Tawanos: I like writing, I really do. So here is the second chapter of my
latest fic. I will see if I can upload the next chapter by Monday,
Wednesday at the latest.
Disclaimer: Wahoo!!! I finally own Zoids. *Falls back under glare from army of lawyers* Fine I don't own Zoids. Please don't hurt me.
Chapter 2- Logs and Blockheads
Late the next morning Leena woke up. She got an apple from the pantry and headed outside to watch the birds, something she used to do at the castle all the time. When she went outside an interesting sight greeted her. The cute boy that her father had brought home last night was sitting against a tree. An ax lay by his feet as well as two large piles of wood, one pile of cut wood, the other not. He was obviously taking a break from chopping wood to get a drink from the canteen in his hand.
"Can I help you princess?" He had seen her watching him from the door of the Chariot.
"Call me Leena. And I was wondering why I had never met you. Your father was well known in, and out of, the court. I don't believe that I've ever even heard him speak about having a family." She closed the door and walked towards Bit.
"It was for the protection of our family that he never mentioned us. As you said he was well known by everyone. Well... not everyone liked him. If you remember he received many challenges and threats. If it were public knowledge that he had a family, we would become targets by which to get at him. Imagine what would happen if both the royal family and his own were attacked at the same time. Where would he go? His duty as the King's Champion insists that he protect the royal family, but then what about his own family? You see the problem?" Leena nodded as she sat down on the stump that Bit had been using as a chopping block.
"One more question." She pointed at the ax. "Why are you chopping wood?" Bit laughed slightly.
"A man came by earlier and asked if I would be willing to chop wood for him, he said he would pay me so I said ok. Someone should be along around noon to pick up this load. Until then I will keep working, unless there is something you would like me to do, my duty to your family comes before any other job." Leena said that she didn't, so he picked up the ax and got a piece of wood from the uncut pile.
Leena got up and got a chair from inside the Chariot so she could enjoy the morning sun without getting in Bit's way. She came out of the Chariot with a folding chair under one arm and a book in her hand. She saw that Bit had an unusual way of chopping the wood. In one hand he held the ax, a piece of wood poised beneath it. With a quick chop the wood was in pieces, he used the ax to clear the pieces off the stump as he reached with his other hand for a new piece. A second after the pieces were cleared a new bit of wood was in place, every ten pieces or so he changed his position so the hands changed their jobs, from grabbing to chopping and vice versa. Leena watched for a minute before settling down to her book.
After a little while the prince and king came from town with some supplies in arm. Soon after that the sound of chopping wood stopped. Leena turned and saw that Bit had finished chopping and was now stacking the wood. When he was finished he sat down his back to the tree and appeared to go to sleep. About half an hour later the sound of a cart could be heard coming up the path. Leena had since succumbed to the heat of the sun and dozed off in the chair. Bit was still leaning against the tree, his eyes closed. A foot prodded Bit in the ribs.
"You, boy, load the cart." Bit opened one eye and looked up. What he saw was the gaudiest outfit he had ever seen, it looked like it belonged on a strolling minstrel, who was color-blind, and had no fashion sense. Bit closed his eye. It hurt to look at him.
"No, I was paid to chop the wood not load it. You would have to be the king to order people around like that without getting beet up, I would suggest stopping."
"My name is Harry Champ, I'm a man destined to be king." Harry said imperiously. Bit heard a laugh that was not Harry's, he opened his eyes and saw that Leena had woken up and heard Harry's proclamation. Harry turned and saw Leena for the first time, instantly he was by her side. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, you are like a ray of sun on a cloudy day." He probably would have continued, but he stopped because Leena had burst out laughing again and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Bit stood up and began carrying wood over to the cart.
"Come on, help me out. We better get you away from here before she dies of laughter." Leena heard him and only laughed louder.
"I don't do physical labor. It's below my position. My father owns this trade caravan, we are the richest merchants in four kingdoms." Bit rolled his eyes.
"I guess this means that we will be traveling with you for some time." Leena's father said as he stepped out of the Chariot. He introduced himself to Harry. "My name is Stephen Medecia, but everyone calls me Doc," he said using the alias he had come up with. "These are my children Leena" he pointed to Leena who's laughter was subsiding, "and my son Leon is inside."
"What about him?" Harry indicated Bit with his thumb.
"Bit Cloud, Doc hired me to protect his family." Bit said before Doc could make up some weird story. Harry refused to turn and face him.
"Laziest bodyguard I've ever seen." Before Harry could say anything else the ax that Bit had been using to chop wood flew past his shoulder, it landed with a "thunk" in a tree 50 feet away.
"Lazy but effective." Bit said as Harry turned slowly to face him.
"I wouldn't dare to that again if I was you." Harry was furious.
"Sure I would, just let me get the ax, and remember to hold very still." Bit made to get the ax. Harry on the other hand turned white and took off running. "I better finish loading the cart before they send someone else to pick it up. I hope we don't see that idiot for a while he annoyed me. Just one question." He turned to Leena who had finally stopped laughing. "Why did you laugh at him so much?"
"Well first of all he looked funny, and second that line he used on me, I heard that at least twice a day back at the royal court, and I never expected to hear it out here." Bit nodded his understanding and turned back to the job of placing the wood in the cart. Leena went back to reading the book that her nap had interrupted. Fifteen minutes after Bit finished loading the cart two men could be seen coming up the path, one cowering behind the other. Bit recognized them both.
The one cowering was Harry, probably back to pick up the cart. The one he was cowering behind was Brad Hunter a rather expensive mercenary that Bit had met in his travels over the past two weeks. Brad was 20 years old with shoulder length brown hair, he was tall and well muscled, he wore a green vest and khaki pants, and he was not expensive for nothing, he was good. Over his shoulder the hilts for his bastard sword (A/N: that's really a name for a sword you can look it up) could be seen, and his belt had several knives of varying shape and size.
"Hey Brad, you've got a shadow and it looks quite pale." Harry made as if to reply, but Brad beet him to it.
"As I recall, your shadow was quite a bit whiter than mine." He was referring to when they first met, Brad had been hired to kill Liger for his white fur, and Bit had stopped Brad from being gutted by Liger.
"Yes he was, but he is naturally white unlike yours which is yellow. And as I recall my shadow nearly exposed your innards to the world." Bit chided. "By the way, what did you tell that rug merchant?"
"I told him that it would take at least a battalion to get the pelt of your cat. You should have seen the look on his face." Bit and Brad shook hands in friendship, they had become friends as Bit took him to a healer for the many cuts, bruises, and scrapes he had gotten from Liger. Harry was no longer behind Brad coming to the conclusion that the cart provided more protection then Brad did.
"Brad Hunter, I hired you to protect me from that madman, not become friends with him." Harry's voice said from behind the cart.
"Is this true Brad? Did you come here to challenge me?" Bit said jokingly shocked.
"This guy" he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Harry "came into the Merc tavern in town asking for some protection against a 'madman named Bit Cloud.' I didn't know you were in town and wanted to see you again so I said sure, and here I am."
"So are you going to challenge me, or would you like to have lunch? I was about to get a sandwich or something." Bit's eyes lit up with an idea. "Or both, a friendly match then lunch, how does that sound?"
"That sounds good. Should we have the match now, or some time to prepare?"
"Just a little time to get a sword or something." Bit whistled and Liger poked his head over the roof of the Chariot where he had been sunbathing all morning. Bit walked over until he was almost under the cat's head. "My bag please." The head disappeared for a second before it reappeared with the bag in its mouth, he dropped the bag into Bit's outstretched arms. Bit then turned to Leena. "Your father may be interested to watch what is about to happen." Leena nodded and headed into the Chariot to get her father and brother.
Bit went to the middle of the clearing and began pulling things out of his bag. Brad watched in amazement as Bit pulled out a broadsword, short sword, saber, two dirks, assorted knives many more than Brad, a metal capped staff, and a spear out of a bag that looked like it might burst if he put a medium sized melon into it.
"That's some bag you've got there. Is there anything that won't fit?" Doc said when he saw the assortment of weapons that Bit had pulled out of the bag, his eyes lingered on the spear and staff one eyebrow raised.
"Just so long as it can fit through the opening the bag will hold it. The only thing I won't put in here is living animals, I don't want them eating the healing herbs I have in here." Bit shoved his arm down into the bag and moved it around as if he was searching for something, then he gave up and dropped the bag at his feet. "Well that's everything." He looked at the assortment of edged weapons lying by his feet. "Hey, Brad, what should I use?"
"Let's make this fight interesting. Use the dirks, and I will use mine." Bit nodded and began putting the rest of the stuff back into the bag. "One more thing. This clearing is too small for the fight I have planned."
"Agreed, there was a bigger one by the caravan I passed. That wouldn't by any chance be your caravan, Harry?" But Harry was no longer there, and for that matter neither was the cart. While they had been talking Harry had sneaked away with the cart. "I guess that we'll just have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" Brad smiled as Bit through the bag back up onto the top of the Chariot where Liger was napping. "Come on you three," Bit said to Leena, Doc, and Leon. "Liger will protect the Chariot while we're gone." They agreed and together they headed off in the direction of the caravan.
Tawanos: A bit of a cliffhanger I know but I plan to update it in a few days so, no worries.
Disclaimer: Wahoo!!! I finally own Zoids. *Falls back under glare from army of lawyers* Fine I don't own Zoids. Please don't hurt me.
Chapter 2- Logs and Blockheads
Late the next morning Leena woke up. She got an apple from the pantry and headed outside to watch the birds, something she used to do at the castle all the time. When she went outside an interesting sight greeted her. The cute boy that her father had brought home last night was sitting against a tree. An ax lay by his feet as well as two large piles of wood, one pile of cut wood, the other not. He was obviously taking a break from chopping wood to get a drink from the canteen in his hand.
"Can I help you princess?" He had seen her watching him from the door of the Chariot.
"Call me Leena. And I was wondering why I had never met you. Your father was well known in, and out of, the court. I don't believe that I've ever even heard him speak about having a family." She closed the door and walked towards Bit.
"It was for the protection of our family that he never mentioned us. As you said he was well known by everyone. Well... not everyone liked him. If you remember he received many challenges and threats. If it were public knowledge that he had a family, we would become targets by which to get at him. Imagine what would happen if both the royal family and his own were attacked at the same time. Where would he go? His duty as the King's Champion insists that he protect the royal family, but then what about his own family? You see the problem?" Leena nodded as she sat down on the stump that Bit had been using as a chopping block.
"One more question." She pointed at the ax. "Why are you chopping wood?" Bit laughed slightly.
"A man came by earlier and asked if I would be willing to chop wood for him, he said he would pay me so I said ok. Someone should be along around noon to pick up this load. Until then I will keep working, unless there is something you would like me to do, my duty to your family comes before any other job." Leena said that she didn't, so he picked up the ax and got a piece of wood from the uncut pile.
Leena got up and got a chair from inside the Chariot so she could enjoy the morning sun without getting in Bit's way. She came out of the Chariot with a folding chair under one arm and a book in her hand. She saw that Bit had an unusual way of chopping the wood. In one hand he held the ax, a piece of wood poised beneath it. With a quick chop the wood was in pieces, he used the ax to clear the pieces off the stump as he reached with his other hand for a new piece. A second after the pieces were cleared a new bit of wood was in place, every ten pieces or so he changed his position so the hands changed their jobs, from grabbing to chopping and vice versa. Leena watched for a minute before settling down to her book.
After a little while the prince and king came from town with some supplies in arm. Soon after that the sound of chopping wood stopped. Leena turned and saw that Bit had finished chopping and was now stacking the wood. When he was finished he sat down his back to the tree and appeared to go to sleep. About half an hour later the sound of a cart could be heard coming up the path. Leena had since succumbed to the heat of the sun and dozed off in the chair. Bit was still leaning against the tree, his eyes closed. A foot prodded Bit in the ribs.
"You, boy, load the cart." Bit opened one eye and looked up. What he saw was the gaudiest outfit he had ever seen, it looked like it belonged on a strolling minstrel, who was color-blind, and had no fashion sense. Bit closed his eye. It hurt to look at him.
"No, I was paid to chop the wood not load it. You would have to be the king to order people around like that without getting beet up, I would suggest stopping."
"My name is Harry Champ, I'm a man destined to be king." Harry said imperiously. Bit heard a laugh that was not Harry's, he opened his eyes and saw that Leena had woken up and heard Harry's proclamation. Harry turned and saw Leena for the first time, instantly he was by her side. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, you are like a ray of sun on a cloudy day." He probably would have continued, but he stopped because Leena had burst out laughing again and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Bit stood up and began carrying wood over to the cart.
"Come on, help me out. We better get you away from here before she dies of laughter." Leena heard him and only laughed louder.
"I don't do physical labor. It's below my position. My father owns this trade caravan, we are the richest merchants in four kingdoms." Bit rolled his eyes.
"I guess this means that we will be traveling with you for some time." Leena's father said as he stepped out of the Chariot. He introduced himself to Harry. "My name is Stephen Medecia, but everyone calls me Doc," he said using the alias he had come up with. "These are my children Leena" he pointed to Leena who's laughter was subsiding, "and my son Leon is inside."
"What about him?" Harry indicated Bit with his thumb.
"Bit Cloud, Doc hired me to protect his family." Bit said before Doc could make up some weird story. Harry refused to turn and face him.
"Laziest bodyguard I've ever seen." Before Harry could say anything else the ax that Bit had been using to chop wood flew past his shoulder, it landed with a "thunk" in a tree 50 feet away.
"Lazy but effective." Bit said as Harry turned slowly to face him.
"I wouldn't dare to that again if I was you." Harry was furious.
"Sure I would, just let me get the ax, and remember to hold very still." Bit made to get the ax. Harry on the other hand turned white and took off running. "I better finish loading the cart before they send someone else to pick it up. I hope we don't see that idiot for a while he annoyed me. Just one question." He turned to Leena who had finally stopped laughing. "Why did you laugh at him so much?"
"Well first of all he looked funny, and second that line he used on me, I heard that at least twice a day back at the royal court, and I never expected to hear it out here." Bit nodded his understanding and turned back to the job of placing the wood in the cart. Leena went back to reading the book that her nap had interrupted. Fifteen minutes after Bit finished loading the cart two men could be seen coming up the path, one cowering behind the other. Bit recognized them both.
The one cowering was Harry, probably back to pick up the cart. The one he was cowering behind was Brad Hunter a rather expensive mercenary that Bit had met in his travels over the past two weeks. Brad was 20 years old with shoulder length brown hair, he was tall and well muscled, he wore a green vest and khaki pants, and he was not expensive for nothing, he was good. Over his shoulder the hilts for his bastard sword (A/N: that's really a name for a sword you can look it up) could be seen, and his belt had several knives of varying shape and size.
"Hey Brad, you've got a shadow and it looks quite pale." Harry made as if to reply, but Brad beet him to it.
"As I recall, your shadow was quite a bit whiter than mine." He was referring to when they first met, Brad had been hired to kill Liger for his white fur, and Bit had stopped Brad from being gutted by Liger.
"Yes he was, but he is naturally white unlike yours which is yellow. And as I recall my shadow nearly exposed your innards to the world." Bit chided. "By the way, what did you tell that rug merchant?"
"I told him that it would take at least a battalion to get the pelt of your cat. You should have seen the look on his face." Bit and Brad shook hands in friendship, they had become friends as Bit took him to a healer for the many cuts, bruises, and scrapes he had gotten from Liger. Harry was no longer behind Brad coming to the conclusion that the cart provided more protection then Brad did.
"Brad Hunter, I hired you to protect me from that madman, not become friends with him." Harry's voice said from behind the cart.
"Is this true Brad? Did you come here to challenge me?" Bit said jokingly shocked.
"This guy" he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Harry "came into the Merc tavern in town asking for some protection against a 'madman named Bit Cloud.' I didn't know you were in town and wanted to see you again so I said sure, and here I am."
"So are you going to challenge me, or would you like to have lunch? I was about to get a sandwich or something." Bit's eyes lit up with an idea. "Or both, a friendly match then lunch, how does that sound?"
"That sounds good. Should we have the match now, or some time to prepare?"
"Just a little time to get a sword or something." Bit whistled and Liger poked his head over the roof of the Chariot where he had been sunbathing all morning. Bit walked over until he was almost under the cat's head. "My bag please." The head disappeared for a second before it reappeared with the bag in its mouth, he dropped the bag into Bit's outstretched arms. Bit then turned to Leena. "Your father may be interested to watch what is about to happen." Leena nodded and headed into the Chariot to get her father and brother.
Bit went to the middle of the clearing and began pulling things out of his bag. Brad watched in amazement as Bit pulled out a broadsword, short sword, saber, two dirks, assorted knives many more than Brad, a metal capped staff, and a spear out of a bag that looked like it might burst if he put a medium sized melon into it.
"That's some bag you've got there. Is there anything that won't fit?" Doc said when he saw the assortment of weapons that Bit had pulled out of the bag, his eyes lingered on the spear and staff one eyebrow raised.
"Just so long as it can fit through the opening the bag will hold it. The only thing I won't put in here is living animals, I don't want them eating the healing herbs I have in here." Bit shoved his arm down into the bag and moved it around as if he was searching for something, then he gave up and dropped the bag at his feet. "Well that's everything." He looked at the assortment of edged weapons lying by his feet. "Hey, Brad, what should I use?"
"Let's make this fight interesting. Use the dirks, and I will use mine." Bit nodded and began putting the rest of the stuff back into the bag. "One more thing. This clearing is too small for the fight I have planned."
"Agreed, there was a bigger one by the caravan I passed. That wouldn't by any chance be your caravan, Harry?" But Harry was no longer there, and for that matter neither was the cart. While they had been talking Harry had sneaked away with the cart. "I guess that we'll just have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" Brad smiled as Bit through the bag back up onto the top of the Chariot where Liger was napping. "Come on you three," Bit said to Leena, Doc, and Leon. "Liger will protect the Chariot while we're gone." They agreed and together they headed off in the direction of the caravan.
Tawanos: A bit of a cliffhanger I know but I plan to update it in a few days so, no worries.