Ummmmm…………..YAY!

Reviewer Response:

Purplehotagi: :.:smacks with fan:: SHUSHHH!! You can't just be guessing (correctly)  the story before I even write it! So…SHUSH!!! :.:smack smack:.: ^-^ Yeah so…if you see something you mentioned in a review appearing in the story….than I didn't copy….you're just a disturbingly good predictor…..u_u;;

Lady Kickass: Hello! Thanks so much for your reviews! They were really flattering!!! Sometimes I feel like the further I progress in the story, the less the quality gets, but your comment about the second chapter being better than the first really encouraged me!!! I hope I can continue to write a story that's enjoyable to read!

P.S. about the dialogue…You're right! Dialogue is hard! Sometimes I just have to force myself to stop writing, and pretend that the story is like a show, hoping that the natural things they would say will just come to me…. And it's especially hard to do the needed dialogue, like info or flashbacks or whatever, and stay in character, ne? ^-^

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Classic Fantasy Adventure

Chapter 3

                Yohji staggered out of the Warrior's Guild, a broken soul. It had only been a sword…but to not allow him to get it…and just because of a few, horrid little stones that spoke of past grievances! This was something that disheartened him to no end, something that made him want to just curl up somewhere in the shadows and let the earth devour him.

The sunlight pierced his eyes as he swayed into the sun baked courtyard, leaving him momentarily blind. He sniffed pathetically as hot, salty tears rolled down his cheeks, and he struggled to choke back the lump that had formed in his throat. Before he could even register what to do next, Omi rushed up to him, concern evident. "Yohji-kun! What happened, what is it? Oh! You're bleeding Yohji!…..Yohji?" Yohji choked, gritting his teeth and fighting to keep him and Omi's gaze from meeting. He knew…somehow he knew, that if he allowed Omi to see his red, shining eyes, burdened with shame, he would never be able to put any of this behind him.

                And thankfully Omi quieted, sensing his friend's sorrow, and walked silently with Yohji until they reached his modest house, where they had been waiting for his return. As they entered grimly, Nagi rose, his eyebrows furrowing. He seemed unusually tense, and his voice trembled as he spoke. "What has happened to him?"

                Omi shook his head, lowering Yohji onto the edge of his bed. Nagi and Omi exchanged glances, shrugging. Whatever it was that happened had obviously lowered Yohji's morale, and he was DEFENITELY not ready to talk about it. Omi could only imagine what kind of trouble had befallen his friend. He cleared his throat, nodding at Nagi. "I think he had some trouble in purchasing an item he wanted, that's all. I--"

                "Noumel…? And for the first time they heard the Elfin young man's voice, melodic and ringing like a chime, yet somehow beautiful in its deep masculinity as he uttered a word that was not so much as a sound.

Their charge was curled up at the head of Yohji's bed, a beautiful puzzle of long, pristine, limbs. His intelligent eyes were half lidded, but Omi and Nagi could see that they glimmered the color of purest violet. It seemed that the boy had been watching them, and listening intently. Omi smiled kindly. "Hello."

                The elf said nothing, but blinked at him, his coal lashes flashing starkly over pale skin.

                Nagi glanced at the exchange, smiling softly to himself. "I don't know if he can understand you… he may not know any Mankin languages."

                Omi nodded. "I see." Then he got up and moved into Yohji's humble kitchen, taking out a few slices of cheese, and a hunk of slightly stale bread. "But I bet food is universal!" He claimed cheerily, putting the food in the Elf's motionless hands. The boy blinked at him a couple of times, and put a slice of cheese to his lips… holding it there, as if waiting for something. Omi chuckled. "You're a curious one."

                His gaze turned more serious as he glanced at Yohji… who had sat silently since they'd gotten home, staring at the floor.

                "Do you still want to go through with this, Yohji?" Omi asked.

                The older man looked up, as if startled. And then he broke into a weak smile, his eyes crinkling. "Of course. I wouldn't accept something and then not go through with it." As is to punctuate his readiness, his reached up and wiped the last of his tears away, leaving only reddened, puffy eyes to show his sadness.

                Half of Omi's mouth titled up in a grin, as if unsure as to whether it should be smiling or not, but he nodded anyway.

                Nagi stood up. "Then we should go."

                Omi cleared his throat. "Are-are you done with business…here, Yohji?"

                Yohji nodded, and stood up. Omi lowered himself down near the Elf, who still held the sliver of cheese to his lips, as he watched the three of them curiously. "We're GOING now." Omi said cheerfully, taking the Elf's hand and helping him to stand. The bread and cheese fell from his frail grip and onto the floor. They looked at it silently, unsure of how to react, until Yohji let out a sweet ripple of laughter. He smiled at the elf, putting his arm over the stranger's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get you some food at the nearest town,"—he winked—"ne?"

                The Elf blinked up at him, cocking his head to the side. Yohji chuckled and put his arms around the Elf's waist, careful not to touch his wounds as he helped him off the bed.

"So, do you know where we are going?" Omi asked Nagi, doubt written on his face.

                Nagi nodded. "It's far away, and it will be a hard journey…"

                Omi stared at him for a second, a inquisitive expression on his face. "Hmmm… this is all very strange…"

                Nagi seemed to twitch as he looked at Omi uncomfortably. "What is strange?"

                "If this Elf person is obviously out of danger now, why don't we just leave him for his kind to retrieve? If they are coming….as you have said."

                The younger boy stiffened, biting his lip until it was pale. "W-Well….Schuldig failed to mention this, but, although they are angered by the very act…E-Elves will not accept other Elves that are hurt or soiled by humans back into their own kind… the other elves would kill him."

                "Then why are we taking him back to his home?!" Yohji bit out, his suspicion rising. The Elfin boy winced, taking a step away from them. Nagi did the same.

                "Uhhhh… y-you see…."

                "No, I don't see." Yohji said seriously, his voice grave.

                Before Nagi could say another thing, a scream resounded from outside, making them jump. Before they could react, the small window at the front of Yohji's house shattered, and more screams rose from outside, terrified and painful.

                "What's happening?!" Omi cried.

                Nagi moved in front of the group, summoning a faint barrier of protection. "They've come for the them!"

                'Well, they can have him!" Yohji grabbed the Elvin boy's shoulders roughly, pushing him forward, despite his cry of panic. Yohji was so angered by Nagi's obvious lies that at the moment he wanted nothing more to do with Elves or adventures our snotty orange-haired men. 

                "NO! We can't!" Nagi snarled, grabbing the boy by the hand and blowing a hole through the back wall with a blast of magic. Yohji gaped helplessly, anger boiling within him.

                "You..!!"

                But Nagi wasn't listening. He raced out of the opening, and before his brain could even register that he'd made it outside, hands caught him up from the ground. There were Elves on the roof waiting, and they brought him up roughly but carefully, and the red-haired Elfin boy was pinned to the ground by another Elf, whose bodies were shimmering white and their hair flowing around them as if it were under water. They were a sight to see, as haunting as a specter. As the first elf fought to hold the boy to the ground, another Elf strode over swiftly, holding a rillow bow to the back of the boy's neck and readying to fire. Nagi cried out in horror, fighting to be free of the Elfin fingers that tangled in his clothes and hair.

                The bow thrummed and was let go---into the ruined wall of the house as Yohji knocked the graceful weapon aside with his own stout blade. The Elf growled at him, his voice alien and haunting, his eyes glowing blue. Everywhere screams were rising, and houses and buildings were going up in flame. Elves flitted like ghosts from house to house, moving as swiftly as the White Stag, himself. Their spectral presence added to the horror of the night, and from inside, Omi nearly screamed as an Elfin figure, as unspeakably terrifying as a corpse, yet as beautiful as a swan gliding on water flitted by him, it's hair swirling behind. So beautiful it was terrifying. And for a brief second he wondered what their own Elfin responsibility had lost to make him no longer frightening, nor menacing, but as beautiful and innocent as a newborn spirefoal.

                Call upon all the courage he had in him, Omi forced his pounding heart to slow and he crept out back, where Yohji and Nagi were working ferociously to keep the unearthly stunning elves from harming the red-haired young man who laid on the ground unmoving.

                Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Omi summoned his Bidden crossbow from its Place, and with thrums that seemed to resound through his whole body he began letting off a barrage of shimmering red arrows at the elves. Slowly they began to drop, flickering from existence after their heart stopped as if rotting there on the ground was below their level of grace.

                At last the last Elf in their vicinity had fallen, though they could still see them flickering through the village, spreading their chaos. Omi, Nagi, Yohji, and the Elf in their care were scraped up and bruised, angry as they cast their eyes on the wreckage of their village.

Omi forced himself to breath, his eyes settling on Yohji. Yohji nodded to him, and together the four crept away into the forest, disappearing into the thick trees as easily as the elves had appeared from it.

                ~*~*~*~*~*~

                Omi laid his hand on Yohji's forehead, his eyebrows crinkled in worry. "He has a pretty high fever."

                Nagi sighed. "Well…we have been traveling for a while, and with nothing to eat…. And it looked as though his trip to the Warrior's Guild ended with another whipping, which had to have opened the wounds from earlier… I bet they became infected."

                Omi said nothing, his lower lip trembling. The vision of Yohji staggering out of the Warrior's Guild fortress, tears streaming shamelessly from his jade eyes, flashed in his mind, and he stroked the older boy's hair back out of his eyes, his heart going out to him.

                "He has it tough."

                Nagi nodded, not knowing what was to be said for something like that.

                The Elfin boy crawled over to where they were gathered around a huge tree's surface bound roots, in which they had nestled Yohji after he'd passed out in mid-walk. The boy, whom they'd gathered was named Ran, lowered his head over Yohji's, nuzzling his forehead and making odd mewling sounds. He moved down to his neck, and Omi and Nagi realized that he was sniffing their fallen comrade, as if he were some pawfriend. Omi chuckled nervously, pushing Ran away. "Cut that out! That's weird!"

                Ran gave a small sneeze, and stared at him, his head cocked. "Weir?"

                "Weird!"

                He looked at them, an expression of intense concentration on his face. "Weir…ana?"

                Nagi laughed slightly, staring at the stunning form before them. "Elves have trouble saying harder consonants…such as "g" and "k" and "d"…among other things…it is why they're language sounds so beautiful."

                As Omi watched the young sorcerer, Nagi's eyes seemed to glaze and a careless smile graced his lips, as if he were in a paradise only he could see.

                "You've heard these Elves, then?"

                Nagi winced. "Just now but…otherwise I've only heard Scholars speak it, in their practice….but no, never a real Elf…" Yet something about before made Omi think that only one who had heard the voice of Elves could ever hold that kind of look in their eyes.

                Of a sudden, Yohji groaned, starting awake and arching forward as if emerging from water. Omi set his hands on his friend's chest and pressed him down gently. "Whoa! Yohji…it's ok, you're safe."

                Yohji opened his eyes a crack, his word spinning. "t's going on…?" He groaned, tears brimming in his eyes.

                Nagi smiled. "You passed out while we were traveling. With a little more rest, and some food, you should be fine."

                He moved over to where they had set up a spit of roasted longfoot and tore off a piece, nearly dropping it. It was so hot that it sizzled to the touch.

                He waited until it had cooled and then set it on Yohji mouth, watching as the Adventurer pushed it in with his fingers and swallowed it hungrily. "S'good…."

                "Sood…." Ran murmured, his violet eyes sparkling with curiosity.

                Omi and Nagi chuckled a little as the Elf tried to mimic Nagi's movements, only managing to burn himself on the hot spit and throw the little piece of longfoot to the ground. He held his red finger over Yohji, whining.

                Yohji opened his eyes, one eyebrow arching. "What the…?"

                Omi laughed. "Uh oh Yohji…he wants you to kiss it and make it feel better."

                Instead, Ran pressed his finger onto Yohji's forehead, and Yohji gasped as a brief pang of agony stabbed through him, and he fell back into the giant, cradling roots of the Mossgreen tree, moaning weakly.

                Ran lay himself down on the forest floor feebly, his face flushed.

                Nagi cried out in surprise, and Omi stared dumbly. "What just…happened?"

                Nagi put his hand to Yohji's head, a grin breaking out on his face. "I KNEW it! His fever's gone! The elf---Ran! Has healing powers! I knew it would be so!"

                Omi's eyes widened, and he set his hand on Yohji's forehead. "This is amazing! It takes even a full-fledged sorcerer to completely cure an illness!" He glanced over at the elf, his eyebrows knitting. "And yet…" He looked back over at Yohji, and then set the back of his hand on Ran's head. "Now he seems to be ill…"

                Nagi gave a little gasp. 'How extraordinary! Not so much a healer, but a converter! He converted Yohji's illness into one which thrived in his own body!"

                Omi stared at the ground anxiously. "I wish he wouldn't have done that."

                Nagi bit his tongue, for he had been about to continue on his ramblings, utterly overjoyed at such discoveries. So little was known about elves…He could gain a high position among scholars just for a as small discovery as what kind of magic elves were able to use! But…why was it that Omi did not seemed interested…but saddened at this enlightenment!?

"Why not?"

                "Nothing has been gained!" Omi cried, angry adding a bite to his voice. "And I'll wager that Yohji could've handled this puny sickness more than Ran… He is still week from his injuries…"

                He looked dejectedly at the long-limbed Elf, on his side on the ground as if only sleeping, though his breath was labored and his eyebrows creased in pain. Sighing, Omi pulled the Elf into his arms, resting his chin on Ran's forehead.

                Nagi stared at them, hurt, that Omi had very nearly rebuked him with such actions and words.

                At that time Yohji sat up dazedly, leaning against the mossy bark of the tree that cradled him.        "What was that all about…?" he groaned, running his fingers through his hair.

                Nagi glared at the ground, waiting for Omi to give an explanation, which he did. "Ran healed you. It just took a little out of him, that's all." The amateur magicmaker looked at the form in his arms guiltily.

                "Ran…that's his name then?"

                "Yes."

                "Did he…did he take my illness into his own body?"

                At this Nagi gasped, forgetting his brooding silence. "But how did you know??!!"

                Yohji shrugged, looking at his scratched up fist with intense concentration. "When we were back at the village….I saw an Elf…he was pretty beat up himself…come over to another…who was laying there dying….and the first elf put his hand on the dying one's back…and he kinda…crumpled on top of the other one…and the other one woke up…and started crying…and holding the other in his arms…and I think he sang to him but…. I don't know….." Much to his alarm, Yohji found that as he recalled this, tears of his own were springing up into his eyes…but the mere thought of this memory brought such a flood of sick sadness to his soul that he couldn't help but tear up.

                Omi unconsciously gripped Ran tighter, and the Elf stirred slightly, with a tiny cough. "Oh…" Was all Omi could think of to say… "Oh."

~*~*~*~*

Well…I'm interested to know….How do you guys like the way I made Ran act? Is it too innocent? I realize its way OOC from how he is in the show….but….I just think he's so cute when he can't even understand what humans are saying! :.:nuzzles Aya-eruhu:.:        

Aya-eruhu: Oro….? @ . @

LOL HAR HAR! I SLAY MYSELF