The Day
Chapter Two: Dusk
By Apple from Mars
Warnings: None yet.
Couples: It's official, I'm not putting any couples in here. If I do, please blame Fusion.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Prince Yamato of Northern Itsudo and Prince Takeru of Southern Itsudo where not having good days. The kingdom of Itsudo had long ago split into two separate kingdoms, and the attempt made some years ago by their parents to unite the kingdoms had failed, separating the two and giving them very few chances to see one another.
"Did I mention, by any chance, that I HATE politics?"
"Yes Yamato."
"Well let me say it again. I HATE politics!"
Takeru sighed as his brother took a deep breath to continue his rant. Diplomacy was most definitely not his brother's strong point, and this Gathering was very important. Takeru was very glad that it was almost over, and that Yamato did not have to do any of the negotiating.
"Yamato, we should go back inside. They're going to start up again soon."
"Give me a second Takeru."
There was a pause as the two brother's surveyed the landscape stretching out bellow the balcony. Low, snow covered mountains and frozen evergreens surrounded the palace, continuing out as far as the eye could see. If Takeru looked hard enough, he thought he could see the distant range of slightly higher peeks that marked the border between the north and south. The northern mountains where much higher and steeper than the southern mountains, and that was the reason that the Gathering was being held in Southern Itsudo.
"Alright. Let's go." Yamato took a deep, deep breath, and headed back indoors, looking as though he where facing his death. Takeru followed behind him, shaking his head with silent laughter.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Alice scrambled down the rock face after Ryo. The mountains where bare rock, no ice or snow covered this low section of the pass. Up ahead, she could make out the city of Wathren; it's shadow stretching out across bare rock and sand.
"The temple is on the other side of the city." Ryo explained as the two halted at the top of a small overhang. "We will have to wait until it gets darker before we attempt to get to it. The scroll inside should tell us where the prophecy lies."
"And where inside of the temple might the scroll lie?" Alice asked, squinting in the sun's never wavering light.
Ryo sighed. "We will have to be quick and efficient if we want to find where the scroll lies before the temple's keeper finds where we lie."
Alice frowned as Ryo clambered over the overhang, not liking the way the day was going. Glancing up at the sun, Alice confirmed the fact that the day was indeed going, and that they would only have an hour or so left of sunlight, before continuing down among the rocks after Ryo.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ruki pulled the covers up over her head in frustration.
I'm already falling asleep. Yep. My eyes are closing. Anytime now, I'll be drifting off to sleep.
Or not. Ruki left the covers over her head, breathing in and out slowly. Exhale, the covers fluttered up. Inhale, the covers flapped back down. Inhale, exhale, inhale, and exhale.
Ruki fell silent suddenly, as a light music filtered through the night air. A light smiled graced her face, a smile she never let anyone see except herself. That was one of her mother's tunes, now gathering speed, and that was her mother's recorder. Her grandmother's harp now joined, and the two instruments rose in a lulling duet, a nighttime symphony. Ruki could feel her eyelids drooping slightly, and was glad the two adults thought she was asleep already. Neither one would admit to having any talent but Ruki liked listening to them when they thought she wasn't there.
Her father had played with them, Ruki recalled with a jolt. Her father's flute. She only had one memory, but she could recall the sound exactly as if it had just happened.
Ruki's smile had slipped from her face, lost in the covers of darkness, and it did not return. Her face blank, Ruki drifted away into sleep, as the duet rose and fell, echoing in the long corridors of the almost empty house.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ken was having trouble sleeping. Again. It happened often, and most times he ended up not getting to sleep until dawn, meaning he only got an hour or two of sleep before he had to get up again. It had started showing too. His eyes had dark shadows under them, and he kept falling asleep during his lessons. Osamu had taken note of this, and informed their father that unless Ken was allowed a week or so off from his normal duties to catch up on sleep, he would be dead by the end of the month. His mother had back Osamu up, but there had been no need for concern, because Ken's father had already been considering doing something before Osamu had come up with his idea.
Slipping out from under the dusk colored blankets, Ken strolled to the open window, letting the chilled wind buffet the curtains playfully. His room faced East, so he was in the shadows when the sun set, and in the light when the sun rose. It was considered good luck among his people, and so everyone of royal blood slept in the east wing, with at least one window facing the place where the sun rose.
Ken frowned, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. His head was sore, and he could feel something coming. He didn't know how, but he could feel something was going on in the city bellow him.
Then again, Wathren was never a quiet city.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Alright, more action in the next chapter. Everyone caught the Wathren bit at the end, right? This story is moving very slowly, so don't expect a ton of updates unless I'm really inspired. Chapter three is being stubborn right now and won't let me write it, but if you want more action, please go read one of my other chapter stories once I post them.
Chapter Two: Dusk
By Apple from Mars
Warnings: None yet.
Couples: It's official, I'm not putting any couples in here. If I do, please blame Fusion.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Prince Yamato of Northern Itsudo and Prince Takeru of Southern Itsudo where not having good days. The kingdom of Itsudo had long ago split into two separate kingdoms, and the attempt made some years ago by their parents to unite the kingdoms had failed, separating the two and giving them very few chances to see one another.
"Did I mention, by any chance, that I HATE politics?"
"Yes Yamato."
"Well let me say it again. I HATE politics!"
Takeru sighed as his brother took a deep breath to continue his rant. Diplomacy was most definitely not his brother's strong point, and this Gathering was very important. Takeru was very glad that it was almost over, and that Yamato did not have to do any of the negotiating.
"Yamato, we should go back inside. They're going to start up again soon."
"Give me a second Takeru."
There was a pause as the two brother's surveyed the landscape stretching out bellow the balcony. Low, snow covered mountains and frozen evergreens surrounded the palace, continuing out as far as the eye could see. If Takeru looked hard enough, he thought he could see the distant range of slightly higher peeks that marked the border between the north and south. The northern mountains where much higher and steeper than the southern mountains, and that was the reason that the Gathering was being held in Southern Itsudo.
"Alright. Let's go." Yamato took a deep, deep breath, and headed back indoors, looking as though he where facing his death. Takeru followed behind him, shaking his head with silent laughter.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Alice scrambled down the rock face after Ryo. The mountains where bare rock, no ice or snow covered this low section of the pass. Up ahead, she could make out the city of Wathren; it's shadow stretching out across bare rock and sand.
"The temple is on the other side of the city." Ryo explained as the two halted at the top of a small overhang. "We will have to wait until it gets darker before we attempt to get to it. The scroll inside should tell us where the prophecy lies."
"And where inside of the temple might the scroll lie?" Alice asked, squinting in the sun's never wavering light.
Ryo sighed. "We will have to be quick and efficient if we want to find where the scroll lies before the temple's keeper finds where we lie."
Alice frowned as Ryo clambered over the overhang, not liking the way the day was going. Glancing up at the sun, Alice confirmed the fact that the day was indeed going, and that they would only have an hour or so left of sunlight, before continuing down among the rocks after Ryo.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ruki pulled the covers up over her head in frustration.
I'm already falling asleep. Yep. My eyes are closing. Anytime now, I'll be drifting off to sleep.
Or not. Ruki left the covers over her head, breathing in and out slowly. Exhale, the covers fluttered up. Inhale, the covers flapped back down. Inhale, exhale, inhale, and exhale.
Ruki fell silent suddenly, as a light music filtered through the night air. A light smiled graced her face, a smile she never let anyone see except herself. That was one of her mother's tunes, now gathering speed, and that was her mother's recorder. Her grandmother's harp now joined, and the two instruments rose in a lulling duet, a nighttime symphony. Ruki could feel her eyelids drooping slightly, and was glad the two adults thought she was asleep already. Neither one would admit to having any talent but Ruki liked listening to them when they thought she wasn't there.
Her father had played with them, Ruki recalled with a jolt. Her father's flute. She only had one memory, but she could recall the sound exactly as if it had just happened.
Ruki's smile had slipped from her face, lost in the covers of darkness, and it did not return. Her face blank, Ruki drifted away into sleep, as the duet rose and fell, echoing in the long corridors of the almost empty house.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ken was having trouble sleeping. Again. It happened often, and most times he ended up not getting to sleep until dawn, meaning he only got an hour or two of sleep before he had to get up again. It had started showing too. His eyes had dark shadows under them, and he kept falling asleep during his lessons. Osamu had taken note of this, and informed their father that unless Ken was allowed a week or so off from his normal duties to catch up on sleep, he would be dead by the end of the month. His mother had back Osamu up, but there had been no need for concern, because Ken's father had already been considering doing something before Osamu had come up with his idea.
Slipping out from under the dusk colored blankets, Ken strolled to the open window, letting the chilled wind buffet the curtains playfully. His room faced East, so he was in the shadows when the sun set, and in the light when the sun rose. It was considered good luck among his people, and so everyone of royal blood slept in the east wing, with at least one window facing the place where the sun rose.
Ken frowned, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. His head was sore, and he could feel something coming. He didn't know how, but he could feel something was going on in the city bellow him.
Then again, Wathren was never a quiet city.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Alright, more action in the next chapter. Everyone caught the Wathren bit at the end, right? This story is moving very slowly, so don't expect a ton of updates unless I'm really inspired. Chapter three is being stubborn right now and won't let me write it, but if you want more action, please go read one of my other chapter stories once I post them.