Wild-Roze: Okay then, thanks GreatLight, you really helped, I can't promise my grammar is going to get any better, lol, but I will try, and I am loving your fic btw. Okies, well here we go!
Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia Legends, I only own this plot.
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It may have been midnight, but then it may have been among the earliest hours of the morning, in Soltis, it was impossible to tell, even the rare glimpses of the sky showed nothing but dark, hulking clouds, completely blocking out the soft, radiant light of the Silver Moon. Either way, it was at this time that Aika was awoken as someone was shoved into her room, she sat up, swiftly smearing the traces of sleep from her eyes.
"Marco!" She moaned in horror.
The boy's shirt hung in pathetic, ragged strips from his shoulders, his red cheeks were stained with his salty tears, and his strength looked utterly depleted. He didn't even make it to the tiny cot which served as his bed, and Aika had to catch him before he fell. She drew back as she heard him hiss in agony, her hand brushing against the enflamed area of his brand.
The girl winced, he was too young....
She went to get a damp cloth from the tiny excuse for a washroom, hosting nothing but a hole in the ground, and a trough filled with distinctly murky water which they were expected to wash in. She returned with the rough, thin piece of cotton.
"This is going to hurt, are you ready?" She asked gently.
Marco gritted his teeth, and bobbed his head once as a sign of acknowledgement. The air whistled through his jaws as the cool item was placed on his searing scar, and a sob of pain racked his small body. For several minuets Aika tended to his wound, but, once she felt she had done all she could she came and sat before him.
"What have they made you do?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"Nothing too bad, I had to oil and grease the armour of the Valuans, it wouldn't have been so bad if they had allowed me a break every now and then, but they kept me at it solidly, I've been working for about sixteen hours. All of the slaves have been worked to the bone, I hate to think of those poor souls who were taken to the mines, Enrique was among them..."
Aika lowered her eyes in shame. Ramirez seemed to delight in torturing her like this. She had done nothing all day, merely sat at his feet, watching. How she longed to feel the pain that the others were going through, the pain that she deserved, the pain that should be her punishment, her punishment for failing them.
Aika sighed, she had to get out, she had to be free. She decided to take a walk, so leaving Marco, she drifted out of the room, and proceeded to wander aimlessly, not knowing or caring where she was going. Oblivious to the pair of eyes which followed her every step.
After what couldn't have been short of an hour of wandering, she felt a faint gust of air, hurrying towards the source, she felt excitement brew in her chest at the thought of seeing the outside world again. Soon her desires were met, she opened a door and stepped out onto what was clearly a public balcony. She held her breath, just in case this was some beautiful, delicate dream and afraid that should she breath it would crumble and fade.
She stood looking out from the tower of Soltis, above her the dark clouds seemed to have thinned a little, the Emperor must be in a good mood, and the Silver moon could be glimpsed above. Its subtle and gentle light lit up the white marble of which Soltis was constructed, making it glow with a cool light, a gentle wind was blowing from the South, bringing the scents of Ixa Taka on the winds.
Aika leaned her wrists on the edge of her perch, and looked down at the gut wrenching drop below her. Just one little jump.....perhaps it wouldn't even hurt.... And it would all be over for her, no more suffering under the rule of the Silvite Lord, no more living in fear that the next breath taken could be the last.....just one quick leap.
But her hopes were dashed, she had to stay alive. To take her own life was the easy way out..... no, she needed to survive, she was a fighter, and she had to fight; for Marco, for Enrique, for Gilder, Lawrence, Clara, Belle and all the others. She wanted to give Ramirez no pleasure in the knowledge that he had defeated her so easily.
She scowled, her eyebrows arching downwards sharply, no, she would live on, and she would get through this nightmare.
Her features softened, despite his evil ways.....perhaps there was still hope for Ramirez. He was a victim here too, he had fallen under the wing of Galcian when he was just a young boy, his mind had been twisted and corrupted to such great lengths that he believed what he was doing was truly good. If only she could find a way to get through to him, to penetrate his wickedness to the soul within, if it even still existed.
Sighing, she turned to leave, only for her exit to be bared by the person she had just been thinking of.
"Ramirez!" She said, more surprised than afraid.
He smirked, stepping forwards, placing his hands on the balcony ledge either side of her.
"You try my patience, Little One, you should address me as Master!" He hissed.
Aika glared at him, it was all very well thinking that she would try and reach out to the heart that she hoped still lurked behind his ribs, but at that precise moment, her body was tingling with fear, that, and their exceedingly close proximity. Aprehension of what he might do to her shook her nerves to their foundations. Ramirez seemed to see this, and his smirk broadened, he stepped closer, so her body was flushed against his.
Aika squared her shoulders, determination flooded her, she would not show him her weakness.
"And you try mine, my name is Aika, not Little One." She said back, her voice sounding far more confident than she was.
"I will call you what I want." He said quietly, "you belong to me, and so, if I choose to, I will call you Little One and you will be grateful for my acknowledgement."
Ramirez was intoxicated with this female, it angered every fibre of his being that she dared to protest against him in the blatant manner in which she did, but at the same time, the challenge of bending her to his will excited him. He was the hunter, and she was his prey, the deadly chase had already begun, and he refused to loose to her, she would humble herself before him, sooner or later. He chuckled as he realised he was hoping it to be the latter, the longer this game was played, the more amusement he would gain from it. He needed a distraction from leading his troops and giving out orders, and she was it.
"I will be grateful for nothing!" His attention snapped back to the red haired woman before him, and was satisfied with the anger he saw blazing in her dark purple depths. "You have brought me nothing but pain! You killed the one man I could have spent my life with, destroyed everything I have ever known and crushed my hopes for a better world! You, Ramirez, have earned nothing but my contempt, and my pity!" She spat, fury oozing from every pore in her smooth skin.
Pity?" Ramirez laughed, finding the use of the word absurd, seemingly indifferent to her angry words.
"Yes, pity," She said, her voice suddenly dropping to a gentle, almost sympathetic tone, surprising him, "you could have been so much more."
"More? More than the ruler and overlord of Arcadia? Name a higher position and I will believe you." He said, daring her to try.
She looked at him, and there was no hesitation in what she said.
"You could have been yourself, not some pathetic puppet moulded to the hand of a cruel man who cared nothing for this world, or for you." She said victoriously.
The green eyes suddenly narrowed.
"I do not need your pity, for it is wrongly given," He said, one gloved hand reaching up, and running down her cheek, before resting on her neck, fingers curling firmly around the slim column. He didn't press, but she could not have escaped if she had tried, "This is me, to the core, I love this power I hold, and that power is Zelos. With him I could decimate this entire planet in seconds, I hold back because I enjoy watching people die slowly."
He smirked as she winced at his words, and leaned forwards til their noses almost touched.
"You are a fool to believe differently." He said, and with that, pressed his lips to hers.
Aika was so taken aback, that she couldn't fight, but what surprised her the most, was, that the kiss was so gentle. She felt his tongue caress hers for just a moment, before he pulled away from her.
Aika opened her eyes when she realised they had been closed, her body now cold against the night air from the lack of his touch, she glanced around, but, the powerful young Lord was gone.
She let out a long, shuddering breath, and her knees gave way. She leant her back against the coldness of the balcony edge, and allowed suppressed tears to spill silently from her eyes. Why did he do that? What were his motives for keeping her alive? What was he trying to do to her?
There were so many questions, crowding her mind, making her want to scream, but who to ask them to? If she were to ask Ramirez, he would merely laugh at her and tell her some riddle of words which would confuse her further. Perhaps in the end she would go mad, that possibility started to look like a sweet release to her. To be tipped over the edge of ones own sanity, to plunge into an ever-deepening pool of nothingness, and the freedom of not worrying or caring anymore. Maybe that would be the easiest way out, her blissful smile turned to a frown, but also it would be a cowardly route, as would taking her own life.
If she was to die, then she wanted Ramirez to remember her, perhaps with a hint of pride at her fighting spirit. She was unsure why, but she wanted to remain in the memory of that evil creature, for she was sure her life would end before his. Evil creature....... It was strange how one so dark and cruel could commit an action filled with a gentleness that had left her breathless.
She suddenly felt like she wanted to vomit, and struggled to hold down the rising bile in her throat. What had happened? How could someone's life go from roaming the skies with little concerns aside from the occasional Black Pirate, to this? The slave of an Emperor who enjoyed the sight of blood.
She swiftly dashed away her tears, she wouldn't cry any more. She stood, and cast another glance out over the midnight view of Arcadia. She reached up and loosened her hair, allowing the silky locks, usually held away from her face in pig tails, to fall around her shoulders, caught by the breeze and whipping gently around her face. She took a deep breath, before turning, deciding it was time to make her way back to her 'room'.
Ramirez watched her from the shadows, his emerald eyes watching, almost with fascination as the wetness built up in her eyes, finally spilling down her creamy cheeks. What a proud creature she was. He knew how afraid she had been at his close proximity, and he had been impressed beyond measure at her ability to conceal it, only the smallest shiver of fear had given her away.
For some reason, when he had seen her release her stunning mane of hair, he had felt the strong urge to feel it slide through his fingers and take in its scent. However, he resisted, but couldn't help taking in some of the air as she passed. She smelt soft and delicate, it reminded him of Sandalwood. He smirked, it was quite misleading, her fire and energy was far stronger than the gentle aroma around her.
He smirked, his mood always seemed to be lighter after one of their verbal spars, his eyes travelled up to the now almost clear sky. Suddenly he frowned, what was he allowing this girl to do to him? He growled, the clouds seeping back, blocking out all the light, covering the land in darkness once again.
!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!: !:!:!:!:
Wild-Roze: Okies, well I know it is short, but hey....hmmm, so Ramirez kissed her.....but... hmm, he isn't exactly acting smitten with love is he? Mebe he's just playing with her...hmm, anyway review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia Legends, I only own this plot.
!:!:!::!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:
It may have been midnight, but then it may have been among the earliest hours of the morning, in Soltis, it was impossible to tell, even the rare glimpses of the sky showed nothing but dark, hulking clouds, completely blocking out the soft, radiant light of the Silver Moon. Either way, it was at this time that Aika was awoken as someone was shoved into her room, she sat up, swiftly smearing the traces of sleep from her eyes.
"Marco!" She moaned in horror.
The boy's shirt hung in pathetic, ragged strips from his shoulders, his red cheeks were stained with his salty tears, and his strength looked utterly depleted. He didn't even make it to the tiny cot which served as his bed, and Aika had to catch him before he fell. She drew back as she heard him hiss in agony, her hand brushing against the enflamed area of his brand.
The girl winced, he was too young....
She went to get a damp cloth from the tiny excuse for a washroom, hosting nothing but a hole in the ground, and a trough filled with distinctly murky water which they were expected to wash in. She returned with the rough, thin piece of cotton.
"This is going to hurt, are you ready?" She asked gently.
Marco gritted his teeth, and bobbed his head once as a sign of acknowledgement. The air whistled through his jaws as the cool item was placed on his searing scar, and a sob of pain racked his small body. For several minuets Aika tended to his wound, but, once she felt she had done all she could she came and sat before him.
"What have they made you do?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"Nothing too bad, I had to oil and grease the armour of the Valuans, it wouldn't have been so bad if they had allowed me a break every now and then, but they kept me at it solidly, I've been working for about sixteen hours. All of the slaves have been worked to the bone, I hate to think of those poor souls who were taken to the mines, Enrique was among them..."
Aika lowered her eyes in shame. Ramirez seemed to delight in torturing her like this. She had done nothing all day, merely sat at his feet, watching. How she longed to feel the pain that the others were going through, the pain that she deserved, the pain that should be her punishment, her punishment for failing them.
Aika sighed, she had to get out, she had to be free. She decided to take a walk, so leaving Marco, she drifted out of the room, and proceeded to wander aimlessly, not knowing or caring where she was going. Oblivious to the pair of eyes which followed her every step.
After what couldn't have been short of an hour of wandering, she felt a faint gust of air, hurrying towards the source, she felt excitement brew in her chest at the thought of seeing the outside world again. Soon her desires were met, she opened a door and stepped out onto what was clearly a public balcony. She held her breath, just in case this was some beautiful, delicate dream and afraid that should she breath it would crumble and fade.
She stood looking out from the tower of Soltis, above her the dark clouds seemed to have thinned a little, the Emperor must be in a good mood, and the Silver moon could be glimpsed above. Its subtle and gentle light lit up the white marble of which Soltis was constructed, making it glow with a cool light, a gentle wind was blowing from the South, bringing the scents of Ixa Taka on the winds.
Aika leaned her wrists on the edge of her perch, and looked down at the gut wrenching drop below her. Just one little jump.....perhaps it wouldn't even hurt.... And it would all be over for her, no more suffering under the rule of the Silvite Lord, no more living in fear that the next breath taken could be the last.....just one quick leap.
But her hopes were dashed, she had to stay alive. To take her own life was the easy way out..... no, she needed to survive, she was a fighter, and she had to fight; for Marco, for Enrique, for Gilder, Lawrence, Clara, Belle and all the others. She wanted to give Ramirez no pleasure in the knowledge that he had defeated her so easily.
She scowled, her eyebrows arching downwards sharply, no, she would live on, and she would get through this nightmare.
Her features softened, despite his evil ways.....perhaps there was still hope for Ramirez. He was a victim here too, he had fallen under the wing of Galcian when he was just a young boy, his mind had been twisted and corrupted to such great lengths that he believed what he was doing was truly good. If only she could find a way to get through to him, to penetrate his wickedness to the soul within, if it even still existed.
Sighing, she turned to leave, only for her exit to be bared by the person she had just been thinking of.
"Ramirez!" She said, more surprised than afraid.
He smirked, stepping forwards, placing his hands on the balcony ledge either side of her.
"You try my patience, Little One, you should address me as Master!" He hissed.
Aika glared at him, it was all very well thinking that she would try and reach out to the heart that she hoped still lurked behind his ribs, but at that precise moment, her body was tingling with fear, that, and their exceedingly close proximity. Aprehension of what he might do to her shook her nerves to their foundations. Ramirez seemed to see this, and his smirk broadened, he stepped closer, so her body was flushed against his.
Aika squared her shoulders, determination flooded her, she would not show him her weakness.
"And you try mine, my name is Aika, not Little One." She said back, her voice sounding far more confident than she was.
"I will call you what I want." He said quietly, "you belong to me, and so, if I choose to, I will call you Little One and you will be grateful for my acknowledgement."
Ramirez was intoxicated with this female, it angered every fibre of his being that she dared to protest against him in the blatant manner in which she did, but at the same time, the challenge of bending her to his will excited him. He was the hunter, and she was his prey, the deadly chase had already begun, and he refused to loose to her, she would humble herself before him, sooner or later. He chuckled as he realised he was hoping it to be the latter, the longer this game was played, the more amusement he would gain from it. He needed a distraction from leading his troops and giving out orders, and she was it.
"I will be grateful for nothing!" His attention snapped back to the red haired woman before him, and was satisfied with the anger he saw blazing in her dark purple depths. "You have brought me nothing but pain! You killed the one man I could have spent my life with, destroyed everything I have ever known and crushed my hopes for a better world! You, Ramirez, have earned nothing but my contempt, and my pity!" She spat, fury oozing from every pore in her smooth skin.
Pity?" Ramirez laughed, finding the use of the word absurd, seemingly indifferent to her angry words.
"Yes, pity," She said, her voice suddenly dropping to a gentle, almost sympathetic tone, surprising him, "you could have been so much more."
"More? More than the ruler and overlord of Arcadia? Name a higher position and I will believe you." He said, daring her to try.
She looked at him, and there was no hesitation in what she said.
"You could have been yourself, not some pathetic puppet moulded to the hand of a cruel man who cared nothing for this world, or for you." She said victoriously.
The green eyes suddenly narrowed.
"I do not need your pity, for it is wrongly given," He said, one gloved hand reaching up, and running down her cheek, before resting on her neck, fingers curling firmly around the slim column. He didn't press, but she could not have escaped if she had tried, "This is me, to the core, I love this power I hold, and that power is Zelos. With him I could decimate this entire planet in seconds, I hold back because I enjoy watching people die slowly."
He smirked as she winced at his words, and leaned forwards til their noses almost touched.
"You are a fool to believe differently." He said, and with that, pressed his lips to hers.
Aika was so taken aback, that she couldn't fight, but what surprised her the most, was, that the kiss was so gentle. She felt his tongue caress hers for just a moment, before he pulled away from her.
Aika opened her eyes when she realised they had been closed, her body now cold against the night air from the lack of his touch, she glanced around, but, the powerful young Lord was gone.
She let out a long, shuddering breath, and her knees gave way. She leant her back against the coldness of the balcony edge, and allowed suppressed tears to spill silently from her eyes. Why did he do that? What were his motives for keeping her alive? What was he trying to do to her?
There were so many questions, crowding her mind, making her want to scream, but who to ask them to? If she were to ask Ramirez, he would merely laugh at her and tell her some riddle of words which would confuse her further. Perhaps in the end she would go mad, that possibility started to look like a sweet release to her. To be tipped over the edge of ones own sanity, to plunge into an ever-deepening pool of nothingness, and the freedom of not worrying or caring anymore. Maybe that would be the easiest way out, her blissful smile turned to a frown, but also it would be a cowardly route, as would taking her own life.
If she was to die, then she wanted Ramirez to remember her, perhaps with a hint of pride at her fighting spirit. She was unsure why, but she wanted to remain in the memory of that evil creature, for she was sure her life would end before his. Evil creature....... It was strange how one so dark and cruel could commit an action filled with a gentleness that had left her breathless.
She suddenly felt like she wanted to vomit, and struggled to hold down the rising bile in her throat. What had happened? How could someone's life go from roaming the skies with little concerns aside from the occasional Black Pirate, to this? The slave of an Emperor who enjoyed the sight of blood.
She swiftly dashed away her tears, she wouldn't cry any more. She stood, and cast another glance out over the midnight view of Arcadia. She reached up and loosened her hair, allowing the silky locks, usually held away from her face in pig tails, to fall around her shoulders, caught by the breeze and whipping gently around her face. She took a deep breath, before turning, deciding it was time to make her way back to her 'room'.
Ramirez watched her from the shadows, his emerald eyes watching, almost with fascination as the wetness built up in her eyes, finally spilling down her creamy cheeks. What a proud creature she was. He knew how afraid she had been at his close proximity, and he had been impressed beyond measure at her ability to conceal it, only the smallest shiver of fear had given her away.
For some reason, when he had seen her release her stunning mane of hair, he had felt the strong urge to feel it slide through his fingers and take in its scent. However, he resisted, but couldn't help taking in some of the air as she passed. She smelt soft and delicate, it reminded him of Sandalwood. He smirked, it was quite misleading, her fire and energy was far stronger than the gentle aroma around her.
He smirked, his mood always seemed to be lighter after one of their verbal spars, his eyes travelled up to the now almost clear sky. Suddenly he frowned, what was he allowing this girl to do to him? He growled, the clouds seeping back, blocking out all the light, covering the land in darkness once again.
!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!:!: !:!:!:!:
Wild-Roze: Okies, well I know it is short, but hey....hmmm, so Ramirez kissed her.....but... hmm, he isn't exactly acting smitten with love is he? Mebe he's just playing with her...hmm, anyway review!