Chapter three
"Can we have two rooms? One for the ladies and one for my friend and I?" Ryu asked the Wyndian hotel manager.
"That'll be 250 zenny. The ladies have room 24 and you gentlemen have room 23, honey." the hotel manager was a woman.
She handed Ryu two sets of keys and winked at him. "How 'bout you have lunch with me, suga?" She gave Ryu a look that made Nina feel like her ears were burning.
"Uh... I... erm." Ryu shuttered as she tried a move on him. He looked back at his friends for help.
"Sorry. He's taken. Come on sweetheart." Nina graved a hold of Ryu's arm and tugged on him. They walked up the stairs followed by Rei and Momo.
"Gee Nina, I didn't know you two were a couple! HA!" Rei smirked.
"Shut up Rei!" Nina yelled as she pounded him on the head with her wand.
"OUCH!" Nina went into hers' and Momo's' room and after Momo walked in, she slammed the door in Rei's' face. Ryu looked down at Rei, who was sobbing as a big, red bump appeared on his head. The dragon sighed and walked into their room.
~*~
It was evening when the group was down stairs eating dinner and talking about their journey they had together. "The thing I'll always remember is that when Ryu was younger, he use to cry at small little things but when it came to ghost and big, scary monsters, he'd be a big, tough boy!" Rei said as the girls giggled.
"I'll always remember the time he saved me from Balio and Sunder." Nina said.
"You guys talk like I'm dead or something. I'm still here you know." Ryu told them. A smile couldn't help but creep upon his face.
"We know. We're just remembering how much fun we had while traveling with you." Momo reassured him. Rei nodded and went on with his jokes.
Ryu couldn't sit still though. That dream he had. He stood up and left the table towalk outside. Was it a warning? What was going to happen to him? This were the thoughts stuck in his head.
Nina noticed him leaving and wondered what was wrong. She got up while Momo laughed at one of Rei's' jokes. The Windian Princess stepped onto the porch with Ryu. "What's wrong Ryu?" she asked.
"I don't know. I can't say. I don't want to worry you Nina." he said to her. His arms were crossed on the railing and he was looking out at the dark town. Nina walked up next to him.
"You can tell me Ryu." came her soft voice.
"I had this dream... a monster was ripping my heart out and he was laughing. He told me something but I don't remember what he said. I'm a little worried..." his voice trailed off.
"It sounds like the dream I had the other night. Do you think it means something?"
"I don't know. Master Ladon told him to be careful. I'm going back to Dragnier to find out what is going on. I don't want you involved." Ryu told her.
Nina looked at him fearfully. Her heart racing at the thought of what could happen to him. She could feel the tears threatening to burst out of her eyes. No. I'm going with him. "Ryu. I'm going with you." she said sternly.
"But I don't want any harm to come to you like before. Please you mu-" but he he was cut off when he saw Nina was clinching her dress and tears flowing down her rosy red cheeks. It hurt him to see her like this. "Nina..." Ryu spoke softly.
"I want to because I, I..." Nina started when she found herself drawing into his arms. She felt safe in his arms. Nina sobbed in his chest as he spoke,
"I know. I love you too. And that is why I don't want you to come with me. I love you too much to have you hurt. Please?"
"No. I want to to be there for you like you were there for me. I don't want to leave your side." Nina gave him a reply that his heart did and did not want to hear. It was true he loved her more than anything but he also did not want her to become hurt because of him.
"As you wish."
The winged princess looked up from his chest into his eyes. She couldn't help but admire his deep blue eyes. Nina started to rise on her tippy-toes and close her eyes as she came closer to his lips. Ryu leaned forward holding onto her waist.
Just as their lips touched, Rei came bursting through the door yelling, "Blow the men, hiccup, down! Hey whadda you two doing out here alone?" Nina and Ryu quickly separated, blushing brighter than ever.
"Rei, have you been drinking?!" Nina snapped. Rei staggered to the side and hiccuped once again. He gave her a toothy, careless smile.
"No, I haven't." he said.
"Yes you have! I can smell it over here. Come on big boy. You've had enough for one night. Time for bed." Nina said as she turned the drunken worren around. Ryu chuckled a littler as she pushed him through the door.
But just as he started to walk inside, Ryu thought he saw a shadowy figure out of the corner of his eye. He looked around alarmed but saw nothing. After giving one last look, the warrior walked back inside.
"Can we have two rooms? One for the ladies and one for my friend and I?" Ryu asked the Wyndian hotel manager.
"That'll be 250 zenny. The ladies have room 24 and you gentlemen have room 23, honey." the hotel manager was a woman.
She handed Ryu two sets of keys and winked at him. "How 'bout you have lunch with me, suga?" She gave Ryu a look that made Nina feel like her ears were burning.
"Uh... I... erm." Ryu shuttered as she tried a move on him. He looked back at his friends for help.
"Sorry. He's taken. Come on sweetheart." Nina graved a hold of Ryu's arm and tugged on him. They walked up the stairs followed by Rei and Momo.
"Gee Nina, I didn't know you two were a couple! HA!" Rei smirked.
"Shut up Rei!" Nina yelled as she pounded him on the head with her wand.
"OUCH!" Nina went into hers' and Momo's' room and after Momo walked in, she slammed the door in Rei's' face. Ryu looked down at Rei, who was sobbing as a big, red bump appeared on his head. The dragon sighed and walked into their room.
~*~
It was evening when the group was down stairs eating dinner and talking about their journey they had together. "The thing I'll always remember is that when Ryu was younger, he use to cry at small little things but when it came to ghost and big, scary monsters, he'd be a big, tough boy!" Rei said as the girls giggled.
"I'll always remember the time he saved me from Balio and Sunder." Nina said.
"You guys talk like I'm dead or something. I'm still here you know." Ryu told them. A smile couldn't help but creep upon his face.
"We know. We're just remembering how much fun we had while traveling with you." Momo reassured him. Rei nodded and went on with his jokes.
Ryu couldn't sit still though. That dream he had. He stood up and left the table towalk outside. Was it a warning? What was going to happen to him? This were the thoughts stuck in his head.
Nina noticed him leaving and wondered what was wrong. She got up while Momo laughed at one of Rei's' jokes. The Windian Princess stepped onto the porch with Ryu. "What's wrong Ryu?" she asked.
"I don't know. I can't say. I don't want to worry you Nina." he said to her. His arms were crossed on the railing and he was looking out at the dark town. Nina walked up next to him.
"You can tell me Ryu." came her soft voice.
"I had this dream... a monster was ripping my heart out and he was laughing. He told me something but I don't remember what he said. I'm a little worried..." his voice trailed off.
"It sounds like the dream I had the other night. Do you think it means something?"
"I don't know. Master Ladon told him to be careful. I'm going back to Dragnier to find out what is going on. I don't want you involved." Ryu told her.
Nina looked at him fearfully. Her heart racing at the thought of what could happen to him. She could feel the tears threatening to burst out of her eyes. No. I'm going with him. "Ryu. I'm going with you." she said sternly.
"But I don't want any harm to come to you like before. Please you mu-" but he he was cut off when he saw Nina was clinching her dress and tears flowing down her rosy red cheeks. It hurt him to see her like this. "Nina..." Ryu spoke softly.
"I want to because I, I..." Nina started when she found herself drawing into his arms. She felt safe in his arms. Nina sobbed in his chest as he spoke,
"I know. I love you too. And that is why I don't want you to come with me. I love you too much to have you hurt. Please?"
"No. I want to to be there for you like you were there for me. I don't want to leave your side." Nina gave him a reply that his heart did and did not want to hear. It was true he loved her more than anything but he also did not want her to become hurt because of him.
"As you wish."
The winged princess looked up from his chest into his eyes. She couldn't help but admire his deep blue eyes. Nina started to rise on her tippy-toes and close her eyes as she came closer to his lips. Ryu leaned forward holding onto her waist.
Just as their lips touched, Rei came bursting through the door yelling, "Blow the men, hiccup, down! Hey whadda you two doing out here alone?" Nina and Ryu quickly separated, blushing brighter than ever.
"Rei, have you been drinking?!" Nina snapped. Rei staggered to the side and hiccuped once again. He gave her a toothy, careless smile.
"No, I haven't." he said.
"Yes you have! I can smell it over here. Come on big boy. You've had enough for one night. Time for bed." Nina said as she turned the drunken worren around. Ryu chuckled a littler as she pushed him through the door.
But just as he started to walk inside, Ryu thought he saw a shadowy figure out of the corner of his eye. He looked around alarmed but saw nothing. After giving one last look, the warrior walked back inside.