looking woman with flaming red hair walks out from within the
kitchen. She laughs at the sight of the two defeated looking men. She
calls out, "Good work Kosuke. Id say these two will learn to never
again rob this town within three days."
Kosuke sighs and takes a seat while the woman walks the men into the kitchen.
As he sits there all of the waitresses make their rounds blowing kisses
and waving and such. Kosuke rolls his eyes when they aren't looking.
As the locals visit the place for the morning they high five the boy and
pat him on the back. After a short wait a large feast is placed on Kosuke's
table...he sets out to eat in silence...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'll get you for that ya little wench!!" He quickly
stood up pulling out a large hammer like instrument. Aori smirked at this
man for a moment, it's been a while for her since she's been in a really good
fight. She instantly pulled out her glaive, a crowd of gatherer's began to
surround the two. A few of them making bets on the two the name, 'Colossus'
occasionally resounding.
"I dunno, that chick their looks like she has a lot of spunk, but
MAN is she short eh?"