candle in the window

Wonder is as potent as wander, when placed in the right context.

Chapter 24

The costal city Luwa. The sun rose, the same as every other day, but the former elf couldn't bare to lift his head. It started yesterday, sometime after trying the house special at the inn called the Dancing Krill. At first, it was just an upset stomach and then it just seemed to spread after that.

This was the place was where Kai-Stern had stayed. Rune had already picked up the blue dragon officer's belongings from the local authorities. He had only come here to speak with the locals, hoping for more information surrounding Kai-Stern's activities prior to his disappearance, but...

The golden haired knight goaned and for the first time in his life, turned away from the sharp light of day. It seemed more like an invader right now than any sort of life giving force. With an unpleasant stream of bubbles swimming freely in his stomach and the dizziness in his head, the blue eyed former elf covered his head with his pillow and let out a plaintive whine.

"Mr. Rune, sir?" a heavy knock on the solid door of his room, irritated his delicate condition. "You awake?"

"Oh," The water dragon knight pulled the pillow down, remembering that he had asked to be awakened to be sure that he could leave immediately in the morning. Another couple of loud slams on the door sent sharp pains rippling though his central nervous system. "I'm awake!" The former elf deeply regretted shouting. He covered his head again and hissed. There was no winning with this kind of condition.

"I'll arrange for your carrage then sir." the deep voice easly penatrated into the room.

"Wait." after a few moments the door opened. "Perhaps, I'll stay a bit longer. I'm not feeling well, you see."

"Recovering from your long journey. I understand." Guy smiled. "Well then how about I make you some breakfast?" blue eyes grew wide and the dragon knight cupped a hand over his mouth. Eating anything right now was completely out of the question.

"No!" The golden haired knight protested with a bit more passion than his senses could cope with. The water dragon knight braced himself against the open door and took an extra breath. "I mean, that won't be necessary." he spoke quietly and slowly. "I think I'll just rest a bit longer." The portly man scratch his brown beard as if he was considering something, then smiled.

"Well, you'll be stayin' another day then. Good." he nodded, looking satisfied. "You just let me know if you need anything. Anything at all."

"Thank you." The former elf shut the door quietly and managed to drag himself back to those inviting sheets.

*****

Later that evening

*****

Blue eyes opened to the dark haze of that room he'd been recovering in since yesterday. All things considered, he was feeling better. Although, food was probably going to be out of the question for at least a few more hours, his thoat was parched.

The water dragon knight swallowed hard and sat up. Wasn't there a...Blue eyes scanned the room and noticed the vague shape of the pitcher and bowl that the innkeeper had brought him earlier. Sliding gracefully from his blankets each foot touched the floor without a sound. Oh yes, he was feeling much better.

He found the table lamp first to lend some light. There weren't any glasses for some reason but...It wasn't proper of course but he was so thirsty. He picked up the large pitcher and took a drink from the side, avoiding the duck bill shaped lip. The cool liquid was such a releif to his hot, dry mouth. He took several swallows before taking a breath.

"Oops." Rune set the pitcher down, noticing that a light stream of water had drizzled from his chin and down his neck making a transparent patch on his large white night shirt. "Oh my. I guess I got carried away." the golden haired dragon found a white towel on the table next to the bowl. He padded the towel to his shirt but it didn't seem to make too much of a difference.

The water dragon knight pursed his lips. It'll just have to evaporate on its own. In the mean time, Rune filled the bowl half full with the remaining contents of the plain looking pitcher. He cupped some of that clear water in his hands and gave his face a refreshing splash. Ah! That's so much better.

*Tick*

"Huh?" Rune was leaning over the bason, letting the excess water fall. He opened a blue eye to see what might be the cause. "Was it my imagination? Huh." He splashed his face again.

*Tick*

"What was that?" The golden haired dragon lifted his head. to look more carefully. "Nothing?" He looked back to the water and decided to experiment. He splashed his face.

*Tick*

"Huh?" Splash. He waited this time. "Huh?" The blue eyed dragon grabbed the towel and dried his face. "This is just silly. It's probably nothing."

*Tick*

Now that the water splash wasn't interferring, Rune was certain that sound came from the window. The water dragon knight put the towel down and went to the window.

*Tick*

He blinked in surprise. A pebble? Is some one trying to get my attention? The former elf drew the curtains fully to get a good look outside. The light reflecting the room like a ghost image against the glass, obscured his vision. Rune squinted, noticing some movement in the street below but...He opened the window to the night breeze, salty and cool.

"Hey!" came a hushed but urgent voice.

"Who's there?" It was dark, but he could tell the figure was short and there was someone else there too.

"It's me." he waved his small arms. "From yesterday?"

"Yesterday?"

"She doesn't remember see, I told you. Let's get out of here before we get in trouble." another voice came as the figure next to the first started tugging on the other.

"Don't be a wuss. She remembers. My mom says when you fall in love you can't forget so there."

"Well, my mom says if I'm not in bed before dark, I get a whoopin."

"Shut up. She doesn't care about that."

"No, you shut up."

"You wanna make me?"

"Why you."

"Grrr." sounds of a scuffle rose to the window, reminding Rune of that morning. Those three boys. The bald one was, Quinne wasn't it? They called the little one Pips, I think...What was the third one's name? The middle one, the pushy one...

"Please stop. I remeber you." Rune begged them to stop this seemingly endless cycle of violence.

"Really?" The pushy one turned to the window, pulling his shirt out of Quinnie's hands.

"Yes." the water dragon knight nodded.

"See." He told the taller boy.

"I knew it, she's the best." Quinnie clasped his hands together and nodded.

"You knew what?" the middle kid rapped the kid's bald head with a knuckle.

"What do you boys want?" True, Rune had just awoke, but he planned on leaving early tomorrow, so...

"We need your help." the pushy kid asked suddenly.

"My help?" blue eyes blinked as he leaned over the window sill. "What can I do?"

"It's Corca, he's gone. We can't find him anywhere."

"Shouldn't you contact the authorities for that?"

"We told them, but they don't believe us."

"Does he always run off like this for days?"

"Well...sometimes."

"Then maybe he'll be back soon. Try not to worry okay? Good night." The former elf turned away from the window.

"Wait!" that pushy kid was really serious, why? "I thought you were in love with him aren't you even worried."

"Uh!" Rune whipped back to the assuming boy, blushing horribly. Not because he felt anything special for that leather skinned moron, but because he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. "I'm not in love with anyone!" He defended himself in harsh but quiet tones. It was early morning after all. To raise your voice would be completely inconsiderate to any neighbors.

"Denial, that's like they're already engaged or something."

"Yeah," Quinnie raised a finger, "that's what you're mom told me." he nodded for emphasis.

"I'm not denying anything."

"So you admit it." That pushy kid again!

"There's nothing to admit or deny because I don't love that guy and I don't care if he's disappeared." Maybe that was a lie, the golden haired dragon was a knight of the relm after all. All of Lykouleon's subjects were under his protection. "Wasn't he looking for his girlfriend? Maybe they eloped." That would explain it. "Happily ever after, end of story, good night!" The former elf shut the window. Can't beleive such mischivous little...

*Tick*

"Not again." the blue eyed dragon sighed.

*Tick*

"Persistant." He turn the lamp down, till the wick goes out. "There, that should discourage them."

*tick*

"Mm." They've got to give up some time. The golden haired dragon flopped in his bed. For a few minutes Rune was cringing, waiting for the next rock, but there was no sound. The former elf relaxed, letting out a grateful breath.

*Tick*

"Grr." The former elf rolled over, covering his head with the sheets.

*Tick*

"Augh."

*Tick*

Blue eyes shot open. He jumped up, threw some clothes on and marched down the stairs of the Dancing Krill. There they were. The pushy kid was still throwing rocks and the tall one, Quinnie, was begrudgadly looking for more.

"Hey." The bald kid called to the other when he finally noticed Rune standing at the door. Rune caught them by surprise with his perfected technique of 'object silence' his own pet name for being able to manipulate objects such as a door, with out making a sound.

"Leave me alone. I've got to pay attention. She's got to come back sooner or later."

"But." Quinnie nudged the shorter boy.

"I said quit it."

"Just why do you think it's so important?" The blue eyed dragon spoke up. "You said he disappears sometimes, didn't you?"

"Oh, you're here." the pushy kid blinked, surprised.

"Didn't you?" Rune insisted on an answer to his previous question.

"No." the boy looked quite serious.

"No." The golden haired knight's tone was a sarcastic challenge.

"He goes fishing for days or traveling or something like that." the boy glanced to the side, then balled his fists and took a step forward. "But not this time! Right now, right now he looking for some one who's lost. Zell, she hasn't been seen for over a week or two. No one's even sure because barely anyone cares. But they should care." the little one tightened his jaw.

"Zell?" Blue eyes narrowed, remembering the boy taking about her yesterday too.

"Yeah sure, she's caused a lot of trouble for people, but...but she's never let me down if I needed something. She just did what she thought was right. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know this Zell person," the blue eyed dragon crouched to met the boy at eye level, "but she's important to you isn't she?" The boy blushed then nodded, hesitantly.

"Pips told us you'd help." Quinnie smiled a goofy grin.

"Oh, the other boy from yesterday." Rune was reminded.

"Yeah! He said, 'She's so pretty she's gotta be nice. She'll help.' He said." The bald kid was simply glowing with admiration for the former elf.

"Uh, Thank you." He cleared his throat, blushing a bit for the whole guy-girl misunderstanding. How to explain, "but...I'm really not..."

"Yeah she knows she gorgeous." The pushy one grabbed the water dragon knight's hand and started dragging him along. "Let's go."

"Wait a minute, I didn't say I was going to..." Rune was being swept up in this little drama some how.

"Do we have to go now?" Quinnie complained.

"Why not?" The pushy child kept walking with the blue eyed knight in tow.

"That makes three people who've disappeared up there in the last month, you're not scared?" Quinnie begged for his friend to be reasonable.

"Three people?" Rune asked. He knew about the girl Zell and the second was probably Corca, but the third...

"It's not so bad." the pushy kid insisted.

"Are you kidding?" The bald kid rubbed his head with frustration. "That first guy was some Knight or something from Draqueen on a secret mission from Lord liecodon himself."

"That's Lord Lykouleon." the water dragon knight corrected. "And are talking about a tall man with short white hair, but still young and wears glasses sometimes."

"Yeah." Quinnie blinked with surprise.

"No way!" The pushy kid, wouldn't let go of Rune's slim hand as they made their way out of town. "I heard he had black hair and it only looked white because he puts too much mousse in it, so it reflects the sun light, blinding his enemies from..."

"Nu-uh!" Quinnie argued, running up to the shorter kid's side. "He had white hair and pink eyes like my Koro-chan."

"Koro-chan?" Rune's nose wrinkled, they must be taking about an albino animal.

"Not! He's got yellow eyes." the shorter child corrected. "Oh! You know why," he looked over his shoulder to specifically tell Rune the juicy details of the rumor. "I heard a scorned lover blinded him with boiling hot gold from the engagement ring he never gave her."

"Oh man." Quinnie started sweating, "That's terrible."

"Ku," Rune tried to stifle the chuckle, he even put a fist over his lips, but it wasn't working. "Ha ha ha ha ha." These children were regular gossips and the silly things people will make up just to make conversation. It's proposterous.

"What's she laughing at?" Quinnie asked the shorter child.

"Who know's," they whispered to each other, "girls are just weird like that."

"Right." The bald kid slapped his fist on his open palm as if he just stumbled over the obvious.