Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters. I wish I
did. Mazrim is C to me however. Do not take credit for him if you wish to
live. No furry woodland mammals were harmed during the making of this
Fanfic. At times, flashy curse words may cause little children to go
insane. Because of this, this fanfic is rated R. Anyone under 17 must
stop reading under the penalty of death. This fanfic may cause seizures.
Please consult your doctor before reading this fanfic. This fanfic
contains .3245 grams of sodium. And for the love of God. It's just make
believe.
Chapter 5: Dinner invitation. Escort a goddess?
I woke up to the sound of those damned chickens again. I was in a very bad mood this morning. Those damned things had been making a racket every single morning at 6:00 for the past week. I was beginning to crave fried chicken.
Leno jumped up on the bed, wagging his tail like mad. He started licking my face. Pushing him away, I got up and went to the chest to grab some soap and an old rag. Once again, as I had for the past week, I stepped in something squishy. Sighing, I looked down to see what it was this time.
It appeared that Leno had lost his lunch last night.
And the little bastard had the nerve to lick my face right after it.
I gave him a death glare as he ran up to me, wagging his tail. Promptly, he lifted his leg and proceeded to empty his bladder on my leg.
I really need to housebreak the little bastard.
Leno simply stood there wagging his tail.
After letting him outside, I went out to the back. I paused, noticing a thermometer near the back for the first time ever. It was thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit. Wonderful.
I striped down, dumped the cold bucket over my head, and tried not to freeze as I scrubbed my body down.
After I had gotten dressed, I grabbed my backpack and placed my tools in it. Today was going to be the first day since my little injury that I could work the fields. It had been a week since then.
Since I wasn't able to work during that time, I had decided to look around the rest of the village and learn where everything else was. I had first gone to the inn, where they served some decent food. They also had a bar that was open from 8:00pm to midnight. I knew I would probably be a regular there. Next, was the winery I had passed on the first day. They also had access to wine, but the woman who was selling it, Manna, was VERY talkative. I had spent two hours there listening to her life story before finding an excuse to leave. After that, I had gone to the library. Maria was there, looking very apologetic. Sighing, I had told her that it wasn't her fault. She seemed relieved. Next, I had visited the house next door. Inside was an old woman on a rocking chair, and a little hyperactive kid. After talking to them and learning there names; Stu and Ellen; I had learned that the nurse who had helped me, Elli, also lived here. After that, I had gone to the chicken farm, but decided against going in because I could still hear arguing from inside.
I swear, they make more noise than their damned chickens.
As I went down the path, decided to take the mountain trail. I was surprised to find that there was a woodcutter living out here. I had talked to him briefly about adding a bathroom to my house, and had decided that once I had gotten enough money, I would have one built.
The rest of the week had gone by slow. I had gotten my tools back from a proud Sabria on the third day, and then went to the beach. There, I had met the shipper, Zack. After a slap on the back that reminded me of Rett, he had told me that while I had no produce, I could go gather fruits and plants from the mountain. The rest of the week I had spent doing just that.
And now, here I was, standing in my crappy fields, about to start round two with the weeds.
I held the scythe awkwardly. This time, I was going to take it slower. I looked at the space near the shipping box and imagined nine squares. I would plant my first crops there. Taking a deep breath, I swung my scythe.
The tools were much better. While it was still somewhat difficult, I was having a much easier time cutting through the weeds.
Two sweat-filled hours later, I was proudly standing in front of nine successfully cleared spaces that were ready for planting. I was starting to get the hang of this.
It was now time to get some seeds.
I went back into the house and put my tools away. After grabbing a towel and wiping off the sweat, I grabbed my wallet and left to go to the store.
As I walked through the door, I heard a commotion from inside. Looking cautiously, I saw a man in a mask pointing a sword at Jeff and his wife, Sasha. Another man had Karen cornered. Rage enveloped me. They were robbing the store.
I knew this was going to be tough. They were armed, and they had potential hostages. Looking around, I saw a shovel on one of the sale racks. Getting a firm grip, I decided to take out the one near Karen first. As I crouched low, I snuck through the third aisle, closest to them.
"Hey baby, why don't we go have some fun"
Before he new it, the man was the proud owner of a brand new fractured skull and a broken shovel.
The other man turned towards me as I tossed the splintered handle to the ground. In a cry of rage, he charged at me. It was immediately obvious to me that the sword was more meant for show. Just as he brought the sword down in a wide arc, I spun to the side and delivered a blow to the side of his head. Angrily, he swung the sword once again in a clumsy side slash. Stepping out of range, I waited for an opening as he lost his own balance and then rushed in. My left fist came out to his stomach in a fierce jab, followed immediately by a right hook to the jaw. As he staggered back, I used my momentum to spin around and deliver a powerful kick to his gut, knocking him back to the ground. He stood up, rage flashing in his eyes. Swinging violently, he took me by surprise as I fell back on the ground, narrowly evading his blade. He stood over me, sword raised over his head.
Abruptly, his eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the ground.
As he fell, I saw Karen standing behind him with a broken bottle.
As Karen helped me up, Sasha came back in with a police officer. He immediately went to the would-be criminals and cuffed them, carrying them to his car. Then he came up to me.
"Howdy young man. My name's Officer Harris. I'd like to thank you for your help with these two. They've been causing trouble across the area for some time now." Shaking my hand, he said his thanks again and left. I turned to Jeff.
"I want to buy these turnip seeds."
Everyone in the room fell down.
*********
"Really, you don't have to feed me." I said, as I sat at the table. After the incident, they had insisted that I eat dinner with them. While I didn't mind eating some real food for once, it was making me nervous. I had never once in my life eaten dinner with another family before, with the exception of Rett and Frank.
Of course, neither of them were an attractive girl.
"Nonsense." Said Sasha, as she labored over the oven. "It's the least we can do for you risking your life to save us. Besides, it gives us a chance to talk to you. Karen has said so much about you."
I glanced at Karen. She was blushing deeply. I felt my own face heat up. This was going to be a long night.
Finally, dinner was ready. I felt my mouth water as I saw a steaming bowl of vegetable soup and a plate full of chicken and mashed potatoes topped with gravy. A couple of buttered biscuits were on the side, next to a glistening ear of buttered corn.
The drool threatened to escape my mouth. It had been a long time indeed since I had a meal like this.
After a short prayer, I dug into the food for all I was worth. Realizing I was receiving stares, I slowed the pace down a bit as I filled my stomach.
"I have to say, Mazrim," said Sasha as she took a nibble from her biscuit. "I've never seen anyone fight like that before. You took on two armed men, and fought the second one unarmed. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Shit.
"Before I came here, I was part of the Midland Army."
Sasha stopped eating.
"I heard they had just gotten back from a long campaign." Said Jeff, completely oblivious to the sudden tension. He continued on. "I heard that the last battle was one of the worst ones. They said on the news that there had been massive casualties on both sides." He looked up, realizing the mood.
Tears were in my eyes as visions of that bloody battle had come back to me. It had been worse than the battle at Hell's Valley. I had lost most of my friends in that battle. And, I had fought one off the most fearsome generals of all time.
Luca Blight.
He was a madman. The worst of his kind. Of all the men I had seen and fought during the war, he had to be the most terrifying. To him, all people were nothing more than worms. Even his own people. He was, of course, a blade master. During the last battle, he had killed over one thousand men. Half of them were his own men. When I had come across him, I had nearly wet myself. He had chased me as I ran through the field. When I landed a slash to his side, he had stuck his finger in his wound and then licked it. I had barely beaten him, and that had taken twenty men, fifteen arrows in his back, and a dozen mortal wounds.
I shuddered as I tried to clear the image of the madness I had seen in his eyes out of my head.
"It was a hard battle. But it is over now."
It was the only response I could manage. Even then, it still seemed like a lie when I said it.
Karen tried desperately to change the subject.
I was grateful.
"So, how's the farm going?"
"I just got done clearing out the first patch. Tomorrow morning, I'll plant the first seeds. I figure that if I can clear a patch a day, I'll have the fields looking halfway decent within the next few weeks."
The rest of the dinner was spent talking about the farm. After we were done eating, I thanked them and left the house. Karen stopped my outside by the door.
"Mazrim, I want to ask you a favor."
I turned around to her and watched as she gathered her courage.
"The Goddess Festival is coming up in two weeks. It's meant to honor the Goddess of the Lake. As part of the custom, all the single girls in the village dress up in a fancy costume and perform a dance for her blessings for the coming year. Every girl is also escorted by a young man to the dance." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "It's customary for the man to ask the woman out, but since you aren't from around here, I think it will be all right just this once."
"What are you trying to say, Karen?"
She gulped, turning a shade of red.
"Would you be my escort?" I stared at her. "You need to get out and enjoy life, Mazrim. I saw how you looked when dad asked you about the war. You still don't think it's really over. You need to get your mind off of things." She smiled. "And I can't think of any better way than to go to a festival with a beautiful young goddess."
For the first time, in a long time, I laughed.
"Sure thing, goddess. Your humble servant shall be there to escort you to your royal ball!" I said, smirking. Karen smiled mischievously.
"You better not disappoint me, or I shall smite you with one of my lightning bolts!"
We both doubled over, laughing.
After pulling ourselves together, we said goodnight and parted ways. My mind was buzzing as I walked home. Rett would never believe this. I had to get home and write to him right away. As I reached the door, I had already rehearsed the letter in my head.
Maybe life will get better after all.
***************
I'd like to take a quick moment to thank everyone for the reviews. I'm happy that you all like this story, and will continue to write more as time permits. Like always, I'm open to any criticism anyone has. That being said, tune in next chapter where Mazrim gets his horse! Until next time, enjoy, and adios!
Chapter 5: Dinner invitation. Escort a goddess?
I woke up to the sound of those damned chickens again. I was in a very bad mood this morning. Those damned things had been making a racket every single morning at 6:00 for the past week. I was beginning to crave fried chicken.
Leno jumped up on the bed, wagging his tail like mad. He started licking my face. Pushing him away, I got up and went to the chest to grab some soap and an old rag. Once again, as I had for the past week, I stepped in something squishy. Sighing, I looked down to see what it was this time.
It appeared that Leno had lost his lunch last night.
And the little bastard had the nerve to lick my face right after it.
I gave him a death glare as he ran up to me, wagging his tail. Promptly, he lifted his leg and proceeded to empty his bladder on my leg.
I really need to housebreak the little bastard.
Leno simply stood there wagging his tail.
After letting him outside, I went out to the back. I paused, noticing a thermometer near the back for the first time ever. It was thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit. Wonderful.
I striped down, dumped the cold bucket over my head, and tried not to freeze as I scrubbed my body down.
After I had gotten dressed, I grabbed my backpack and placed my tools in it. Today was going to be the first day since my little injury that I could work the fields. It had been a week since then.
Since I wasn't able to work during that time, I had decided to look around the rest of the village and learn where everything else was. I had first gone to the inn, where they served some decent food. They also had a bar that was open from 8:00pm to midnight. I knew I would probably be a regular there. Next, was the winery I had passed on the first day. They also had access to wine, but the woman who was selling it, Manna, was VERY talkative. I had spent two hours there listening to her life story before finding an excuse to leave. After that, I had gone to the library. Maria was there, looking very apologetic. Sighing, I had told her that it wasn't her fault. She seemed relieved. Next, I had visited the house next door. Inside was an old woman on a rocking chair, and a little hyperactive kid. After talking to them and learning there names; Stu and Ellen; I had learned that the nurse who had helped me, Elli, also lived here. After that, I had gone to the chicken farm, but decided against going in because I could still hear arguing from inside.
I swear, they make more noise than their damned chickens.
As I went down the path, decided to take the mountain trail. I was surprised to find that there was a woodcutter living out here. I had talked to him briefly about adding a bathroom to my house, and had decided that once I had gotten enough money, I would have one built.
The rest of the week had gone by slow. I had gotten my tools back from a proud Sabria on the third day, and then went to the beach. There, I had met the shipper, Zack. After a slap on the back that reminded me of Rett, he had told me that while I had no produce, I could go gather fruits and plants from the mountain. The rest of the week I had spent doing just that.
And now, here I was, standing in my crappy fields, about to start round two with the weeds.
I held the scythe awkwardly. This time, I was going to take it slower. I looked at the space near the shipping box and imagined nine squares. I would plant my first crops there. Taking a deep breath, I swung my scythe.
The tools were much better. While it was still somewhat difficult, I was having a much easier time cutting through the weeds.
Two sweat-filled hours later, I was proudly standing in front of nine successfully cleared spaces that were ready for planting. I was starting to get the hang of this.
It was now time to get some seeds.
I went back into the house and put my tools away. After grabbing a towel and wiping off the sweat, I grabbed my wallet and left to go to the store.
As I walked through the door, I heard a commotion from inside. Looking cautiously, I saw a man in a mask pointing a sword at Jeff and his wife, Sasha. Another man had Karen cornered. Rage enveloped me. They were robbing the store.
I knew this was going to be tough. They were armed, and they had potential hostages. Looking around, I saw a shovel on one of the sale racks. Getting a firm grip, I decided to take out the one near Karen first. As I crouched low, I snuck through the third aisle, closest to them.
"Hey baby, why don't we go have some fun"
Before he new it, the man was the proud owner of a brand new fractured skull and a broken shovel.
The other man turned towards me as I tossed the splintered handle to the ground. In a cry of rage, he charged at me. It was immediately obvious to me that the sword was more meant for show. Just as he brought the sword down in a wide arc, I spun to the side and delivered a blow to the side of his head. Angrily, he swung the sword once again in a clumsy side slash. Stepping out of range, I waited for an opening as he lost his own balance and then rushed in. My left fist came out to his stomach in a fierce jab, followed immediately by a right hook to the jaw. As he staggered back, I used my momentum to spin around and deliver a powerful kick to his gut, knocking him back to the ground. He stood up, rage flashing in his eyes. Swinging violently, he took me by surprise as I fell back on the ground, narrowly evading his blade. He stood over me, sword raised over his head.
Abruptly, his eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the ground.
As he fell, I saw Karen standing behind him with a broken bottle.
As Karen helped me up, Sasha came back in with a police officer. He immediately went to the would-be criminals and cuffed them, carrying them to his car. Then he came up to me.
"Howdy young man. My name's Officer Harris. I'd like to thank you for your help with these two. They've been causing trouble across the area for some time now." Shaking my hand, he said his thanks again and left. I turned to Jeff.
"I want to buy these turnip seeds."
Everyone in the room fell down.
*********
"Really, you don't have to feed me." I said, as I sat at the table. After the incident, they had insisted that I eat dinner with them. While I didn't mind eating some real food for once, it was making me nervous. I had never once in my life eaten dinner with another family before, with the exception of Rett and Frank.
Of course, neither of them were an attractive girl.
"Nonsense." Said Sasha, as she labored over the oven. "It's the least we can do for you risking your life to save us. Besides, it gives us a chance to talk to you. Karen has said so much about you."
I glanced at Karen. She was blushing deeply. I felt my own face heat up. This was going to be a long night.
Finally, dinner was ready. I felt my mouth water as I saw a steaming bowl of vegetable soup and a plate full of chicken and mashed potatoes topped with gravy. A couple of buttered biscuits were on the side, next to a glistening ear of buttered corn.
The drool threatened to escape my mouth. It had been a long time indeed since I had a meal like this.
After a short prayer, I dug into the food for all I was worth. Realizing I was receiving stares, I slowed the pace down a bit as I filled my stomach.
"I have to say, Mazrim," said Sasha as she took a nibble from her biscuit. "I've never seen anyone fight like that before. You took on two armed men, and fought the second one unarmed. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Shit.
"Before I came here, I was part of the Midland Army."
Sasha stopped eating.
"I heard they had just gotten back from a long campaign." Said Jeff, completely oblivious to the sudden tension. He continued on. "I heard that the last battle was one of the worst ones. They said on the news that there had been massive casualties on both sides." He looked up, realizing the mood.
Tears were in my eyes as visions of that bloody battle had come back to me. It had been worse than the battle at Hell's Valley. I had lost most of my friends in that battle. And, I had fought one off the most fearsome generals of all time.
Luca Blight.
He was a madman. The worst of his kind. Of all the men I had seen and fought during the war, he had to be the most terrifying. To him, all people were nothing more than worms. Even his own people. He was, of course, a blade master. During the last battle, he had killed over one thousand men. Half of them were his own men. When I had come across him, I had nearly wet myself. He had chased me as I ran through the field. When I landed a slash to his side, he had stuck his finger in his wound and then licked it. I had barely beaten him, and that had taken twenty men, fifteen arrows in his back, and a dozen mortal wounds.
I shuddered as I tried to clear the image of the madness I had seen in his eyes out of my head.
"It was a hard battle. But it is over now."
It was the only response I could manage. Even then, it still seemed like a lie when I said it.
Karen tried desperately to change the subject.
I was grateful.
"So, how's the farm going?"
"I just got done clearing out the first patch. Tomorrow morning, I'll plant the first seeds. I figure that if I can clear a patch a day, I'll have the fields looking halfway decent within the next few weeks."
The rest of the dinner was spent talking about the farm. After we were done eating, I thanked them and left the house. Karen stopped my outside by the door.
"Mazrim, I want to ask you a favor."
I turned around to her and watched as she gathered her courage.
"The Goddess Festival is coming up in two weeks. It's meant to honor the Goddess of the Lake. As part of the custom, all the single girls in the village dress up in a fancy costume and perform a dance for her blessings for the coming year. Every girl is also escorted by a young man to the dance." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "It's customary for the man to ask the woman out, but since you aren't from around here, I think it will be all right just this once."
"What are you trying to say, Karen?"
She gulped, turning a shade of red.
"Would you be my escort?" I stared at her. "You need to get out and enjoy life, Mazrim. I saw how you looked when dad asked you about the war. You still don't think it's really over. You need to get your mind off of things." She smiled. "And I can't think of any better way than to go to a festival with a beautiful young goddess."
For the first time, in a long time, I laughed.
"Sure thing, goddess. Your humble servant shall be there to escort you to your royal ball!" I said, smirking. Karen smiled mischievously.
"You better not disappoint me, or I shall smite you with one of my lightning bolts!"
We both doubled over, laughing.
After pulling ourselves together, we said goodnight and parted ways. My mind was buzzing as I walked home. Rett would never believe this. I had to get home and write to him right away. As I reached the door, I had already rehearsed the letter in my head.
Maybe life will get better after all.
***************
I'd like to take a quick moment to thank everyone for the reviews. I'm happy that you all like this story, and will continue to write more as time permits. Like always, I'm open to any criticism anyone has. That being said, tune in next chapter where Mazrim gets his horse! Until next time, enjoy, and adios!