*** Chapter Five: Hitori Janai- I'm no longer alone
The sun set against the tree-lined horizon. The open road was in use by two pairs of feet, making their way back to the Yggrasil.
"Schala...."
"Yes, Hyuga?"
"...Welcome home."
"Ha, I should say the same to you."
"Schala..."
"What, hon?" She smiled sweetly.
"I...missed you..." He stopped and looked at her, eyes quivering with the threat of tears.
"Hyuga..."
"Schala..." He broke down and embraced her, sobbing.
She took him in her arms, kissed his cheek and said, "I missed you too.... My little brother..."
/*/*/*
Sigurd was in the process of listening to Bart bitch and curse about fate, luck, and how much the Gods of the universe hated him. With Bart's voice in the background of his mind, Sigurd was mulling over the situation. He saddened at the thought *Hyu-chan would know what to do.*
"Sig, are you /listening/?" Bart looked like an impatient little girl speaking to a parent.
"Sorry, Bart, I was.."
"You were thinking about him, weren't you?"
"Uh-huh."
"Oh, my poor Sig." Bart had sympathy, but was teasing him, too.
Sig pouted playfully. Bart laughed and tackled him, apparently over his anger. Sig grabbed his brother by the waist and picked him up six inches off the ground.
"Woah! I'm too old for this!"
"Haha, I never got to do this when you were little! And Billy was afraid of heights..."
"Oh, /thanks/. I'm glad Billy-Boy wasn't much of a substitute for lil' ol' me!"
"Yeah, and he never will be!"
"Hey, Sig?" Bart looked up as he was put back down.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being my brother."
Sigurd smiled and took the blond pirate into a traditional headlock. "Yeah."
"It's so sweet, I think my brain may rot."
"Huh?" Both brothers looked up to see the man from the bar glaring at them with his arms folded over his chest.
"I decided you two may be of use to me..."
"Excuse me?" Bart was about to go 'System Id' himself.
"I figured from your bitchin' you were used to having a lot of people around. Lots of people means lots of information..."
"Look, what makes you think I'd tell you /anything/?"
"Are you interested in a trade?"
"Like what?"
The man dug around under his cloak, and pulled something out of an inner pocket. "This." He brought out a thin gold chain, around which was a small, turquoise sphere.
"What is it, and why should I care?"
"It's an artifact that will protect the one who wears it with the most pure of forces. You will never find another one like it in the universe."
Bart eyed it, "Hey, Sig, do you think it will bring in money?"
The man became sterner, his dislike turning into hatred.
"I think it's a perfect trade."
"What?" Bart and the man shared their surprise.
Sigurd strode over the man, looking him in the eye, his face expressionless. He put his hand to the man's face. "What is such a cold soul doing in the desert? Come with us." It wasn't a question. "What is your name?"
"You... can call me Magus."
The sun set against the tree-lined horizon. The open road was in use by two pairs of feet, making their way back to the Yggrasil.
"Schala...."
"Yes, Hyuga?"
"...Welcome home."
"Ha, I should say the same to you."
"Schala..."
"What, hon?" She smiled sweetly.
"I...missed you..." He stopped and looked at her, eyes quivering with the threat of tears.
"Hyuga..."
"Schala..." He broke down and embraced her, sobbing.
She took him in her arms, kissed his cheek and said, "I missed you too.... My little brother..."
/*/*/*
Sigurd was in the process of listening to Bart bitch and curse about fate, luck, and how much the Gods of the universe hated him. With Bart's voice in the background of his mind, Sigurd was mulling over the situation. He saddened at the thought *Hyu-chan would know what to do.*
"Sig, are you /listening/?" Bart looked like an impatient little girl speaking to a parent.
"Sorry, Bart, I was.."
"You were thinking about him, weren't you?"
"Uh-huh."
"Oh, my poor Sig." Bart had sympathy, but was teasing him, too.
Sig pouted playfully. Bart laughed and tackled him, apparently over his anger. Sig grabbed his brother by the waist and picked him up six inches off the ground.
"Woah! I'm too old for this!"
"Haha, I never got to do this when you were little! And Billy was afraid of heights..."
"Oh, /thanks/. I'm glad Billy-Boy wasn't much of a substitute for lil' ol' me!"
"Yeah, and he never will be!"
"Hey, Sig?" Bart looked up as he was put back down.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being my brother."
Sigurd smiled and took the blond pirate into a traditional headlock. "Yeah."
"It's so sweet, I think my brain may rot."
"Huh?" Both brothers looked up to see the man from the bar glaring at them with his arms folded over his chest.
"I decided you two may be of use to me..."
"Excuse me?" Bart was about to go 'System Id' himself.
"I figured from your bitchin' you were used to having a lot of people around. Lots of people means lots of information..."
"Look, what makes you think I'd tell you /anything/?"
"Are you interested in a trade?"
"Like what?"
The man dug around under his cloak, and pulled something out of an inner pocket. "This." He brought out a thin gold chain, around which was a small, turquoise sphere.
"What is it, and why should I care?"
"It's an artifact that will protect the one who wears it with the most pure of forces. You will never find another one like it in the universe."
Bart eyed it, "Hey, Sig, do you think it will bring in money?"
The man became sterner, his dislike turning into hatred.
"I think it's a perfect trade."
"What?" Bart and the man shared their surprise.
Sigurd strode over the man, looking him in the eye, his face expressionless. He put his hand to the man's face. "What is such a cold soul doing in the desert? Come with us." It wasn't a question. "What is your name?"
"You... can call me Magus."