Hey there! Thanks for the reviews! Sorry it took us so long to update school made us really busy and we have to confer ideas. But don't worry school is already over and it's summer time! Oh yeah!
Disclaimer: We don't own ragnarok…
Title: So Deal with It!
Chapter3: Horrible
Author: Kafra343
Guild: The Coven
Guild Master: Galen- priest
Members:
Lance- Knight
Cliff- Assassin
Rae- Sage
Chris- Hunter
Fai- Rogue
Safira- Monk
Fleigh- Priestess
Kelly- Huntress
Keith- Blacksmith
Shaneen- Dancer
Galen provided the warp portal for them. They've decide to warp in Mt. Mjolnir since Galen's party will train there. Cliff's party will travel from Mt. Mjolinir to Aldebaran.
"Hurry up Safira or the portal will close already!" Fleigh shouted. Safira came bounding down the stairs ear muffs in hand.
"Coming, coming!" She said.
Fleigh went inside the portal as soon as Safira was beside her. Safira followed right behind her, before Galen went inside himself closing the portal.
The guild was already waiting when Safira came out. The hunter was sitting underneath a tree fingering a romantic leaf. The assassin was sitting right beside him. Fai was on the other side of the hunter leaning against the tree, his boy's cap put into an angle to hide his eyes.
Safira noticed that the Blacksmith was putting distance between himself and Fai.
'Did he really think that Fai is a gay?' Safira frowned. 'Well I guess this is my entire fault.'
"Hey Safira, let's go!" Fleigh grabbed her hand. She had on a cherry smile. She was obviously happy.
'How could she when my world is falling down?' Safira thought. Fleigh unknowingly answered her question.
"I'm so glad that idiot isn't bothering me now" She grinned.
Safira only nodded not saying anything.
"Okay everyone party up now" Galen said.
Everyone got up. Safira went towards the tree where the hunter, the assassin and Fai were. Fleigh followed her and so did the huntress. Galen's party was already formed and so was their own party.
"Well see each other at the end of the month" The priest said.
"Okay" The hunter answered.
Fleigh watched Safira eyeing Fai cautiously. She could see Safira was gripping the ear muffs really hard.
"Hey!" Fleigh elbowed her. Safira flinched.
"Why are you holding those earmuffs as though your whole life depends on it? Aldebaran is still a day away. "Fleigh said.
"Uh…nothing, nothing" Safira mumbled. She didn't let go of the earmuffs. Fleigh just shrugged at this.
They started walking towards their destination. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Hunter raise the romantic leaf to his lips. Safira cringed and continued to eye Fai. A calming melody engulfed the party. Fleigh couldn't understand why Safira look so guarded as if a monster would pounce on her any second.
At the first move of Fai's lips, Safira surprised everyone by screaming her lungs out and hastily putting on the earmuffs.
"Where's the monster?" the huntress asked her bow and arrow were already in position. Everyone stopped a look of alarm on their faces. After a while Fai frowned at her while the hunter tried to suppress a grin.
"False alarm" Fleigh muttered, for Safira immediately calmed down once the head gear was on. Now she merely raised her eyebrow when they looked at her.
'Geez! I didn't know that this guild drives people nuts' The Priestess thought.
Soon enough Fleigh realized it wasn't a false alarm at all. For the next instant when everybody was calmed down Fai began to sing and it was so terrible that Fleigh would like to bury her head beneath the ground. Fleigh glanced enviously at the unaffected Safira.
"Tell everybody I'm on my—"
"Shut up!" Fleigh screamed.
"And I'm loving every step of it." Fai continued as if he didn't hear Fleigh.
Fai's singing was so horrible that vulture's were now encircling directly above him thinking he was dying.
"I'm coming—"
"Lex Divina!" Fleigh screamed.
Immediately Fai's voice went out much to everyone's relief. But unfortunately Fleigh hasn't really practiced the silencing spell so the silence lasted for seconds.
"Tell evre—"
"Lex Divina!"
"I'm on my—"
"Lex Divina!"
"And I'm lov—"
"Lex Divina!"
And this went on and on until the Priestess was already panting and had used up all her SP.
"I'm so tired already!" Fleigh moaned. The sun was already setting and Aldebaran is still out of sight. So far to their luck no monsters had attacked them on their way. But if there were the party would've easily killed them as they were second jobs.
"Why don't we camp here the sun is already setting and it would be dangerous traveling at night." The Hunter suggested.
"That would be wise" Safira agreed taking off the earmuffs now that Fai had already stopped singing. She figured he was only annoying the Priestess. He usually sing every time they are in a journey that's why she prepared her earmuffs. But he also shuts up when they camp down. Perhaps to rest after a tiring day. The Hunter and Assassin knew about this quiet well as of they were part of the original guild members of 'The Coven'.
"Aren't we going to build fire?" Fleigh asked as the party settled down.
"I'm sorry Fleigh but we can't. If we do we'll attract unwanted attention." The hunter said.
"Aggressive Argos are dominant in this area so as to Argiope and you don't want them crawling towards you." Kelly the huntress added.
Fleigh shivered at the thought of those hairy Argos and enormous Argiopes. Upon impulse she hugged tight the arm of the person beside her and snuggled close.
"Eherm! I knew you two were hiding something from me!" Fleigh heard Safira's teasing voice.
Fliegh's eyes widened! The arm she was hugging was muscular and undoubtedly belonged to a man not Safira's.
'Oh no! Please don't let it be that frustrated singer Rogue!' Fleigh prayed as she slowly looked up to see who she was gripping.
Alas her prayer wasn't heard for she meet the frowning unkind blue eyes of the Rogue. Fleigh immediately let go of his arm and scrambled away from him.
"As I've told you earlier I haven't lost my sanity yet Safira. I wouldn't dream of having a relationship with this cranky old hag!" The Rogue leered at the Priestess.
"I wouldn't dream of having a relationship with you either! There are far more suitable and eligible men in Rune Midgard with unquestionable sexuality!" The Priestess glared at the Rogue, her cheeks flaming with anger.
The Rogue's eyes darkened. Safira's smirk vanished and everyone grew silent. Fleigh knew she had struck a nerve and a very delicate one at that. Fleigh's heart thumped hard. She should feel self-satisfied for hitting his arrogant pride but instead she can't summon the will to be smug.
'Uh-oh! Stupid me! Now what! It was his fault anyway he called me a crabby old hag!'
"Humpf! I suppose you mean those dandy men like the assassin Ken? I bet you want them yapping at your heels saying words of love 'I love you even though you look like an old hag!'" The Rogue sneered.
"Excuse me!" The Priestess glowered.
Any sympathy or something close to that feeling Fleigh had at that moment for the Rogue vanished.
The huntress burst out laughing and so did the Blacksmith. Chris only smiled while the assassin didn't move at all. Safira only heaved a sigh of relief. She was so afraid that, that issue would grow and any chance of things going back to normal between Fai and her will be lost.
"Who was that Ken guy anyway Safira?" Kelly asked still slightly breathless from laughing.
"Don't ask!" Safira said edgily.
At that instant, there was a rustling in the bushes which startled the guild.
"Who's there?" The huntress said eyeing the bush cautiously.
No reply.
She let go of an arrow straight into the bush. The bush stirred but there was still no sign of anyone.
"Maybe it's an Argiope?" Fleigh mumbled.
"What are you waiting for cast a ruwach?" The blacksmith said.
"Ruwach!" A shining blue orb encircled the caster. She crept closer to the bush and revealing Safira's worst nightmare. Before they knew it, a blood curdling scream pierced through the night.
"You again? Maybe I owe that kick between the legs?" Fleigh hit him squarely in the back of his head. Hard.
Safira ran to Fai's sidde, trembling. This scene startled Ken.
"Safira, don't go near that… poor excuse of a man. He could infect you with his gay virus."
Safira could almost see the heat rising from Fai's head, his hands were clenched into balls of fists. The veins in his temples were throbbing.
"Poor excuse of a guy huh?" Fai spat. "Look who's cowering over a harmless female!"
"Oh I wouldn't say she's harmless" Safira muttered.
Indeed Fleigh could be a handful when she's angry.
"And what kind of assassin gets hit between the legs?" Fai sneered. "You don't see Cliff being hit by a woman do you?" Fai added. "Honestly, I don't know why Safira is so scared of you" he said looking down at Safira, then putting his arm around her waist "When you are obviously a loser" he said looking the assassin straight in the eyes and not in a homosexual way mind you!
Ken glared at Fai. "Get your hands off her!" he shouted.
Fai only smirked and tightened his hand around Safira's waist.
"Watch your hands rogue!" Ken said enraged.
"Oh? Watch this!" Fai caught Safira's chin between his thumb and index finger. He lowered his lips to hers.
"Don't! Don't you dare" Ken shouted and frantically tried to stop Fai but it was too late Fai already kissed Safira in front of them all. They were all so stunned no one moved after the kiss.
"No!" Both Fleigh and Ken screamed.
"You fool!" Ken said angrily.
Fai was surprised to find tears running down the assassin's cheeks.
"So now you're crying" he smirked. "Well looks like you're one poor excuse of a guy"
"You don't understand! Safira was able to drink a love potion and she will fall in love with the guy who'll kiss her first!" He said tearfully.
"What!" Chris gasped.
No this can't be true! Safira… will she be forever be lost to me? The hunter thought. He was in love with the monk for years and now she was totally out of his grasp or was she?
"You fool! That was why Safira avoided Ken, that's why she wanted to speak with me privately that day in your room!" Fleigh raged at Fai.
Am I really in love with Fai? But I don't feel anything different at ll. The alchemist did tell me that the potion will wear off if I wasn't kissed inside a certain span of time. Was the span of time over? The monk looked up confused at Fai. She touched her fingers to her lips. They were all still arguing about her. Questions were running wildly in her mind that things currently happening didn't register except Fai. So am I in love with him?
Suddenly Fai looked down to her. There was disbelief in his eyes and a bit of amusement.
"So are you in love with me idiot? Or should I call you love now?" He grinned at her.
Nothing's changed at all. A small grin slowly appeared on her lips.
"It's up to you… darling" She said softly changing the usual 'stupid' to 'darling'.
Both of them were the best of friends and the called each other idiot and stupid. But now are they going to be lovers?
Ken gasped outraged. "No! She's falling for him already!"
"Oh my God! Poor Safira" Fleigh shook her head.
"A gay and an almost tomboy" The huntress said amidst the commotion. "What a pair!" She sighed.
"There's no point staying here now" Ken said his shoulders drooping. "I guess I'll have to go" he sobbed.
"Darling, I'm cold" Safira hugged Fai with and impish glint in her eyes.
"Oh love let me keep you warm" Fai said mischievously, hugging her in return.
"Waaaaaaah!" The assassin cried his eyes out.
"Darling make him shut up" Safira said.
"With pleasure!" Fai grinned. With a swift move he sent the assassin flying away into the night with his fist.
"He's gone now honey" Fai returned to Safira's side grinning.
The party was silent. The hunter watched the duo with sadness in his eyes while the huntress as well as the blacksmith regarded them with interest. Fleigh sat at corner glaring at Fai but Cliff the assassin was a total opposite he just sat there not looking at anyone, silent as ever.
Fai finally broke the silence. "Love potion huh? That's the lamest thing I've ever heard." He sniffed. "Tara wouldn't even make such a thing." He said softly as an after thought.
"Who's Tara?" Fleigh asked.
Safira shifted uncomfortably, Fai's eyes darkened, Chris looked away even Cliff seemed not at ease. Kelly the huntress just shrugged while Keith the blacksmith had on a blank face indicating he doesn't know Tara either.
"Tara… is… I mean was a guild member of the Coven." Fai answered gruffly.
"An original Covenian?" Kelly questioned.
"Yes" Safira answered.
"What happened to her?" Keith asked curiously.
"She…umm… died to—"
"She sacrificed herself for the rest of the guild to continue living" Fai cut Chris off with disdain in his voice with a tinge of self loathing.
"What was her job?" Kelly asked.
"An alchemist" Cliff answered to their great surprise. He usually just kept silent in a corner but this subject seemed important to the four original Covenian, Cliff, Chris, Fai and Safira.
"A very skilled one, very skilled indeed…" A hint of smile could be seen in Cliff's lips.
"You liked her?" Kelly asked, a suspicious tinge of jealousy was in her voice.
"She was ok…" Cliff answered.
"Hey I smell jealousy!" Chris grinned trying to keep things light.
"W-what?" The huntress blushed.
"You are?" Cliff turned to the huntress.
His cool sharp blue green eyes held the huntress' green ones. The huntress turned away very red.
"Well in case you are you ought to know that Tara was Fai's girlfriend" Cliff smiled with amusement.
Everyone was silent with this revelation. The huntress, blacksmith and priestess looked shocked while the hunter and monk looked at Fai tensely.
"Do you think of her often?" Safira finally asked Fai.
"Pretty much… " Fai said closing his eyes. "Why? you jealous?" he grinned at Safira opening one eye.
Safira sighed relieved that he was taking things lightly. He was deeply in love with his late girlfriend.
"Yeah" She answered.
Both of them stared at each other for a while then they started laughing to the party's great bafflement.
"Damn! But you're a great kisser Fai!" Safira grinned.
"Did you see his face when he cried!" Fai guffawed pertaining to the assassin.
"Yeah…" Safira snorted.
"No! She's falling for him already!" Fai did a very funny but accurate imitation of the assassin.
The whole party couldn't help but laugh Fai looked so comical.
"What did you do to him anyway Safira? That guy has fallen for you head over heels!" The Rogue asked the monk curiously still grinning.
"Oh I don't know!" Safira frowned. "I'm just glad he's out of sight" She sighed.
"I hope I never see him again" She added after a while.
"Is it that bad pretending with me?" Fai teased.
"Course not! It's not like we've never pretended hell we pretend almost all the time!" Safira smirked.
"Hey I'm not catching what both of you are saying" Fleigh interrupted. "Are you telling us that you two were only pretending and that you're not in love with him Safira?" Fleigh asked.
"Yeah I would like that, cleared up too!" The huntress agreed.
" Well… I don't feel any different" Safira answered.
Silence reigned for a while.
"That could mean two things you know" The Blacksmith finally said. "Either you're already in love with Fai before he kissed you and you just didn't know it or the potion had lost its effect."
There was silence again. Everyone looked thoughtful. Fai and Safira were very close that the first suggestion wasn't unlikely at all.
"Somehow I'd prefer the latter." Safira finally said. "Falling for Fai would be disastrous" She laughed.
"Hey!" Fai frowned pretending to look hurt.
"I didn't mean it that way! It wouldn't be bad falling for you God knows Tara was more than satisfied with you it's just that I like things just the way there are with you without love distorting it."
"Right you are! You're my best buddy and I don't want to loose you." Fai smiled.
The party heaved a relieved sigh! At least all was clear now.
A sparkle could be detected in the hunter's eyes. Relief was obvious in the Priestess' face. The assassin as usual was expressionless while the huntress smiled a little a tinge of blush still remained from the previous eye contact with Cliff. The Blacksmith just shrugged more confused than ever if Fai was really a gay or not.
"So Safira, how did you come to drink the potion anyway?" Fai asked interestedly.
"Well umm… the night we came back to prontera from the coalmines I went to a pub to get a drink and—"
"What you went out drinking without me?" Fai cut her off frowning. "Let me guess Ken found you there and managed to pour the love potion in your drink."
Safira nodded sighing heavily.
"That's what you get for leaving me out" Fai said pouting.
"You mean to say you met Ken in the pub and he fell in love with you right then and there?" Keith asked.
"No. Actually Ken is a childhood friend." Safira answered.
"Oh… were you close?" Kelly asked.
"Not really, Fleigh always manages to keep him away." Safira grinned at the Priestess.
"What?" The Priestess' eyebrows rose when the party eyed her with something in their eyes.
"Exactly how does the old hag keep him away?" Fai snorted.
"Oh that's the most interesting part. Unbelievable as it may seem Fleigh always almost beat him into a pulp." Safira chortled. "Boy hitting between the legs wasn't what he only got from Fleigh!"
"Yeah I can imagine!" Fai said rubbing his nose where the Priestess' bible hit him. "Your friend's really crabby. But to tell you honestly when you said that she manages to keep him away I thought she does it with scaring him with that ugly face of hers." Fai sniggered.
"Say that again and you'll not only get a bleeding nose this time!" Fleigh glared at him.
Fai only smirked at her nonchalantly like he always does. "What? You mean uuugly?" He challenged her.
It all happened very quickly. Fleigh teleported right in front of him her fist aimed at his nose catching Fai by surprise but he managed to get hold of her wrist before her fist get in contact with his nose. Now it was the Priestess' turn to be surprised and before she knew it Fai had sat her down on his lap.
The priestess stared at Fai in stunned disbelief. He was lecturing her now like she was a novice. His words didn't register to her brain.
"Hey are you even listening to me?" Fai snapped his fingers in front of her face.
"W-what?" Fleigh stammered.
"Do you have a problem with your hearing?" Fai's lips twitched.
"If I have it's all thanks to your horrible singing!" The priestess said sarcastically.
"Well I'm sorry I'm no bard" Fai sneered.
"Well you should have realized that before you sang our eardrums down!" Fleigh bit back.
Suddenly a gust of wind run over them and a howling sound echoed.
Fleigh shivered and automatically drew herself to the nearest warmth and that would be Fai since there was no fire. She was dimly aware of his hand encircling her waist or that she was sitting in his lap and that she had snuggled to him.
"Time to rest guys" The hunter said. "We still have a journey ahead of us"
Like a sleeping draught the cold wind put the party to sleep.
A.N. I've got lots of revelation in this chapter, right? If you find things confusing just say it in your review and I'll answer them. I'm sorry again for the late update. Maybe I'll be adding a new character in the next chapter where they'll finally arrive in clock tower. I still have to check to my friend since it's her character I'll be using. I just hope she'll check her e-mail since I don't have any other means of communication with her! What does an original covenian mean or who are they? What is the real story behind the guild 'The Coven'? Want to know? Stay glued for the following chapters of this story. So until next time! Don't miss the next chapter!