A sudden movement caught Gabriel's eye and he began to prepare a spell when a small rabbit jumped out from the tall plains grass. The animal startled Gabriel so much that he fell backward. He began to laugh at himself and at his situation.
The rabbit came close to the white robed man and began to sniff at the hem of the clothing when a hand shot out and grabbed it by the scruff of it's neck. "Looks like I've caught some dinner." Gabriel held the rabbit up to look at it. He felt something nudge his leg and looked down. He saw three tiny rabbits peering at him from over his knee.
Gabriel sighed and set the rabbit down. "Or not…" he muttered darkly. He watched as the rabbits bounded off into the plains. He lie there for several minutes, staring up at the blue sky before getting up and starting toward Salva again.
Upon reaching Salva, Gabriel was greeted with an onslaught of questions about the Warrior. He groaned as he realised that news traveled fast on this world. He ignored their questions and began to ask his own. It wasn't until he met a brown haired swordsman in the city that he found out where Alen lived and how to get into his home. He thanked the young swordsman and headed into the house.
Gabriel slipped into the house unnoticed and made it through to the study. He saw the passage that had been hidden and realised that Rena had probably gone down there already. He ran forward without hesitation to find her.
Finding himself in a myriad of caverns, Gabriel growled softly and cast a spell to locate energy sources. He was shocked at the power being given off by something in the Drift. He followed it to its source and cancelled the spell as he entered some kind of altar room. One with Rena chained to the altar.
Rena spotted her red haired warrior and screamed out to him. "Gabriel! Help me! Oh, please, help me!"
Alen laughed as he spotted the intruder. "You aren't welcome here. Go away."
Gabriel folded his arms over his chest. "Oh? What, may I ask, is going on here?"
Alen smiled dangerously. "Isn't that obvious? Rena and I are to be married."
Gabriel snorted indignantly. "I don't think she wants that."
Alen became confused as he started to sort out what had been said. Gabriel took advantage of the situation and released Rena from her bonds and pulled her down. He ignored the pain that shot through his system as his skin made contact with hers.
Alen growled as the possession took hold completely. He began to change, becoming beastly. The couple hadn't seemed to notice this until the beast-Alen howled.
Gabriel frowned and stood up. "Stay back, Rena." Gabriel held his hands out and began to mutter a curse.
Rena looked up at Gabriel in surprise. She recognised this spell.
"Noah!" Immediately after the spell was released, Gabriel picked Rena up and held her above the flow of water that rushed through. He didn't even register the pain when she put her arms around his neck. Once the water flow ebbed, he set Rena back down and looked at the unconscious beast-Alen.
Gabriel walked over and looked down at the beast-Alen, then to the strange crystal that was pulsing near to him. He picked it up and studied it. //I know what this is… I think.// He threw the crystal in the air and quickly cast "Fire bolt!". The crystal shattered and fell to the floor in tiny shards. Each shard wavered before disappearing completely.
"Rena? Let's go." Gabriel started to walk toward the only exit in the room. He stopped when he realised that Rena wasn't following. He turned to look toward the young woman.
Rena was on her knees next to Alen, arms outstretched over him. Gabriel watched as the familiar light pulsed from Rena and washed over Alen. She didn't stop until Alen had regained consciousness.
Gabriel helped Rena get Alen back to his house. There were no attacks on the way out. He decided that the crystal had controlled the monsters here in the Drift as well as Alen. He frowned when he realised that there was no pain from touching Alen. //So it is just Rena…//
Rena and Gabriel left Salva to return to Arlia. It was getting late, but Gabriel didn't want to stay in that town any longer than he had to. They traveled until Rena could go no further.
Gabriel set up a camp and lit a fire. He watched the young woman sleep and reached out to touch her face and winced as the burning seared his skin. //What is it about you that hurts me so much?// He looked at his fingertips, then at the woman. He lie down and drifted off into a light sleep.
"I don't know, brother. Something really seems unusual here." A voice drifted through the darkness, not far from the camp.
"He's acting strangely. Lucifer told us that he's lost his memory, but there's something more." A softer voice drifted from the same direction.
"Fortunately, he is unaware of the key the woman possesses."
"Is that why he can't bear to touch her?"
"Yes."
The rabbit came close to the white robed man and began to sniff at the hem of the clothing when a hand shot out and grabbed it by the scruff of it's neck. "Looks like I've caught some dinner." Gabriel held the rabbit up to look at it. He felt something nudge his leg and looked down. He saw three tiny rabbits peering at him from over his knee.
Gabriel sighed and set the rabbit down. "Or not…" he muttered darkly. He watched as the rabbits bounded off into the plains. He lie there for several minutes, staring up at the blue sky before getting up and starting toward Salva again.
Upon reaching Salva, Gabriel was greeted with an onslaught of questions about the Warrior. He groaned as he realised that news traveled fast on this world. He ignored their questions and began to ask his own. It wasn't until he met a brown haired swordsman in the city that he found out where Alen lived and how to get into his home. He thanked the young swordsman and headed into the house.
Gabriel slipped into the house unnoticed and made it through to the study. He saw the passage that had been hidden and realised that Rena had probably gone down there already. He ran forward without hesitation to find her.
Finding himself in a myriad of caverns, Gabriel growled softly and cast a spell to locate energy sources. He was shocked at the power being given off by something in the Drift. He followed it to its source and cancelled the spell as he entered some kind of altar room. One with Rena chained to the altar.
Rena spotted her red haired warrior and screamed out to him. "Gabriel! Help me! Oh, please, help me!"
Alen laughed as he spotted the intruder. "You aren't welcome here. Go away."
Gabriel folded his arms over his chest. "Oh? What, may I ask, is going on here?"
Alen smiled dangerously. "Isn't that obvious? Rena and I are to be married."
Gabriel snorted indignantly. "I don't think she wants that."
Alen became confused as he started to sort out what had been said. Gabriel took advantage of the situation and released Rena from her bonds and pulled her down. He ignored the pain that shot through his system as his skin made contact with hers.
Alen growled as the possession took hold completely. He began to change, becoming beastly. The couple hadn't seemed to notice this until the beast-Alen howled.
Gabriel frowned and stood up. "Stay back, Rena." Gabriel held his hands out and began to mutter a curse.
Rena looked up at Gabriel in surprise. She recognised this spell.
"Noah!" Immediately after the spell was released, Gabriel picked Rena up and held her above the flow of water that rushed through. He didn't even register the pain when she put her arms around his neck. Once the water flow ebbed, he set Rena back down and looked at the unconscious beast-Alen.
Gabriel walked over and looked down at the beast-Alen, then to the strange crystal that was pulsing near to him. He picked it up and studied it. //I know what this is… I think.// He threw the crystal in the air and quickly cast "Fire bolt!". The crystal shattered and fell to the floor in tiny shards. Each shard wavered before disappearing completely.
"Rena? Let's go." Gabriel started to walk toward the only exit in the room. He stopped when he realised that Rena wasn't following. He turned to look toward the young woman.
Rena was on her knees next to Alen, arms outstretched over him. Gabriel watched as the familiar light pulsed from Rena and washed over Alen. She didn't stop until Alen had regained consciousness.
Gabriel helped Rena get Alen back to his house. There were no attacks on the way out. He decided that the crystal had controlled the monsters here in the Drift as well as Alen. He frowned when he realised that there was no pain from touching Alen. //So it is just Rena…//
Rena and Gabriel left Salva to return to Arlia. It was getting late, but Gabriel didn't want to stay in that town any longer than he had to. They traveled until Rena could go no further.
Gabriel set up a camp and lit a fire. He watched the young woman sleep and reached out to touch her face and winced as the burning seared his skin. //What is it about you that hurts me so much?// He looked at his fingertips, then at the woman. He lie down and drifted off into a light sleep.
"I don't know, brother. Something really seems unusual here." A voice drifted through the darkness, not far from the camp.
"He's acting strangely. Lucifer told us that he's lost his memory, but there's something more." A softer voice drifted from the same direction.
"Fortunately, he is unaware of the key the woman possesses."
"Is that why he can't bear to touch her?"
"Yes."
