Slowly, Amarant's eyes began to flutter open, and the first thing he
saw upon his awakening was long strips of green, tickling at his face in an
irritating manner. A grumble managed to escape his mouth, and he rolled
over onto his back, looking up at the sky for a few minutes. Shaking his
head, he then placed the flat of his palm on the earth and lifted himself
up.
Looking about him, he saw Vivi dusting himself off, Eiko looking at the two strangely, the dragon's corpse, and a mysterious set of footprints. Without a word, he set off into the dark, following the footprints, leaving Eiko and Vivi to stand there with a dumbfounded look on both of their faces.
He soon realized that he'd walked out so far that he could barely even see the castle. What struck him as odd, was that he felt the need to follow these footprints. Ordinarily, he just wouldn't care...but there was something...odd... about these particular patterns.
However, his contemplation was soon interrupted. A large blade sunk into his leg, the broad edge creating a large fissure within his flesh, blood dripping down, escaping the wound as though trying to be free.
"AGH!!!" He screamed out loud, in reaction to the pain. He spun about, looking for his assailant.
"Oh, it's just you Red." Lani's voice called out from behind a viel of darkness.
He still couldn't see her, but he now knew she was there. Ripping a bit of fabric off from his vest, he tied it about the wound, as a make- shift tourniquette. He still remained quiet during this whole process.
"Well...aren't you going to say something? I just gave you that nasty wound on accident...any normal person would be screaming their head off at me!" Lani said to him, in a questioning manner.
"Actions say more than words..." And with that, he leaped up from the ground, and adopted a fighting stance, preparing himself to fight.
"What's this? A challenge?" Lani asked him.
"You could say that." And with Amarant immediately went on the offensive. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a steel disc. He immediately curled his arm and unleashed it upon his opponent. In reaction Lani, swung her axe at the throwing weapon, destroying it, but this had left her open, which was evident when she felt a hard punch to the side. Immediately she swung her axe again, the blade piercing the air in a great parabola. Amarant tried to evade it, but she was too quick. Another strike piercing into his leg, close to the previous wound. The two stopped suddenly, and looked at each other, drawing in sharp breaths.
"It's too dark out to be doing this. Let's call a truce. Whaddya say, Red?" Lani asked her opponent.
"Okay then...for now." Amarant responded. The two nodded, and then Amarant walked back towards Alexandria, limping as he went.
* * *
"Oh...that irresponsible..." Steiner growled, clenching his fists.
"It's just his way Steiner. He'll be back soon. He was probably following those footprints." Zidane said to him, attempting to calm him down, though, not doing a very good job at it. Soon they noticed that he was back, limping as he did so. Steiner could feel his anger well up a little, but he held himself back.
"What happened to you?" Zidane asked him.
"...Got into a fight with Lani..." Amarant responded.
"The other Bounty Hunter?" Zidane asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes..." Amarant responded again. He then proceeded to sit down on one of the large bricks from the castle's partially destroyed wall, tending to his wounds. Garnet suddenly had a flashback, remember Lani, remembering when her mother was influenced by Kuja, remembering, when her mother tried to kill her...
She swayed a little bit, but shook her head, and regained her equilibrium, trying to eject those thoughts form her head. That was in the past now, no need to dwell on it.
"Princess! Are you allright?!" Steiner asked in an excited manner, forgetting that she was no longer the princess, but rather the queen.
"Y...y..yeah. I'm fine. I think I just need to get some rest." Garnet responded, rushing into the castle.
"Sound like good idea. It late" Quina proclaimed to the group, also rushing off into the castle.
Vivi straightened his hat, and rushed off to the ferry, so he could get home to his children. The rest then ran into the castle, except for Amarant, who camped outside, going through a constant cycle of thinking, and meditating.
Looking about him, he saw Vivi dusting himself off, Eiko looking at the two strangely, the dragon's corpse, and a mysterious set of footprints. Without a word, he set off into the dark, following the footprints, leaving Eiko and Vivi to stand there with a dumbfounded look on both of their faces.
He soon realized that he'd walked out so far that he could barely even see the castle. What struck him as odd, was that he felt the need to follow these footprints. Ordinarily, he just wouldn't care...but there was something...odd... about these particular patterns.
However, his contemplation was soon interrupted. A large blade sunk into his leg, the broad edge creating a large fissure within his flesh, blood dripping down, escaping the wound as though trying to be free.
"AGH!!!" He screamed out loud, in reaction to the pain. He spun about, looking for his assailant.
"Oh, it's just you Red." Lani's voice called out from behind a viel of darkness.
He still couldn't see her, but he now knew she was there. Ripping a bit of fabric off from his vest, he tied it about the wound, as a make- shift tourniquette. He still remained quiet during this whole process.
"Well...aren't you going to say something? I just gave you that nasty wound on accident...any normal person would be screaming their head off at me!" Lani said to him, in a questioning manner.
"Actions say more than words..." And with that, he leaped up from the ground, and adopted a fighting stance, preparing himself to fight.
"What's this? A challenge?" Lani asked him.
"You could say that." And with Amarant immediately went on the offensive. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a steel disc. He immediately curled his arm and unleashed it upon his opponent. In reaction Lani, swung her axe at the throwing weapon, destroying it, but this had left her open, which was evident when she felt a hard punch to the side. Immediately she swung her axe again, the blade piercing the air in a great parabola. Amarant tried to evade it, but she was too quick. Another strike piercing into his leg, close to the previous wound. The two stopped suddenly, and looked at each other, drawing in sharp breaths.
"It's too dark out to be doing this. Let's call a truce. Whaddya say, Red?" Lani asked her opponent.
"Okay then...for now." Amarant responded. The two nodded, and then Amarant walked back towards Alexandria, limping as he went.
* * *
"Oh...that irresponsible..." Steiner growled, clenching his fists.
"It's just his way Steiner. He'll be back soon. He was probably following those footprints." Zidane said to him, attempting to calm him down, though, not doing a very good job at it. Soon they noticed that he was back, limping as he did so. Steiner could feel his anger well up a little, but he held himself back.
"What happened to you?" Zidane asked him.
"...Got into a fight with Lani..." Amarant responded.
"The other Bounty Hunter?" Zidane asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes..." Amarant responded again. He then proceeded to sit down on one of the large bricks from the castle's partially destroyed wall, tending to his wounds. Garnet suddenly had a flashback, remember Lani, remembering when her mother was influenced by Kuja, remembering, when her mother tried to kill her...
She swayed a little bit, but shook her head, and regained her equilibrium, trying to eject those thoughts form her head. That was in the past now, no need to dwell on it.
"Princess! Are you allright?!" Steiner asked in an excited manner, forgetting that she was no longer the princess, but rather the queen.
"Y...y..yeah. I'm fine. I think I just need to get some rest." Garnet responded, rushing into the castle.
"Sound like good idea. It late" Quina proclaimed to the group, also rushing off into the castle.
Vivi straightened his hat, and rushed off to the ferry, so he could get home to his children. The rest then ran into the castle, except for Amarant, who camped outside, going through a constant cycle of thinking, and meditating.