Chapter 2 - A New Challenge
I don't see why I have to go along with this, it's dumb right? I've been here for only three hours and even though I've watched these people for months -- four, to be exact -- being right up close with them is way worse than I imagined. It's hell.
It was easy at first, getting in and all, I mean. But then it just got more difficult as the time went by. I've already got the little princess wrapped around my finger. The chimera and the sorceress will be more difficult, no doubt. Then there's the swordsman... he's another altogether. The idiot couldn't find his way out of a paper bag.
I expected the dragon girl to be a pain, and once again, my instincts proved me right. I can't stand her. She's always so polite and so perfect it makes me sick.
I was seated in a fairly comfortable chair by a crackling fire, a book in my hand and the princess in my lap. I guess she was quite a cuddly girl, and being only 14 opposed to my original guess of 15, I suppose she took me for some favourite relative. I didn't mind -- I loved attention. I liked to cuddle. I sat back against the chair with the princess leaning on my shoulder, her legs resting across the armrest of the chair.
"'The young man galloped up to the castle gates, his battered arm hanging limply at his side. As he neared, castle guards approached him, some with long spears, others bearing sharp swords. They stopped him and questioned him.
"What are you doing here, sir?" One of them asked, looking up into the young knight's kind blue eyes.
"I am here to see the princess," he replied, nodding in the direction of the castle. The guards around him gasped and backed off. One of them ran ahead of the knight and yelled something to someone near the parapet and immediately the steel blockage started to raise, bringing a small smile to the knight's lips. He trotted forward and into the castle gates where he heard a shriek and he looked to see where the noise was coming from. A young girl wearing a beautiful dress that glittered in the sunlight ran down the steps of a shop, and the knight slid down from his horse. The young girl had tears streaming down her face, staining her cheeks red, but she didn't seem to care. She ran right into the knight, nearly bowling him over. They hugged for a long while before the villagers came out of the nearby shops to see what all the ruckus was about...' Amelia, can I stop reading now?" I asked, looking down at her.
"No! This is my favourite story, Miss Ami! We're almost getting to the good part! The princess brings the noble knight to her daddy and then they get married! There are pictures and everything! Look at the flowers! What a nice wedding... Can you please finish it?"
"I don't feel like reading anymore," I protested, closing the book and setting it on a side table.
"Oh, but Miss Ami, please? Just one more chapter?" Amelia pleaded, looking up at me with sad eyes.
"Amelia, the girl said no. Can't you understand that?" The chimera said, not looking up from his own book.
"Oh hush Mr Zelgadiss. I haven't had books read to me in a long time. My Daddy always used to read me this book, but we never get to go home anymore, so I don't get to see him very often..."
"That's no reason to bug Ami. You don't have to read to her if you don't want to, Ami," Zelgadiss addressed me directly, looking at me from the top of his book.
"I know Zelgadiss, but I read to read to my sister all the time. She's about Amelia's age. But since the war started, I haven't been able to find her. I miss her..." I broke off, looking away. I wasn't really hurting. As you very well know, my real sister was at that moment laughing so hard she felt as if she was going to piss herself up on the roof.
"Oh, Miss Ami!" Amelia said, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face in my chest. "You poor thing!" Zelgadiss rolled his eyes.
"Ami, do you think I could have a word?" Came a voice from my left. Oh, great. It's lizard lips.
"Of course, Filia," I said sweetly, gently picking Amelia up and setting her aside. "What is it?"
"I just want to talk with you. I haven't been able to get to know you yet, that's all. I hope that's not a problem..."
~Yes, of course it is, you little witch! I hate you! You and your kind! And to top it off, you've got a little ancient dragon in your care and that just happens to be my--~
"No, of course not!" I said, waving off her idiocy.
"Great." She came and sat down in a chair beside me. "I may have to go if the baby starts to cry." My heart skipped a beat, and I had to try my hardest to jeep myself from jumping up and slapping the golden dragon.
"You shouldn't have to take care of him anymore. I'm an ancient dragon, I should do it. I haven't seen another in so long..." I trailed off, and I was surprised to see how calm I was. Damn straight she shouldn't take care of him! She has no right! I grimaced at the thought of my brother, Valteria, in the arms of a golden dragon, useless, defenseless...
"Of course, you're an ancient dragon. You should take care of him. It's just... I've grown so attached to him, that's all."
"I understand. You've begun to love him, haven't you?" I thought my voice was going to shake, but it didn't, despite my anger.
"Yes."
DAMMIT! I hated this girl now more than I've ever hated anyone ever before. But I had to keep my temper from rising... I had to stay calm. So I did the only thing I could do. I smiled and thought of how well my plan was working. If this golden dragon thought that I loved the baby -- and I did, how could I not, he was my own brother! -- then she might trust me.
My plans were working out just fine. I was gaining the dragon girl's trust -- the chimera wasn't far behind -- and I was just about to talk with the sorceress when a tall man walked into the room, bearing a staff as long as he. His shoulder-length purple hair glistened in the light of the fire, and his mischievous violet eyes scanned each and every person in the room. A wicked smile spread across his face as those eyes of his fell upon me. Even though he didn't show it, I could sense his laughter -- he was laughing at me. I felt my blood boil in my veins, my heat pounded ferociously and I could feel an intense wave of heat spread up my body, sending a tingling sensation across my skin.
"You!" I hissed through clenched teeth. Before the man could respond, I was out of my chair and my fingers were wrapped around his throat, squeezing hard. Or trying to, anyway. He was a lot stronger than I was.
"Ah ah ah, Ami-chan! You always were a fiery little girl," he said. Filia and Amelia had jumped from their seats and was at his side in an instant, but he just smiled at them and they exchanged looks, then sat back down.
"No, I just hate you!" I screamed, releasing my hands. I brought my hand back and swung it as hard as I could, stopping only when I heard a sickening thwack noise of my hand striking his face.
"Yare yare, Ami-chan, you know better than that," he hissed angrily, placing his hands on my shoulders. Reaching into his pouches that were ties around his waist, he grabbed something and brought it across the nape of my neck in one quick, fluid motion. I could feel some sort of metal blade drive into my flesh, and I moved away from him quickly. But not quickly enough. He smiled as I put my hand to my neck, feeling a trickle of blood slowly starting to appear there.
"You bastard," I muttered, glaring at him. Suddenly, I felt my whole body start to tingle. It wasn't the same feeling had before. This wasn't the anger I had felt when I saw Xelloss Metallium enter the room earlier. This was something different. As the tingling sensation proceeded up my body, my vision became blurry and my head swam. The last thing I remember was Xelloss kneeling on the wooden floor, cradling me in his arms. Then... blackness.
I don't see why I have to go along with this, it's dumb right? I've been here for only three hours and even though I've watched these people for months -- four, to be exact -- being right up close with them is way worse than I imagined. It's hell.
It was easy at first, getting in and all, I mean. But then it just got more difficult as the time went by. I've already got the little princess wrapped around my finger. The chimera and the sorceress will be more difficult, no doubt. Then there's the swordsman... he's another altogether. The idiot couldn't find his way out of a paper bag.
I expected the dragon girl to be a pain, and once again, my instincts proved me right. I can't stand her. She's always so polite and so perfect it makes me sick.
I was seated in a fairly comfortable chair by a crackling fire, a book in my hand and the princess in my lap. I guess she was quite a cuddly girl, and being only 14 opposed to my original guess of 15, I suppose she took me for some favourite relative. I didn't mind -- I loved attention. I liked to cuddle. I sat back against the chair with the princess leaning on my shoulder, her legs resting across the armrest of the chair.
"'The young man galloped up to the castle gates, his battered arm hanging limply at his side. As he neared, castle guards approached him, some with long spears, others bearing sharp swords. They stopped him and questioned him.
"What are you doing here, sir?" One of them asked, looking up into the young knight's kind blue eyes.
"I am here to see the princess," he replied, nodding in the direction of the castle. The guards around him gasped and backed off. One of them ran ahead of the knight and yelled something to someone near the parapet and immediately the steel blockage started to raise, bringing a small smile to the knight's lips. He trotted forward and into the castle gates where he heard a shriek and he looked to see where the noise was coming from. A young girl wearing a beautiful dress that glittered in the sunlight ran down the steps of a shop, and the knight slid down from his horse. The young girl had tears streaming down her face, staining her cheeks red, but she didn't seem to care. She ran right into the knight, nearly bowling him over. They hugged for a long while before the villagers came out of the nearby shops to see what all the ruckus was about...' Amelia, can I stop reading now?" I asked, looking down at her.
"No! This is my favourite story, Miss Ami! We're almost getting to the good part! The princess brings the noble knight to her daddy and then they get married! There are pictures and everything! Look at the flowers! What a nice wedding... Can you please finish it?"
"I don't feel like reading anymore," I protested, closing the book and setting it on a side table.
"Oh, but Miss Ami, please? Just one more chapter?" Amelia pleaded, looking up at me with sad eyes.
"Amelia, the girl said no. Can't you understand that?" The chimera said, not looking up from his own book.
"Oh hush Mr Zelgadiss. I haven't had books read to me in a long time. My Daddy always used to read me this book, but we never get to go home anymore, so I don't get to see him very often..."
"That's no reason to bug Ami. You don't have to read to her if you don't want to, Ami," Zelgadiss addressed me directly, looking at me from the top of his book.
"I know Zelgadiss, but I read to read to my sister all the time. She's about Amelia's age. But since the war started, I haven't been able to find her. I miss her..." I broke off, looking away. I wasn't really hurting. As you very well know, my real sister was at that moment laughing so hard she felt as if she was going to piss herself up on the roof.
"Oh, Miss Ami!" Amelia said, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face in my chest. "You poor thing!" Zelgadiss rolled his eyes.
"Ami, do you think I could have a word?" Came a voice from my left. Oh, great. It's lizard lips.
"Of course, Filia," I said sweetly, gently picking Amelia up and setting her aside. "What is it?"
"I just want to talk with you. I haven't been able to get to know you yet, that's all. I hope that's not a problem..."
~Yes, of course it is, you little witch! I hate you! You and your kind! And to top it off, you've got a little ancient dragon in your care and that just happens to be my--~
"No, of course not!" I said, waving off her idiocy.
"Great." She came and sat down in a chair beside me. "I may have to go if the baby starts to cry." My heart skipped a beat, and I had to try my hardest to jeep myself from jumping up and slapping the golden dragon.
"You shouldn't have to take care of him anymore. I'm an ancient dragon, I should do it. I haven't seen another in so long..." I trailed off, and I was surprised to see how calm I was. Damn straight she shouldn't take care of him! She has no right! I grimaced at the thought of my brother, Valteria, in the arms of a golden dragon, useless, defenseless...
"Of course, you're an ancient dragon. You should take care of him. It's just... I've grown so attached to him, that's all."
"I understand. You've begun to love him, haven't you?" I thought my voice was going to shake, but it didn't, despite my anger.
"Yes."
DAMMIT! I hated this girl now more than I've ever hated anyone ever before. But I had to keep my temper from rising... I had to stay calm. So I did the only thing I could do. I smiled and thought of how well my plan was working. If this golden dragon thought that I loved the baby -- and I did, how could I not, he was my own brother! -- then she might trust me.
My plans were working out just fine. I was gaining the dragon girl's trust -- the chimera wasn't far behind -- and I was just about to talk with the sorceress when a tall man walked into the room, bearing a staff as long as he. His shoulder-length purple hair glistened in the light of the fire, and his mischievous violet eyes scanned each and every person in the room. A wicked smile spread across his face as those eyes of his fell upon me. Even though he didn't show it, I could sense his laughter -- he was laughing at me. I felt my blood boil in my veins, my heat pounded ferociously and I could feel an intense wave of heat spread up my body, sending a tingling sensation across my skin.
"You!" I hissed through clenched teeth. Before the man could respond, I was out of my chair and my fingers were wrapped around his throat, squeezing hard. Or trying to, anyway. He was a lot stronger than I was.
"Ah ah ah, Ami-chan! You always were a fiery little girl," he said. Filia and Amelia had jumped from their seats and was at his side in an instant, but he just smiled at them and they exchanged looks, then sat back down.
"No, I just hate you!" I screamed, releasing my hands. I brought my hand back and swung it as hard as I could, stopping only when I heard a sickening thwack noise of my hand striking his face.
"Yare yare, Ami-chan, you know better than that," he hissed angrily, placing his hands on my shoulders. Reaching into his pouches that were ties around his waist, he grabbed something and brought it across the nape of my neck in one quick, fluid motion. I could feel some sort of metal blade drive into my flesh, and I moved away from him quickly. But not quickly enough. He smiled as I put my hand to my neck, feeling a trickle of blood slowly starting to appear there.
"You bastard," I muttered, glaring at him. Suddenly, I felt my whole body start to tingle. It wasn't the same feeling had before. This wasn't the anger I had felt when I saw Xelloss Metallium enter the room earlier. This was something different. As the tingling sensation proceeded up my body, my vision became blurry and my head swam. The last thing I remember was Xelloss kneeling on the wooden floor, cradling me in his arms. Then... blackness.