All SS Orphen characters
belong to Yoshinobu Akita & Yuya Kusaka.
However this story belongs to EMMA & ME!
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Orphen glared at the blanket. The innocent blanket hadn't really done anything to deserve the wrath of Orphen, powerful graduate of the Tower of Fang. It was just a blanket, woolen and of better than average quality, probably large enough to cover a good-sized bed. It wasn't the blanket itself that had provoked Orphen's anger, it was what it was not, or, to be more precise, it was that there wasn't another of its kind in probably a fifty mile radius around the small hut where he stood. He looked up the cloth in his hands to scan the interior of the building once more. Old wooden walls, dubious ceiling, dusty floor. A few rusty cooking implements where he had come upon the blanket. Other than that, nothing except the snowstorm outside, the puddle of cold water he was making on the floor as the snow covering his clothes melted, and the shivering, annoyed teenage girl behind him.
This, Orphen thought, was not one of the better situations he'd found himself in over the years. "So," he said wearily. "Looks like this is it, Cleao."
"Oh, God; you're joking, right?" the girl asked, circling Orphen until they were face to face. "Don't tell me that's the only blanket."
"Okay, then." Orphen finished shaking out the blanket. "I won't tell you."
"I can't believe this," Cleao snapped. "First you get us lost, now this. I should have stayed in Totokanta."
Orphen's temper was wearing dangerously thin. Of course, over an hour and a half of Cleao's whining and complaining after the snow had started was enough to try anyone's patience. "You're right," he retorted. "You should have. Now that it's a little late for that, though, it looks like we're stuck here for the night. Unless you have any better ideas?"
Cleao crossed her arms across her chest and glared. "I have an idea," she said. "How about you use some of your oh-so-powerful magic to warm up this pathetic excuse for a shelter, sorcerer. We're both wet and cold, and that sorry little blanket isn't going to do either of us a heck of a lot of good."
"This is a perfectly good blanket," Orphen said in its defense, shoving it into her. Cleao managed to catch it reflexively before it hit the ground. "And as for your suggestion, no. No way. It's not going to happen. You'd better find yourself a more mundane way not to freeze, idea queen."
Cleao's eyes narrowed. Orphen groaned mentally, recognizing the look that appeared on the girl's face when she was getting ready for a long argument. "And just why not?" she demanded haughtily.
Orphen almost groaned aloud that time. He could feel his shoulders slump in weariness. How do I tell her what happened the last time I tried to create magical warmth? I was almost as tired then as I am now, and…I just can't! I will not cast that spell! There's too much room for error with me as tired as I am. And Orphen was tired. Breaking a path through thigh-high snowdrifts in a driving blizzard for the past hour and a half would have exhausted anyone. His hands and feet were numb with the cold, his cheeks and nose felt raw from the snow hitting them. The cold wetness of the melting snow on his headband trickled icily down his back. His shirt and his leather vest were like freezing blocks of ice against his skin, weighing him down. His body ached with exhaustion, what he could feel of it through the cold, anyway. "It's just not going to happen, Cleao," he said as patiently as he could manage. "End of story."
"Oh yeah?" Cleao asked. "Or are you just saying that 'cause you can't do it?"
Orphen struggled to hold onto his temper. Blowing up at her wouldn't do any good. She didn't know why simply the thought of attempting that spell made him start to tremble, why he had refused to try to cast it for ten years now. She couldn't know. And Orphen didn't want to tell her. "Not can't, Cleao," he said, gritting his teeth in a vain effort to remain calm and in control. "Won't. There's a difference." Fire, fire all around us. Flames licking at my face and hands, pain as the suffocating heat reaches for me, drags me under. Screams; I can't even tell if they're my own or one of the others'. My fault. All my fault.
"A likely story," Cleao teased. "I think you just can't do it. The mighty sorcerer isn't as all powerful as he says he is, is he? Besides, I'm freezing, and I'm not sharing a blanket with you, Orphen."
"Well, Cleao, just so you know, the idea of sharing a blanket with you isn't too high on my list, either."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure it isn't. You'd much rather be sharing your bed with that dragon girl. Well, Orphen-"
Azalie, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me out of the fire, comforting me, helping put it out while I cower, useless and frightened and hurt, healing me and carrying me back to bed after it's over, defending me from the anger of the Elders…. "Don't push it, Cleao," Orphen warned.
"Oh, don't push it, huh? And just what exactly are you going to do about it if I do? Throw a fireball at me? Well, Orphen, I want to at least know the reasons why you can't-I'm sorry, I mean won't-try some sort of spell."
Orphen was growing dangerously close to snapping, now. "You really want to know why?" he demanded. "I'm exhausted, that's why, and I have no control when I'm exhausted, and warming this place up would take a damn lot of that control I don't have right now. It's too dangerous to try without being certain I won't immolate both of us." He raised a hand to push his wet hair out of his eyes. His headband dripped ice-cold water down his back. I'd die if I hurt you, Cleao, no matter how cold you are. It's just better not to risk it.
"Oh-hoh!" Cleao looked triumphant. "The almighty sorcerer is scared! Well, I'm cold, Orphen, and I'm wet, and I don't want to take off these wet clothes to get dry in your presence. If I'd even be able to. It's almost as cold in here as it is out there."
She was right on that point, Orphen admitted mentally. It was freezing inside the small hut, the only noticeable improvement from outside.
"What are you doing now?" the girl demanded as she watched Orphen dismantle a chair and pile the pieces in the center of the hut.
"Producing heat" was the tart reply
A chant later, a fire was happily burning under the guy's careful ministrations.
He turned to her.
"You'd best get out of those clothes before you catch your death"
At her indignant glare, he shrugged muttering "Suit yourself" and started wrestling out of his leather vest. He stopped short, his shirt half-off at Cleao's shriek.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Orphen sighed, pealing off his shirt.
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
He wrung the fabric and hung it on a rope just above the fire along with his bandana.
He turned toward the dark presence where Cleao's eyes flashed red and her invisible hackles rose. He ignored her angry stare, noting instead the sorry state she was in with her dress clinging to her like a second unwanted skin, her hands balled into fists at her side, radiating misery and water.
"Well, do you intend to freeze to death, even when I've produced a fire?"
Cleao's gaze wandered somewhere else, trying to ignore her discomfort or his steady stare.
"Why couldn't you warm the place in a faster way?" she persisted, grasping at any excuse to keep the inevitable at bay.
Orphen groaned inwardly and shook his head with exasperation, wanting both to strangle and shake her. But he also understood the reason for her questioning his actions, seeing her eyes darting nervously about looking anywhere but at him.
He put more wood in the fire, keeping careful track of the fuel at their disposal while measuring his words.
"The reason I won't use that spell is simple. The last time I tried, I lost control and nearly got myself killed and endangering others in the process..."
A deafening roar, a burning flare that greedily consumed anything in its path while voices screamed helplessly among the choking smoke...
"What happened?" a voice startled him from his thoughts. He looked up and met clear blue eyes.
Orphen sighed. Her curious almost eager expression told him he wouldn't be able to get away with it easily. But he also felt a need to bring it all out. It had been buried for too long. Perhaps the memory would sting less and not haunt him unexpectedly once it was out into the open.
He fed the hungry flames and settled back, losing himself in what he thought had been forgotten but was quick to surface.
"We... Azalea and I... were caught in a storm like this on our way to Youkuma. Luckily we took refuge in a house where its occupants kindly offered us hospitality for the night. Though somewhat poor they willingly shared their meal with us. They were extremely kind with us even when they found out we were sorcerers -as you know not everyone has a kind disposition toward sorcerers-
Anyway they saved on everything, wood included, for the hard times yet they wanted to sacrifice their hard-won stock to warm us with a fire. Azalea protested of course, a little chill certainly wouldn't have killed us... they were so insistent and honored to have magic-users among them... ...
That's when this kid (one of their children) pointed out we could help ourselves, weren't we sorcerers after all? The elders of course chided him for his insolence. But while they and Azalea were discussing something... dunno what, I forgot... and we kids were left to ourselves, he started poking and taunting me... the pretty lady was certainly a sorceress but what could I a mere kid accomplish?"
Orphen stopped, chuckling darkly
"Funny how pride can melt away any reason and push you to prove yourselves to others even when you should know better.
We had been in the Tower for 5 years, Azalea and I... you could say we had barely begun our training and we certainly weren't able to use such dangerous spells like fire or heat, though in secret we had experimented in shielded chambers... and naturally I felt I had mastered enough knowledge to show the brat what I was capable of... sorcerers after all are above normal humans..."
The fire crackled.
"Anyway while the adults were talking among themselves, I cast the spell which would've produced heat enough to warm the whole room, planning to surprise everyone. But something went wrong, terribly wrong... perhaps it was fatigue which had led me to make a terrible mistake (it had certainly robbed me of reason)... whatever the reason, instead of heat I got a gush of flames for which at the beginning I had been pleased because it sure showed them I was indeed capable of magic... but then something terrible happened. I couldn't control the fire which quickly started attacking everything. The house was soon surrounded by flames -even if soaked by the storm, the fire could still devour wood because being magic in origin it didn't follow natural laws-
The children started crying while the adults sprang into action, some grabbing the kids, others trying uselessly to stop the fire which raged like an insatiable monster.
I just stood there, watching the creature I had unleashed, the brat screaming bloody murder at me as his mother dragged him out..."
Fire creeping closer, surrounding me in its deadly embrace, choking me mercilessly... how would I die, from the heat or lack of oxygen?
Deadly beauty, murdering fascination... treacherous thoughts escaping, the endless screaming, the deafening roar...
My fault, my fault, all of it my fault...the pain, the tears... allow the monster to escape, allow the monster to eat, allow the monster to consume me, guilty of letting it lose...
And then strong arms hurling me out of harm's reach... the sweet scent of air through my deprived lungs, the incredible relief of stinging rain on my face...
Azalea dancing through the flames (or were the flames reaching for her?), her cloak flapping in the wind, her eyes shining as bright as the fire...
...delirious, fragmented memories... Azalea standing before the burning building, her arms to the sky, her voice spilling forth like a tonic... flames slowly choking, unwilling to recede yet forced to bow to her will, lower and lower... a last protest and then... no more, just a smoking black building which barely held itself together and a shivering crowd watching us with fear and hostility...
Orphen pulled himself together with visible effort.
"Of course the Elders were terribly angered... almost kicked me out of the Tower all together because of my little stunt... but Azalea stood strong and defended me, threatening to leave if I was banned... everyone was awed by her, her powers and reputation growing stronger by day. They certainly wouldn't risk losing she who would someday become the greatest sorceress of all times. They had high hopes for me as well, if I could live long enough to reach maturity. So they paid off that poor family the inconvenience caused by two of the Tower's students and the matter was laid to rest..."
Silence filled the little hut as the two watched the harmless fire cheerfully crackling away.
"Orphen... I'm.. look, I'm sorry I was such a pain... I didn't know... this fire is fine with me" Cleao stuttered, looking mortified.
He slapped his thighs, startling her
"Well, enough of sad tales! Are you gonna undress or do I have to do that for you?"
Cleao glared at him. And took a step back as he got swiftly to his feet.
"Don't you dare!" she threatened, swinging a piece of chair like a bat, looking frantically for a way out.
He smiled mischievously, cocking his head.
"Well?"
Her back to the wall, Cleao blanched.
Of course Orphen was right (damn him!), she felt a chill creeping in her bones and if she didn't get the soaked clothes off herself she'd surely catch something nasty. But she'd rather die than bare her maiden body before a guy. Of course if she waited long enough, she might just die anyway. She shivered.
Damn him damn him damn him!
"Fine" she snapped "but you'd better turn around!"
Orphen shrugged and sat by the fire.
"And no peaking!"
After what seemed an unreasonably long time, he turned around.
Cleao was wrapped in the meager blanket looking like a sorry wet puppy. She wouldn't look at him, just stood there shivering.
Orphen sighed, exasperated. What would he do with the girl, so proud and stubborn? Was she determined to remain in the shadows and cold the whole night?
Seeing no other option, the guy approached her.
Cleao stared at her feet and wouldn't look up.
Orphen scratched his head.
She shifted her feet.
He covered his face, barely stiffening a groan.
Her hands tightened their hold on the blanket.
"Enough already!"
Before she could protest, he had picked her up and dropped her by the fire. He then proceeded hanging her clothes to dry along with his.
The two of them watched the flames dancing lazily to a draft as an uncomfortable silence hung between them.
Orphen hugged his knees, lost in his thoughts again, remembering dark memories.
Cleao noticed him shiver. She hesitated then thought "the hell with it" and draped him with part of the blanket, which startled him. He pulled it gratefully over himself, muttering "Thanks".
She sat stiff, staring straight at the fire, hugging herself, pretending to ignore him.
She gasped when she felt a touch and suddenly she was cuddled in his arm, his body warm against hers. She stiffened unconsciously and tried to pull away.
"Orphen, what..."
His arms tightened around her
"Shh... this'll keep us both from feeling the cold"
Of course, he was right again but must he take advantage of the situation by making her feel so inadequate? And yet... and yet the feel of his strong arms around her wasn't threatening, she felt somehow protected. And deep in her heart she knew that whatever came between them, he would never lay a finger on her and would protect her with his life if necessary.
The beating of his heart was comforting, a soft song of life that drifted her to sleep.
Orphen felt the girl relax into sleep and smiled to himself.
So damn stubborn! Always putting all of herself into whatever cause she championed, heedless of the consequences. Her narrow-mindedness had brought them trouble in more than one occasion. Yet he couldn't help but admire her for her determination and strength of character.
Orphen settled down with the sleeping girl in his arms.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?"
"What do you mean, what was I doing?"
"You know what I mean"
"No, I don't! Would you mind explaining?"
"There's nothing to explain!"
"If nothing happened, there's nothing to explain!"
Majic groaned following after Reki who had guided him to this part of the woods.
If it hadn't been for the cub, he wouldn't have found shelter for the night to sleep the storm off. Actually if the cub hadn't run off on his own yesterday and Cleao gotten in a fit forcing him to chase after it he wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place.
The boy sighed, keeping the cub in sight. Not that he needed guidance now, he could just follow the voices which were getting louder by the minute. Either because he was getting closer or because the situation was getting out of hand.
He took the last stretch running and burst through the underbrush.
"Reki!" the girl exclaimed happily, cuddling the creature to her bosom.
"Perfect timing" Orphen scratched his head "I was getting worried. What happened to you?"
"I had a hard time finding Reki who was playing hide-and-seek. Gave me a hard time" the boy complained
"I bet, took you a whole day!"
"Oh, but he was only playing, weren't you my pet?" Cleao crooned "He probably got lost cause you were pressuring him"
"I doubt it. He found you straight away today" Majic snorted out, pointing to their freshly-made tracks on the snow.
Cleao shrugged indifferently.
Orphen shouldered the pack.
"Well, now that we're all here, let's continue our journey"
"Sure thing!" Majic jumped to his master's side.
"Yeah, whatever" Cleao reluctantly got to her feet.
"And off to another adventure!" the boy exclaimed happily
"Yeah yeah"
"You know, you could show more enthusiasm"
"Hey I'm here, aren't I?? Give me a break!"
"Give you a break??"
"Now now you two..."
"Watch it!"
....
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Orphen glared at the blanket. The innocent blanket hadn't really done anything to deserve the wrath of Orphen, powerful graduate of the Tower of Fang. It was just a blanket, woolen and of better than average quality, probably large enough to cover a good-sized bed. It wasn't the blanket itself that had provoked Orphen's anger, it was what it was not, or, to be more precise, it was that there wasn't another of its kind in probably a fifty mile radius around the small hut where he stood. He looked up the cloth in his hands to scan the interior of the building once more. Old wooden walls, dubious ceiling, dusty floor. A few rusty cooking implements where he had come upon the blanket. Other than that, nothing except the snowstorm outside, the puddle of cold water he was making on the floor as the snow covering his clothes melted, and the shivering, annoyed teenage girl behind him.
This, Orphen thought, was not one of the better situations he'd found himself in over the years. "So," he said wearily. "Looks like this is it, Cleao."
"Oh, God; you're joking, right?" the girl asked, circling Orphen until they were face to face. "Don't tell me that's the only blanket."
"Okay, then." Orphen finished shaking out the blanket. "I won't tell you."
"I can't believe this," Cleao snapped. "First you get us lost, now this. I should have stayed in Totokanta."
Orphen's temper was wearing dangerously thin. Of course, over an hour and a half of Cleao's whining and complaining after the snow had started was enough to try anyone's patience. "You're right," he retorted. "You should have. Now that it's a little late for that, though, it looks like we're stuck here for the night. Unless you have any better ideas?"
Cleao crossed her arms across her chest and glared. "I have an idea," she said. "How about you use some of your oh-so-powerful magic to warm up this pathetic excuse for a shelter, sorcerer. We're both wet and cold, and that sorry little blanket isn't going to do either of us a heck of a lot of good."
"This is a perfectly good blanket," Orphen said in its defense, shoving it into her. Cleao managed to catch it reflexively before it hit the ground. "And as for your suggestion, no. No way. It's not going to happen. You'd better find yourself a more mundane way not to freeze, idea queen."
Cleao's eyes narrowed. Orphen groaned mentally, recognizing the look that appeared on the girl's face when she was getting ready for a long argument. "And just why not?" she demanded haughtily.
Orphen almost groaned aloud that time. He could feel his shoulders slump in weariness. How do I tell her what happened the last time I tried to create magical warmth? I was almost as tired then as I am now, and…I just can't! I will not cast that spell! There's too much room for error with me as tired as I am. And Orphen was tired. Breaking a path through thigh-high snowdrifts in a driving blizzard for the past hour and a half would have exhausted anyone. His hands and feet were numb with the cold, his cheeks and nose felt raw from the snow hitting them. The cold wetness of the melting snow on his headband trickled icily down his back. His shirt and his leather vest were like freezing blocks of ice against his skin, weighing him down. His body ached with exhaustion, what he could feel of it through the cold, anyway. "It's just not going to happen, Cleao," he said as patiently as he could manage. "End of story."
"Oh yeah?" Cleao asked. "Or are you just saying that 'cause you can't do it?"
Orphen struggled to hold onto his temper. Blowing up at her wouldn't do any good. She didn't know why simply the thought of attempting that spell made him start to tremble, why he had refused to try to cast it for ten years now. She couldn't know. And Orphen didn't want to tell her. "Not can't, Cleao," he said, gritting his teeth in a vain effort to remain calm and in control. "Won't. There's a difference." Fire, fire all around us. Flames licking at my face and hands, pain as the suffocating heat reaches for me, drags me under. Screams; I can't even tell if they're my own or one of the others'. My fault. All my fault.
"A likely story," Cleao teased. "I think you just can't do it. The mighty sorcerer isn't as all powerful as he says he is, is he? Besides, I'm freezing, and I'm not sharing a blanket with you, Orphen."
"Well, Cleao, just so you know, the idea of sharing a blanket with you isn't too high on my list, either."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure it isn't. You'd much rather be sharing your bed with that dragon girl. Well, Orphen-"
Azalie, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me out of the fire, comforting me, helping put it out while I cower, useless and frightened and hurt, healing me and carrying me back to bed after it's over, defending me from the anger of the Elders…. "Don't push it, Cleao," Orphen warned.
"Oh, don't push it, huh? And just what exactly are you going to do about it if I do? Throw a fireball at me? Well, Orphen, I want to at least know the reasons why you can't-I'm sorry, I mean won't-try some sort of spell."
Orphen was growing dangerously close to snapping, now. "You really want to know why?" he demanded. "I'm exhausted, that's why, and I have no control when I'm exhausted, and warming this place up would take a damn lot of that control I don't have right now. It's too dangerous to try without being certain I won't immolate both of us." He raised a hand to push his wet hair out of his eyes. His headband dripped ice-cold water down his back. I'd die if I hurt you, Cleao, no matter how cold you are. It's just better not to risk it.
"Oh-hoh!" Cleao looked triumphant. "The almighty sorcerer is scared! Well, I'm cold, Orphen, and I'm wet, and I don't want to take off these wet clothes to get dry in your presence. If I'd even be able to. It's almost as cold in here as it is out there."
She was right on that point, Orphen admitted mentally. It was freezing inside the small hut, the only noticeable improvement from outside.
"What are you doing now?" the girl demanded as she watched Orphen dismantle a chair and pile the pieces in the center of the hut.
"Producing heat" was the tart reply
A chant later, a fire was happily burning under the guy's careful ministrations.
He turned to her.
"You'd best get out of those clothes before you catch your death"
At her indignant glare, he shrugged muttering "Suit yourself" and started wrestling out of his leather vest. He stopped short, his shirt half-off at Cleao's shriek.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Orphen sighed, pealing off his shirt.
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
He wrung the fabric and hung it on a rope just above the fire along with his bandana.
He turned toward the dark presence where Cleao's eyes flashed red and her invisible hackles rose. He ignored her angry stare, noting instead the sorry state she was in with her dress clinging to her like a second unwanted skin, her hands balled into fists at her side, radiating misery and water.
"Well, do you intend to freeze to death, even when I've produced a fire?"
Cleao's gaze wandered somewhere else, trying to ignore her discomfort or his steady stare.
"Why couldn't you warm the place in a faster way?" she persisted, grasping at any excuse to keep the inevitable at bay.
Orphen groaned inwardly and shook his head with exasperation, wanting both to strangle and shake her. But he also understood the reason for her questioning his actions, seeing her eyes darting nervously about looking anywhere but at him.
He put more wood in the fire, keeping careful track of the fuel at their disposal while measuring his words.
"The reason I won't use that spell is simple. The last time I tried, I lost control and nearly got myself killed and endangering others in the process..."
A deafening roar, a burning flare that greedily consumed anything in its path while voices screamed helplessly among the choking smoke...
"What happened?" a voice startled him from his thoughts. He looked up and met clear blue eyes.
Orphen sighed. Her curious almost eager expression told him he wouldn't be able to get away with it easily. But he also felt a need to bring it all out. It had been buried for too long. Perhaps the memory would sting less and not haunt him unexpectedly once it was out into the open.
He fed the hungry flames and settled back, losing himself in what he thought had been forgotten but was quick to surface.
"We... Azalea and I... were caught in a storm like this on our way to Youkuma. Luckily we took refuge in a house where its occupants kindly offered us hospitality for the night. Though somewhat poor they willingly shared their meal with us. They were extremely kind with us even when they found out we were sorcerers -as you know not everyone has a kind disposition toward sorcerers-
Anyway they saved on everything, wood included, for the hard times yet they wanted to sacrifice their hard-won stock to warm us with a fire. Azalea protested of course, a little chill certainly wouldn't have killed us... they were so insistent and honored to have magic-users among them... ...
That's when this kid (one of their children) pointed out we could help ourselves, weren't we sorcerers after all? The elders of course chided him for his insolence. But while they and Azalea were discussing something... dunno what, I forgot... and we kids were left to ourselves, he started poking and taunting me... the pretty lady was certainly a sorceress but what could I a mere kid accomplish?"
Orphen stopped, chuckling darkly
"Funny how pride can melt away any reason and push you to prove yourselves to others even when you should know better.
We had been in the Tower for 5 years, Azalea and I... you could say we had barely begun our training and we certainly weren't able to use such dangerous spells like fire or heat, though in secret we had experimented in shielded chambers... and naturally I felt I had mastered enough knowledge to show the brat what I was capable of... sorcerers after all are above normal humans..."
The fire crackled.
"Anyway while the adults were talking among themselves, I cast the spell which would've produced heat enough to warm the whole room, planning to surprise everyone. But something went wrong, terribly wrong... perhaps it was fatigue which had led me to make a terrible mistake (it had certainly robbed me of reason)... whatever the reason, instead of heat I got a gush of flames for which at the beginning I had been pleased because it sure showed them I was indeed capable of magic... but then something terrible happened. I couldn't control the fire which quickly started attacking everything. The house was soon surrounded by flames -even if soaked by the storm, the fire could still devour wood because being magic in origin it didn't follow natural laws-
The children started crying while the adults sprang into action, some grabbing the kids, others trying uselessly to stop the fire which raged like an insatiable monster.
I just stood there, watching the creature I had unleashed, the brat screaming bloody murder at me as his mother dragged him out..."
Fire creeping closer, surrounding me in its deadly embrace, choking me mercilessly... how would I die, from the heat or lack of oxygen?
Deadly beauty, murdering fascination... treacherous thoughts escaping, the endless screaming, the deafening roar...
My fault, my fault, all of it my fault...the pain, the tears... allow the monster to escape, allow the monster to eat, allow the monster to consume me, guilty of letting it lose...
And then strong arms hurling me out of harm's reach... the sweet scent of air through my deprived lungs, the incredible relief of stinging rain on my face...
Azalea dancing through the flames (or were the flames reaching for her?), her cloak flapping in the wind, her eyes shining as bright as the fire...
...delirious, fragmented memories... Azalea standing before the burning building, her arms to the sky, her voice spilling forth like a tonic... flames slowly choking, unwilling to recede yet forced to bow to her will, lower and lower... a last protest and then... no more, just a smoking black building which barely held itself together and a shivering crowd watching us with fear and hostility...
Orphen pulled himself together with visible effort.
"Of course the Elders were terribly angered... almost kicked me out of the Tower all together because of my little stunt... but Azalea stood strong and defended me, threatening to leave if I was banned... everyone was awed by her, her powers and reputation growing stronger by day. They certainly wouldn't risk losing she who would someday become the greatest sorceress of all times. They had high hopes for me as well, if I could live long enough to reach maturity. So they paid off that poor family the inconvenience caused by two of the Tower's students and the matter was laid to rest..."
Silence filled the little hut as the two watched the harmless fire cheerfully crackling away.
"Orphen... I'm.. look, I'm sorry I was such a pain... I didn't know... this fire is fine with me" Cleao stuttered, looking mortified.
He slapped his thighs, startling her
"Well, enough of sad tales! Are you gonna undress or do I have to do that for you?"
Cleao glared at him. And took a step back as he got swiftly to his feet.
"Don't you dare!" she threatened, swinging a piece of chair like a bat, looking frantically for a way out.
He smiled mischievously, cocking his head.
"Well?"
Her back to the wall, Cleao blanched.
Of course Orphen was right (damn him!), she felt a chill creeping in her bones and if she didn't get the soaked clothes off herself she'd surely catch something nasty. But she'd rather die than bare her maiden body before a guy. Of course if she waited long enough, she might just die anyway. She shivered.
Damn him damn him damn him!
"Fine" she snapped "but you'd better turn around!"
Orphen shrugged and sat by the fire.
"And no peaking!"
After what seemed an unreasonably long time, he turned around.
Cleao was wrapped in the meager blanket looking like a sorry wet puppy. She wouldn't look at him, just stood there shivering.
Orphen sighed, exasperated. What would he do with the girl, so proud and stubborn? Was she determined to remain in the shadows and cold the whole night?
Seeing no other option, the guy approached her.
Cleao stared at her feet and wouldn't look up.
Orphen scratched his head.
She shifted her feet.
He covered his face, barely stiffening a groan.
Her hands tightened their hold on the blanket.
"Enough already!"
Before she could protest, he had picked her up and dropped her by the fire. He then proceeded hanging her clothes to dry along with his.
The two of them watched the flames dancing lazily to a draft as an uncomfortable silence hung between them.
Orphen hugged his knees, lost in his thoughts again, remembering dark memories.
Cleao noticed him shiver. She hesitated then thought "the hell with it" and draped him with part of the blanket, which startled him. He pulled it gratefully over himself, muttering "Thanks".
She sat stiff, staring straight at the fire, hugging herself, pretending to ignore him.
She gasped when she felt a touch and suddenly she was cuddled in his arm, his body warm against hers. She stiffened unconsciously and tried to pull away.
"Orphen, what..."
His arms tightened around her
"Shh... this'll keep us both from feeling the cold"
Of course, he was right again but must he take advantage of the situation by making her feel so inadequate? And yet... and yet the feel of his strong arms around her wasn't threatening, she felt somehow protected. And deep in her heart she knew that whatever came between them, he would never lay a finger on her and would protect her with his life if necessary.
The beating of his heart was comforting, a soft song of life that drifted her to sleep.
Orphen felt the girl relax into sleep and smiled to himself.
So damn stubborn! Always putting all of herself into whatever cause she championed, heedless of the consequences. Her narrow-mindedness had brought them trouble in more than one occasion. Yet he couldn't help but admire her for her determination and strength of character.
Orphen settled down with the sleeping girl in his arms.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?"
"What do you mean, what was I doing?"
"You know what I mean"
"No, I don't! Would you mind explaining?"
"There's nothing to explain!"
"If nothing happened, there's nothing to explain!"
Majic groaned following after Reki who had guided him to this part of the woods.
If it hadn't been for the cub, he wouldn't have found shelter for the night to sleep the storm off. Actually if the cub hadn't run off on his own yesterday and Cleao gotten in a fit forcing him to chase after it he wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place.
The boy sighed, keeping the cub in sight. Not that he needed guidance now, he could just follow the voices which were getting louder by the minute. Either because he was getting closer or because the situation was getting out of hand.
He took the last stretch running and burst through the underbrush.
"Reki!" the girl exclaimed happily, cuddling the creature to her bosom.
"Perfect timing" Orphen scratched his head "I was getting worried. What happened to you?"
"I had a hard time finding Reki who was playing hide-and-seek. Gave me a hard time" the boy complained
"I bet, took you a whole day!"
"Oh, but he was only playing, weren't you my pet?" Cleao crooned "He probably got lost cause you were pressuring him"
"I doubt it. He found you straight away today" Majic snorted out, pointing to their freshly-made tracks on the snow.
Cleao shrugged indifferently.
Orphen shouldered the pack.
"Well, now that we're all here, let's continue our journey"
"Sure thing!" Majic jumped to his master's side.
"Yeah, whatever" Cleao reluctantly got to her feet.
"And off to another adventure!" the boy exclaimed happily
"Yeah yeah"
"You know, you could show more enthusiasm"
"Hey I'm here, aren't I?? Give me a break!"
"Give you a break??"
"Now now you two..."
"Watch it!"
....