Okay, so this wasn't a regular interval-ed update but close enough. I don't
have enough tine to say much else, other than enjoy and prepare for a
little taste of yaoi.
Disclaimer: I am not fortunate enough to be obscenely wealthy. Therefore I have no way to afford something as pricy as Yu-Gi-Oh! However, if I win the lottery several times over, things may change.
Note: ~!~ means a change in either perspective (I focus in on one character explicitly) or a change in scene. I think it's fairly easy to tell, but if not just let me know.
~~~
---
For Hire
---
~~~
Autumn Forest was filled with eerie squeals. A hapless wanderer had chanced upon the nest of a Scywren- a demon of the air with a shriek capable of leaving men completely deaf. He had managed to pierce its throat with an arrow, rendering its voice useless, but still had to deal with other defenses. With a cocky grin, he sidestepped a swipe of razor sharp claws that could have taken his head cleanly off his body.
"I don't see why demons are so feared." He ducked and jogged backwards just out of range. Pausing for a moment, he regarded the creature before him.
Covered in dusky yellow and orange scales, the Scywren blended in neatly with the surrounding foliage of the forest. It had four arms, each with a flap of skin that would allow it to glide when airborne. On the ground, it used these flaps for balance while attacking with jagged talons, each claw the size of a man's forearm. Its head was long and sleek. If even the smallest portion of its scream was projected from the teeth-lined mouth, loss of hearing would occur. It was rumored that a Scywren, when screaming loud enough, could even cause death with its voice. For now, with an arrow through its throat, it was reduced to moans and gurgles- hardly deadly and only slightly distracting.
He sighed, removing a slender longbow from its place on his back. He also drew a sleek black arrow from a quiver. The Scywren charged with a bellowing groan. Taking careful aim at where he thought the demon's heart lay the arrow was released. It sliced through the air with the smallest of whistles and penetrated. The fiend crumpled forward as the shaft passed cleanly through, ripping free on the other side. Thick gummy red blood oozed from the wound. The carcass landed with a resounding thump and lay motionless. The archer shook his head as he retrieved the arrow, wiping it clean on a bush and returning it to his quiver. "The fourth one today. What could be causing so much activity? The forest has never been this active." A rustling brought his attention from his thoughts to the present. He whirled to face whatever was approaching, arrow in hand instantly, bow ready.
A small impish male forced his way through the brush. When his beady eyes caught sight of the weapon trained on his movements, he held up a hand. "Hold. I am a friend, a friend." The fellow tugged at his dark olive green cape that had gotten stuck in the bushes. The archer relaxed his stance but remained ready.
"Who are you?"
"I am Jihad, a merchant. I was passing through and got lost. I heard the commotion and came seeking help. Please, I don't know my way out of this strange forest." The impish creature fell to his knees.
Scoffing the archer fixed his bow to his back and approached the Scywren. He used a small dagger to start hacking at one of the jagged claws, ignoring the blood that stained his fingers.
"Sir, please, what is your name?"
A grunt and then, "Yami." He continued hewing at the nail. After a few minutes of constant sawing and cutting, Yami pushed his weight onto it at an angle. It snapped off with a sickening crunch. He shifted the weight in his arms and began walking along a concealed footpath. Without a backward glance at his visitor Yami said, "If you require assistance in leaving the Autumn Forest, follow me."
"Thank you, sir."
Something about the elfin being's mannerisms bothered Yami. He wasn't human, that much he was certain of. The tiny eyes, small stature, it just didn't seem human. However Yami was bound by his Order to assist visitors to the forest in any way he could. But that didn't mean he had to be warm and friendly. They walked in silence for nearly an hour, pausing only when Jihad caught his clothing in branches or tripped over roots. Finally the woods thinned and four structures came into view. Built of wood from the trees of the Autumn Forest, the complex seemed to blend in with its surroundings. A red and golden yellow banner, the same colors as Yami's cloak and tunic, hung loosely over the entrance to the most prominent structure. Emblazoned in one corner, was an emblem representing fire.
"Wait here." Yami left the small one at the edge of this clearing and headed toward the door with the banner above it. He knocked twice, waited, and then kicked the door twice more. It was opened a crack then fully as his identity was confirmed. The door shut behind him once he was inside. Yami dropped the Scywren claw on a small wooden table that sat in the center of the room. Several seated men, similarly dressed, made small noises of appreciation. Yami also removed a few scales, some hair and a quill that he had liberated from other demonic entities. These too joined the claw on the table.
"Quite impressive Yami. Did you have much trouble getting these items?"
Yami shook his head. "They found me more than I uncovered them. The forest is unusually full of life, or living dead. It worried me." One of the seated men nodded his head in sympathy. "I also bring a traveler who claims to be lost and requires assistance. However I-" Before he could finish his sentence, an alarm was raised outside. Panicked shouting soon followed. All present in the room quickly stood and raced outside. What they saw would remain in their minds for as long as they lived.
The corpse of the impish man Yami had brought with him laid on the ground completely motionless. A jagged tear ran the length of his back. From this wound, thousands upon thousands of tiny black insects poured forth. They were swarming everywhere. The stench of rotten flesh hung about like a foul fog. Yami fought hard not to retch and instead swallowed thickly.
"Yami, you fool, you brought a Carrion Host to our headquarters!" Yami was shoved roughly but paid it no attention. His heart sank as he realized the mistake he had made. Carrion Hosts were a semi-symbiotic organism conceived when a dead body is infested with parasites capable of restoring movement, speech, even some thoughts in the dead flesh. Some swarms even used living hosts- planting eggs and waiting for them to hatch. When the insects found a more suitable source of nourishment, they abandoned their host in a torrent of black death. Such a thing was happening before Yami's eyes this very moment.
"Evacuate! Quickly, leave the area!" Shouts rained from every direction as the members of the Firechild Guild sought to preserve their Order. Men and women, overtaken by the waves of tiny bugs, rolled on the ground screaming in agony. Their screams just opened another passageway into their bodies.
"Damn! Damn damn damn!" Yami cursed under his breath as he too fled the small community that had been his home for the past five years. There was a fwoosh and he turned back to see everything engulfed in flames. At least, he thought, the fire was a fitting way to destroy their command center. And maybe it would take out those detestable insects with it. Soon he was far from the site and catching his breath along with most of the others who had managed to flee. He sought out the man with the highest rank with the purpose of expressing his apologies. His words never left his mind.
"So you're the one responsible for all of this. Yami, correct?" The archer nodded. "You made a stupid judgment error. So it is my duty to revoke your place in the Firechild Guild. You are no longer permitted to see the inner workings of this forest, or learn the ways of flame omens. As an act of gratitude toward your services in the past, you may retain your gear and any token you may have gathered from this place. You may also continue to use what you've learned, but are forbidden from teaching it to others." The man shook his head. "What a waste... but policy is policy." Yami was too stunned to move for a few minutes. He was banned? For one relatively small error? Turning his back on his former comrades Yami began to leave Autumn Forest. Times must be changing, he mused. Something was at work he didn't fully understand. First the increased appearance of demons, then a near undead attack, and now this.
It took two days for Yami to exit his home of five years. He had made a brief stop at an outpost to collect some of his remaining gear. Along with the red and yellow tunic and cloak he wore, his black arrows, bow and quiver, he had taken some powders and items sacred to his Order. If he was permitted to practice the skills he had learned, he was certainly going to. He spared a quick passing gaze at a sign before choosing a direction and heading down that road. Yami decided he needed to find work. He had very little gold and would need more to support himself. The path he had chosen claimed to lead to the city of Harmenothep. It was said to be a bustling center of activity and seemed as good a place as any to search for purpose.
~!~
Near the back of the Shandolynn Tavern, a widely popular drinking establishment in the city of Harmenothep, sat a tall brunette. He was dressed in shades of black and grey, every fiber shouting of its expensive origins. In one hand rested a half full stone mug of flat ale. His eyes, a cool sapphire, swept over the other occupants of the pub. Everyone ignored him, knowing better than to strike up conversation or even to pay attention to his presence. Strange occurrences seemed to follow him wherever he went.
"Oi! Blondie! Git out of the way!" There was a loud crash from the direction of the bar and then a round of laughter. The brunette turned to watch the spectacle. A blonde youth had run into a waitress knocking her and the empty glasses she had been carrying to the floor. The blonde was now apologizing and helping to pick up the pieces of glass. Once finished, he sheepishly wandered to where the brunette was seated and offered a cheesy grin. Blue met amber in a gaze that conveyed more than words could. The blonde proceeded to sit in the brunette's lap and sighed.
"It's not my fault she was so clumsy... Or that you want me to appear human." He pouted. "Why can't I, for once, be the one accepting apologies instead of giving them Seto?"
"Because, Jou, they'd try to take you away from me." Seto set his mug down on a small table and wrapped his arms around the form in his lap. Jounouchi, Jou for short, wasn't the clumsy human he pretended to be. He was, in fact, a sprite from the mountains in the South. Seto himself wasn't exactly ordinary. His role was that of a spirit cleric- one who could see into the all but invisible world of spirits and communicate with them. He also had a knack for finding undead and demons, so he had become a freelance hunter of non-human creatures. During a job in the southern peaks he had encountered the rambunctious Jounouchi and his life changed forever.
"It wouldn't work. I'd kill them all before I let that happen. Or my bind to you would prevent it." Jounouchi, at the time, had been the problem Seto was sent to solve. In a twist of fate, Jou ended up saving the brunette's life and to return the favor, Seto hadn't killed him. Instead, he bound Jou to himself as a sort of servant. Their subsequent journeys and adventures had eventually led to a startling conclusion. They were in love.
"Hmm." Seto rested his chin on Jou's shoulder and went over what he had been thinking of earlier again. A wealthy noble had recently requested Seto's particular services but with a new requirement. He wanted the demon Seto would be hunting to be brought to him alive, said it was a personal vendetta he wanted to carry out himself. The profile of the demon, a rogue with a human-like form and very pale skin, spoke of dangerous abilities but did not pinpoint them. It made the hunter uneasy not knowing fully what he would be tracking. So, as an extra precaution, Seto had tacked up signs in the city requesting someone with skills suitable for such a mission. Already he had met and rejected ten men and three women. None of them truly comprehended what it was like to hunt demons or any other unnatural creature of chaos.
"You're thinking about our current assignment again aren't you?" Seto nodded slightly in response. "Quit it." Jou swiveled enough to place a chaste kiss on the taller youth's cheek. "It'll only make you grouchy."
"I don't get grouchy," Seto growled.
"Sure you don't." Jou grinned and then laughed. He swiped the half full mug and drained it of its contents in one gulp. "So, how much longer are you going to search for a suitable candidate?"
"As long as it takes."
"The guy who hired you won't like that if it takes too long."
"He'll just have to deal with it if he wants me to go along with his scheme." Seto always made sure that his employers knew that they had to let him work on his own schedule instead of theirs. Things take time, and if they wanted it done right, they wouldn't set pesky things such as deadlines. Those could lead to complications.
Jou nodded thoughtfully. A rather loud chorus of drunken laughter pierced through the normal atmospheric chatter and belching. Jou wrinkled his nose in disgust. He never understood why they came to this place when there were so many other more respectable establishments. The door to the Shandolynn Tavern opened and in spilled another wave of brutish men looking to get drunk. However, trailing behind this mob was a loner- someone with wildly spiky hair and wearing red and gold, uncommon colors in this area. He was clutching a sheet of parchment that seemed ready to fall apart. Instantly alert Jou nudged Seto from his thoughts and pointed, for he recognized the parchment to be one of their posters tacked up throughout the city. Seto took a moment to orient before nodding. Jou stood, stretched, and ambled toward this newcomer. He was met with an unfamiliar mixture of smells- flint, smoke and damp earth. After verifying that whoever he was, this youth was looking for them, Jou tapped him on the shoulder.
"Follow me." He turned and weaved his way back to the corner table Seto was waiting at. "If you're looking for the infamous Spirit Cleric, you've found him." Jou made a flourishing gesture and then disappeared back into the growing crowd to let them talk business.
"You must be Seto Kaiba then." Yami slid into the vacant seat across from Seto. He placed the advertisement on the tabletop and smoothed it out. Seto made no indication of having heard or even seeing his visitor. "This says you need a hired hand to help you hunt 'a denizen of the deepest black pit imaginable.' That's a bit much for description isn't it?"
"When you've been doing what I have for most of your life, you can argue. Otherwise shut up about details and tell me what you want."
Yami stifled the urge to smack Seto for his rudeness. It took a lot of will power not to get up and leave at that very moment. "I'm offering my services to your little pursuit." Seto raised an eyebrow in question.
"Do you have any experience?"
"Plenty." Yami removed a few tokens of evidence from a belt he wore around his waist. He noticed how odd it felt to be without his bow and quiver, which usually would bump his elbow when he made such a motion. But, attempting to be inconspicuous, Yami had left his main weapon in the small inn room he was currently renting. Seto studied the various things Yami had produced; claws, fur, bones and other such curios.
"Do you know the dangers associated with hunting their kind?" Seto asked, already knowing the answer.
Yami snorted with contempt. If he had managed to kill the owners to the proof Seto had just seen, how could he not know? Seto seemed satisfied and signaled curtly with his left hand. The blonde who had shown him to this nook reappeared from almost nowhere. Yami nodded a greeting which was returned.
"This is Jounouchi, my companion."
"Nice to see Seto has finally picked someone 'worthy' enough to do a little tracking."
"I'm Yami." With introductions complete, Seto rose from his chair and began to walk toward the exit. The other two followed closely behind. One of the bar patrons, however, decided he didn't like Yami's fashion sense. So he picked up one of the many chairs and tossed it. It missed its target and instead struck Jou squarely between the shoulders causing him to fall to the floor with a yelp. This, in turn, made Seto stop and level an icy glare at the one who threw the offending object. Silence rapidly fell.
"I suggest you apologize. Immediately."
"Haw, yeah right. That little punk probably had it comin'." Seto's eyes narrowed. Jounouchi stood, still slightly stunned by the surprise, and hauled Yami a fair distance away.
"Best we get out of the way."
"Why?"
"You'll soon see."
By now a crude circle of other half drunk and tipsy men had formed around Seto and his opponent. There were a few hushed whispers but otherwise relative silence. It was the idiot who made the first move. Grabbing another stool, he hefted it across what little space lay between them. Seto knocked it away with one arm. He then stood stiffly, eyes glazing over. This didn't make any sense to the other man who stared stupidly. A chill blew through the room even though the door remained firmly shut.
"What is he-"
"Yami you're about to see a spirit cleric in action."
Without any warning, the offending man flew backward through the air. He hit the wall hard and slid to the ground. He didn't get up. A few others witnessing this happening, friends of the brute, decided they didn't like the way Seto was treating their pal. Three fists aimed at the brunette flew through the air. Each of which was stopped short by some unseen force. Then, one by one, each of these men was flung haphazardly in a different direction. No one else moved. Seto calmly blinked and surveyed the damage. He then beckoned to Yami and Jou and calmly left the building with then in tow. The news of what had happened would spread fast.
No one in Harmenothep would ever bother Seto, Jounouchi or Yami for a long time to come.
~~~
Yay, chapter two all done ^_^ I hope you enjoyed it. I'll get around to chapter three soon, I promise! Review and let me know what you think! Pairings completely revealed at the end of the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I am not fortunate enough to be obscenely wealthy. Therefore I have no way to afford something as pricy as Yu-Gi-Oh! However, if I win the lottery several times over, things may change.
Note: ~!~ means a change in either perspective (I focus in on one character explicitly) or a change in scene. I think it's fairly easy to tell, but if not just let me know.
~~~
---
For Hire
---
~~~
Autumn Forest was filled with eerie squeals. A hapless wanderer had chanced upon the nest of a Scywren- a demon of the air with a shriek capable of leaving men completely deaf. He had managed to pierce its throat with an arrow, rendering its voice useless, but still had to deal with other defenses. With a cocky grin, he sidestepped a swipe of razor sharp claws that could have taken his head cleanly off his body.
"I don't see why demons are so feared." He ducked and jogged backwards just out of range. Pausing for a moment, he regarded the creature before him.
Covered in dusky yellow and orange scales, the Scywren blended in neatly with the surrounding foliage of the forest. It had four arms, each with a flap of skin that would allow it to glide when airborne. On the ground, it used these flaps for balance while attacking with jagged talons, each claw the size of a man's forearm. Its head was long and sleek. If even the smallest portion of its scream was projected from the teeth-lined mouth, loss of hearing would occur. It was rumored that a Scywren, when screaming loud enough, could even cause death with its voice. For now, with an arrow through its throat, it was reduced to moans and gurgles- hardly deadly and only slightly distracting.
He sighed, removing a slender longbow from its place on his back. He also drew a sleek black arrow from a quiver. The Scywren charged with a bellowing groan. Taking careful aim at where he thought the demon's heart lay the arrow was released. It sliced through the air with the smallest of whistles and penetrated. The fiend crumpled forward as the shaft passed cleanly through, ripping free on the other side. Thick gummy red blood oozed from the wound. The carcass landed with a resounding thump and lay motionless. The archer shook his head as he retrieved the arrow, wiping it clean on a bush and returning it to his quiver. "The fourth one today. What could be causing so much activity? The forest has never been this active." A rustling brought his attention from his thoughts to the present. He whirled to face whatever was approaching, arrow in hand instantly, bow ready.
A small impish male forced his way through the brush. When his beady eyes caught sight of the weapon trained on his movements, he held up a hand. "Hold. I am a friend, a friend." The fellow tugged at his dark olive green cape that had gotten stuck in the bushes. The archer relaxed his stance but remained ready.
"Who are you?"
"I am Jihad, a merchant. I was passing through and got lost. I heard the commotion and came seeking help. Please, I don't know my way out of this strange forest." The impish creature fell to his knees.
Scoffing the archer fixed his bow to his back and approached the Scywren. He used a small dagger to start hacking at one of the jagged claws, ignoring the blood that stained his fingers.
"Sir, please, what is your name?"
A grunt and then, "Yami." He continued hewing at the nail. After a few minutes of constant sawing and cutting, Yami pushed his weight onto it at an angle. It snapped off with a sickening crunch. He shifted the weight in his arms and began walking along a concealed footpath. Without a backward glance at his visitor Yami said, "If you require assistance in leaving the Autumn Forest, follow me."
"Thank you, sir."
Something about the elfin being's mannerisms bothered Yami. He wasn't human, that much he was certain of. The tiny eyes, small stature, it just didn't seem human. However Yami was bound by his Order to assist visitors to the forest in any way he could. But that didn't mean he had to be warm and friendly. They walked in silence for nearly an hour, pausing only when Jihad caught his clothing in branches or tripped over roots. Finally the woods thinned and four structures came into view. Built of wood from the trees of the Autumn Forest, the complex seemed to blend in with its surroundings. A red and golden yellow banner, the same colors as Yami's cloak and tunic, hung loosely over the entrance to the most prominent structure. Emblazoned in one corner, was an emblem representing fire.
"Wait here." Yami left the small one at the edge of this clearing and headed toward the door with the banner above it. He knocked twice, waited, and then kicked the door twice more. It was opened a crack then fully as his identity was confirmed. The door shut behind him once he was inside. Yami dropped the Scywren claw on a small wooden table that sat in the center of the room. Several seated men, similarly dressed, made small noises of appreciation. Yami also removed a few scales, some hair and a quill that he had liberated from other demonic entities. These too joined the claw on the table.
"Quite impressive Yami. Did you have much trouble getting these items?"
Yami shook his head. "They found me more than I uncovered them. The forest is unusually full of life, or living dead. It worried me." One of the seated men nodded his head in sympathy. "I also bring a traveler who claims to be lost and requires assistance. However I-" Before he could finish his sentence, an alarm was raised outside. Panicked shouting soon followed. All present in the room quickly stood and raced outside. What they saw would remain in their minds for as long as they lived.
The corpse of the impish man Yami had brought with him laid on the ground completely motionless. A jagged tear ran the length of his back. From this wound, thousands upon thousands of tiny black insects poured forth. They were swarming everywhere. The stench of rotten flesh hung about like a foul fog. Yami fought hard not to retch and instead swallowed thickly.
"Yami, you fool, you brought a Carrion Host to our headquarters!" Yami was shoved roughly but paid it no attention. His heart sank as he realized the mistake he had made. Carrion Hosts were a semi-symbiotic organism conceived when a dead body is infested with parasites capable of restoring movement, speech, even some thoughts in the dead flesh. Some swarms even used living hosts- planting eggs and waiting for them to hatch. When the insects found a more suitable source of nourishment, they abandoned their host in a torrent of black death. Such a thing was happening before Yami's eyes this very moment.
"Evacuate! Quickly, leave the area!" Shouts rained from every direction as the members of the Firechild Guild sought to preserve their Order. Men and women, overtaken by the waves of tiny bugs, rolled on the ground screaming in agony. Their screams just opened another passageway into their bodies.
"Damn! Damn damn damn!" Yami cursed under his breath as he too fled the small community that had been his home for the past five years. There was a fwoosh and he turned back to see everything engulfed in flames. At least, he thought, the fire was a fitting way to destroy their command center. And maybe it would take out those detestable insects with it. Soon he was far from the site and catching his breath along with most of the others who had managed to flee. He sought out the man with the highest rank with the purpose of expressing his apologies. His words never left his mind.
"So you're the one responsible for all of this. Yami, correct?" The archer nodded. "You made a stupid judgment error. So it is my duty to revoke your place in the Firechild Guild. You are no longer permitted to see the inner workings of this forest, or learn the ways of flame omens. As an act of gratitude toward your services in the past, you may retain your gear and any token you may have gathered from this place. You may also continue to use what you've learned, but are forbidden from teaching it to others." The man shook his head. "What a waste... but policy is policy." Yami was too stunned to move for a few minutes. He was banned? For one relatively small error? Turning his back on his former comrades Yami began to leave Autumn Forest. Times must be changing, he mused. Something was at work he didn't fully understand. First the increased appearance of demons, then a near undead attack, and now this.
It took two days for Yami to exit his home of five years. He had made a brief stop at an outpost to collect some of his remaining gear. Along with the red and yellow tunic and cloak he wore, his black arrows, bow and quiver, he had taken some powders and items sacred to his Order. If he was permitted to practice the skills he had learned, he was certainly going to. He spared a quick passing gaze at a sign before choosing a direction and heading down that road. Yami decided he needed to find work. He had very little gold and would need more to support himself. The path he had chosen claimed to lead to the city of Harmenothep. It was said to be a bustling center of activity and seemed as good a place as any to search for purpose.
~!~
Near the back of the Shandolynn Tavern, a widely popular drinking establishment in the city of Harmenothep, sat a tall brunette. He was dressed in shades of black and grey, every fiber shouting of its expensive origins. In one hand rested a half full stone mug of flat ale. His eyes, a cool sapphire, swept over the other occupants of the pub. Everyone ignored him, knowing better than to strike up conversation or even to pay attention to his presence. Strange occurrences seemed to follow him wherever he went.
"Oi! Blondie! Git out of the way!" There was a loud crash from the direction of the bar and then a round of laughter. The brunette turned to watch the spectacle. A blonde youth had run into a waitress knocking her and the empty glasses she had been carrying to the floor. The blonde was now apologizing and helping to pick up the pieces of glass. Once finished, he sheepishly wandered to where the brunette was seated and offered a cheesy grin. Blue met amber in a gaze that conveyed more than words could. The blonde proceeded to sit in the brunette's lap and sighed.
"It's not my fault she was so clumsy... Or that you want me to appear human." He pouted. "Why can't I, for once, be the one accepting apologies instead of giving them Seto?"
"Because, Jou, they'd try to take you away from me." Seto set his mug down on a small table and wrapped his arms around the form in his lap. Jounouchi, Jou for short, wasn't the clumsy human he pretended to be. He was, in fact, a sprite from the mountains in the South. Seto himself wasn't exactly ordinary. His role was that of a spirit cleric- one who could see into the all but invisible world of spirits and communicate with them. He also had a knack for finding undead and demons, so he had become a freelance hunter of non-human creatures. During a job in the southern peaks he had encountered the rambunctious Jounouchi and his life changed forever.
"It wouldn't work. I'd kill them all before I let that happen. Or my bind to you would prevent it." Jounouchi, at the time, had been the problem Seto was sent to solve. In a twist of fate, Jou ended up saving the brunette's life and to return the favor, Seto hadn't killed him. Instead, he bound Jou to himself as a sort of servant. Their subsequent journeys and adventures had eventually led to a startling conclusion. They were in love.
"Hmm." Seto rested his chin on Jou's shoulder and went over what he had been thinking of earlier again. A wealthy noble had recently requested Seto's particular services but with a new requirement. He wanted the demon Seto would be hunting to be brought to him alive, said it was a personal vendetta he wanted to carry out himself. The profile of the demon, a rogue with a human-like form and very pale skin, spoke of dangerous abilities but did not pinpoint them. It made the hunter uneasy not knowing fully what he would be tracking. So, as an extra precaution, Seto had tacked up signs in the city requesting someone with skills suitable for such a mission. Already he had met and rejected ten men and three women. None of them truly comprehended what it was like to hunt demons or any other unnatural creature of chaos.
"You're thinking about our current assignment again aren't you?" Seto nodded slightly in response. "Quit it." Jou swiveled enough to place a chaste kiss on the taller youth's cheek. "It'll only make you grouchy."
"I don't get grouchy," Seto growled.
"Sure you don't." Jou grinned and then laughed. He swiped the half full mug and drained it of its contents in one gulp. "So, how much longer are you going to search for a suitable candidate?"
"As long as it takes."
"The guy who hired you won't like that if it takes too long."
"He'll just have to deal with it if he wants me to go along with his scheme." Seto always made sure that his employers knew that they had to let him work on his own schedule instead of theirs. Things take time, and if they wanted it done right, they wouldn't set pesky things such as deadlines. Those could lead to complications.
Jou nodded thoughtfully. A rather loud chorus of drunken laughter pierced through the normal atmospheric chatter and belching. Jou wrinkled his nose in disgust. He never understood why they came to this place when there were so many other more respectable establishments. The door to the Shandolynn Tavern opened and in spilled another wave of brutish men looking to get drunk. However, trailing behind this mob was a loner- someone with wildly spiky hair and wearing red and gold, uncommon colors in this area. He was clutching a sheet of parchment that seemed ready to fall apart. Instantly alert Jou nudged Seto from his thoughts and pointed, for he recognized the parchment to be one of their posters tacked up throughout the city. Seto took a moment to orient before nodding. Jou stood, stretched, and ambled toward this newcomer. He was met with an unfamiliar mixture of smells- flint, smoke and damp earth. After verifying that whoever he was, this youth was looking for them, Jou tapped him on the shoulder.
"Follow me." He turned and weaved his way back to the corner table Seto was waiting at. "If you're looking for the infamous Spirit Cleric, you've found him." Jou made a flourishing gesture and then disappeared back into the growing crowd to let them talk business.
"You must be Seto Kaiba then." Yami slid into the vacant seat across from Seto. He placed the advertisement on the tabletop and smoothed it out. Seto made no indication of having heard or even seeing his visitor. "This says you need a hired hand to help you hunt 'a denizen of the deepest black pit imaginable.' That's a bit much for description isn't it?"
"When you've been doing what I have for most of your life, you can argue. Otherwise shut up about details and tell me what you want."
Yami stifled the urge to smack Seto for his rudeness. It took a lot of will power not to get up and leave at that very moment. "I'm offering my services to your little pursuit." Seto raised an eyebrow in question.
"Do you have any experience?"
"Plenty." Yami removed a few tokens of evidence from a belt he wore around his waist. He noticed how odd it felt to be without his bow and quiver, which usually would bump his elbow when he made such a motion. But, attempting to be inconspicuous, Yami had left his main weapon in the small inn room he was currently renting. Seto studied the various things Yami had produced; claws, fur, bones and other such curios.
"Do you know the dangers associated with hunting their kind?" Seto asked, already knowing the answer.
Yami snorted with contempt. If he had managed to kill the owners to the proof Seto had just seen, how could he not know? Seto seemed satisfied and signaled curtly with his left hand. The blonde who had shown him to this nook reappeared from almost nowhere. Yami nodded a greeting which was returned.
"This is Jounouchi, my companion."
"Nice to see Seto has finally picked someone 'worthy' enough to do a little tracking."
"I'm Yami." With introductions complete, Seto rose from his chair and began to walk toward the exit. The other two followed closely behind. One of the bar patrons, however, decided he didn't like Yami's fashion sense. So he picked up one of the many chairs and tossed it. It missed its target and instead struck Jou squarely between the shoulders causing him to fall to the floor with a yelp. This, in turn, made Seto stop and level an icy glare at the one who threw the offending object. Silence rapidly fell.
"I suggest you apologize. Immediately."
"Haw, yeah right. That little punk probably had it comin'." Seto's eyes narrowed. Jounouchi stood, still slightly stunned by the surprise, and hauled Yami a fair distance away.
"Best we get out of the way."
"Why?"
"You'll soon see."
By now a crude circle of other half drunk and tipsy men had formed around Seto and his opponent. There were a few hushed whispers but otherwise relative silence. It was the idiot who made the first move. Grabbing another stool, he hefted it across what little space lay between them. Seto knocked it away with one arm. He then stood stiffly, eyes glazing over. This didn't make any sense to the other man who stared stupidly. A chill blew through the room even though the door remained firmly shut.
"What is he-"
"Yami you're about to see a spirit cleric in action."
Without any warning, the offending man flew backward through the air. He hit the wall hard and slid to the ground. He didn't get up. A few others witnessing this happening, friends of the brute, decided they didn't like the way Seto was treating their pal. Three fists aimed at the brunette flew through the air. Each of which was stopped short by some unseen force. Then, one by one, each of these men was flung haphazardly in a different direction. No one else moved. Seto calmly blinked and surveyed the damage. He then beckoned to Yami and Jou and calmly left the building with then in tow. The news of what had happened would spread fast.
No one in Harmenothep would ever bother Seto, Jounouchi or Yami for a long time to come.
~~~
Yay, chapter two all done ^_^ I hope you enjoyed it. I'll get around to chapter three soon, I promise! Review and let me know what you think! Pairings completely revealed at the end of the next chapter!