A Cat Like Sprite
Sunlight pierced through Kite's closed eyelids, stinging the tender and fragile organs. He flinched slightly and sat up, flexing his stiff joints. There was a dull pain in the back of his head, nothing too serious but there none the less. Crisp autumn sunlight filtered through the medium-sized window, bathing the mahogany furniture in a rich light. He saw his bag, daggers and hat perched upon the small desk. It was silent in the upper story of the inn but he found a single person enjoying a bowl of oatmeal downstairs.
Alicia smiled gently and stood from her seat, still holding onto her spoon. "You're still very pale, maybe you should rest a little longer."
He shook his head and sat down at her table. Kite rubbed his wrist edgily. It looked like there was nothing there but it felt like something was tied to it, like slick metal almost. He examined it for a while then turned back to Alicia. She had returned to her seat, elbows on the table, hands crossed and her chin resting on it. Her bright blue eyes surveyed him with interest, a thin smile on her lips.
"You know, you look surprisingly like Orca when you're deep in thought. You both have the same glazed look about your eyes. But forgive an old woman's rambling." She chuckled lightly and tossed back her hair, which was braided today.
"Alicia, you know that girl I was with?"
She tilted her head slightly. "The tan girl with a bad attitude? Yes, she's rented a room in the Dark Flame for a while. She said something about finding an early-morning sparring partner."
"Well, you answered my first two questions." Kite himself had a small smile on his face. "Do you have a message board around here? Free of imperial bothers?"
Her lips pursed slightly, eyes darkening. "Your information comes at a price, my young friend," she said after a dramatic pause, "Our board has some information, but not enough to go on for a long while." She stood and made her way towards the empty bar. He noted an almost empty mug of brandy on the oak wood countertop, the bottle close by, and wondered if it was she who had been drinking so early.
From under the counter she pulled a long silver chain with a key attached to it. Turning her head in all directions, Alicia made sure nobody was watching except for Kite. This was a little silly, considering they were the only two downstairs. She nodded at Kite and turned towards the staircase. Against the wall near the stairs was a large tapestry, depicting a cityscape of Mac Anu. Alicia brushed aside the tapestry to reveal a wooden door carved into the wall. She turned the key in the lock, pulling the door open.
The room inside was dark, a table and chairs in the middle. There was a wine rack on the ground and the wall to the immediate right of the door was covered in parchment papers and miscellaneous advertisements. Alicia picked up an unlit candle on the table and lit it with a flick of magic and a single word.
Catching Kite's shocked look; she shot him a quizzical glance. "You don't know magic? Not even a single spell?" He shook his head.
"My father thought it was a waste of time, just for show." She pursed her lips again but gave a dark laugh.
"Yes, he would think that. Stupid fool. I do suppose your out for revenge against that thing with the red wand?" Kite nodded, eyes darkening. It was rare to see him vengeful like that.
"Then you need to learn some decent magic skills, but you'll worry about that later, won't you?" She turned to the papers on the wall, eyes bitter and voice quiet. "Most of the stuff here is crap, but you may find something to your liking." She handed him the candle and walked out. "Lock the door when you're done."
Kite glanced at the numerous papers on the wall, riffling through the useless job advertisements and pointless information. A few posts caught his attention and he tore them down to read.
Boards worked in an easy fashion. One person would post an ad he or she wanted and people would scrawl replies, attaching them to the first post. Therefore, they could go on for ages and ages. The majority was job advertisements or mercenary requests, but there were others . . . certain things the empire wouldn't want disclosed to the public eye. Including numerous other comatose cases. There was at least five others scattered across Delta, and a few others from other countries.
Kite felt his temper rise, throat constricted. With more then five unexplained coma cases, the empire should have taken action, least of all the militia. Yet, no action appeared to be done. He scanned the only two that appeared of any interest.
I saw a strange person at the Sea of Sand in the west, when coming here. It was a little girl with long hair, but she didn't look human. She was kind of white – like a ghost and moved without a sound. I could be mistaken, but if anyone sees her, please tell me.
The girl had to be the ghost who had presented Orca the book; it had to be her. The description was too similar.
The Twin Hills are blocked by imperial soldiers. No idea why. Anyone got a clue?
Perhaps that demon was there?
With a sigh, he stood and walked from the room. The information was useful, but not enough to go on for long.
Blackrose was talking to Alicia when he returned in. The two women went silent at the sight of him and Blackrose stood with hands on her hips. Her hair was even more of a mess then before and her eyes were narrowed. It seemed she had been unable to find a sparring partner, considering her body looked well-rested.
"You'd better not think I'm letting you off that quick," she snapped.
He blinked, confused. "Excuse me?"
"I hired you as a mercenary and I'm not letting you quit. You're still my bodyguard."
Kite looked at her in shock. She was kidding, right? Alicia stood, seeing how Kite was about to respond not too nicely.
"Listen, you need help if you really want revenge," she said to Kite, "And if she's half as good with that sword as she is with verbal warfare, then she'll be an excellent companion."
Blackrose narrowed her eyes at Alicia. "You're pissing me off, woman, I was the best swordswoman of my village."
"Right and you," said Alicia, turning to Blackrose with a snappish quality to her melodic voice, "You're still new to the mainland and Kite can help you there."
"I don't need his help," said the islander stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and giving them both a narrow glare. "None the less," said Alicia with a heavy sigh, "Kite, please just accompany her. Keep her out of my inn."
Kite nodded, though he knew long arguments would await the new partnership. Blackrose gave Kite a sharp glare and shifted her weight to one hip. "Very well."
He gave her a small smile out of politeness and the two walked out of the pub. Alicia grabbed her empty oatmeal bowl and went to wash it out.
"Twilight Dragon, claw me. They're going to die one day and it'll be my fault."
Loud talking filled the market place as Kite and Blackrose marched through it. Her quick wit and sharp tongue spelled the end whenever he tried to buy something, and he wasn't eager to steal something in front of so many people. The last thing he wanted right now was a lot of attention from the local military forces.
Aromatic Grass, a strong healing herb and very useful in recovering from poison induced wounds, was what one merchant was selling in large stocks. Midway through a bargain with the man, Kite's partner stepped in. Obviously thinking the plant was to be smoked as a drug, she began to tell the poor man off. Kite had to drag her off before she attracted the attention of the knight brigade in the town.
"Why did you stop me!" she barked, wrenching her arm free of his grip.
"That was a very good healing item, we could have needed it," he hissed.
"Why didn't you tell me? Stupid boy . . ." He sighed, not even trying to argue with her.
Two men, dressed in armor of the Theta country, were leaning near by. One was smoking a pipe that gave a horrible smell from the smoke, probably ground Cordyceps. They were deep in debate about something that caught his attention at once.
"Did you see that group in the alleyway?" said one with a heavy accent that made it hard to understand his words, "The silver haired wizard with the demon?"
Kite turned, listening while pretending to nonchalantly walk by. Blackrose paid little attention, her gaze flickering towards a display of exotic spices and salts.
"Ja," said the other in a similar accent, "Woulda thought she wuz a monster, had she not spoken in human tongue."
"Think we should alert the militia?"
This made the other man chuckled then coughed as he swallowed smoke from his pipe. "Nah, the more trouble for the empire, the happier we countrymen be."
The only alleyway in Mac Anu to fit actual people in it was by the scroll shop. Scrolls, a creation of ancient Wavemasters, contained magical spells for those – like Kite – who could cast no spells on their own. A marvelous creation, though Kite's father looked down upon them as well. The only exception was The Moon charm, considering the effect was very useful during raids.
"Come on," he muttered to Blackrose, nodding towards the scroll shop.
She pursed her lips, clearly not liking to be given orders but didn't voice her opposition to the plan. Pushing through the crowds, the indigo light from the numerous candles and incenses burning there giving the shop away. The air around it was thick and musty; rosemary and lavender present most of all.
The woman behind the counter wore a heavy black dress with a shawl hiding her hair and face, her gentle purple eyes solely visible. She was gripping a long, twisted staff made of polished ebony wood, the end having an amethyst orb that caught the flickering of the candlelight. Her name was partly unknown to the majority of foreigners; many who passed through Mac Anu simply called her Lavender for her eyes and the smell the clung to her body.
She called out to Blackrose, moving closer to the ivory counter of the shop. "Ah, you appear to be far from home," she said in a wheezy voice that suited a woman thrice her age, "Might you look at some of the magical seals I sell? I can tell you are preparing for a long journey, my magic may prove to help you."
This was exactly what Kite needed. Blackrose turned, eyes interested as Lavender – with much elaborate twirling of her hand – pointed out a group of water attack scrolls. Kite slipped by and walked down the alleyway.
"Hey Mia," came a young boy's soft-spoken voice with a native accent, "There's supposed to be a grove of Aromatic Grass outside town, want to check it out?"
A female voice, brisk, clear and with a light, fluid accent not of Deltan origin, answered. "Yeah, sure."
As Kite rounded the corner, he found himself greeted by the two people the Thetain travelers had described.
A young boy, a year or two Kite's junior, was there. He had chin length silver-blue hair, half hidden under a navy blue and black hat. His eyes were a sorrowful looking crimson that glinted like dying fire. His skin was very pale, sea green markings on his cheeks somewhat in the shape of F's. He wore long black robes, hard-soled boots and gauntlets; his right hand grasped around a staff made of ivory. If the boy ever sold it, he could make quite a fortune. Ruby shards were embedded into the ivory, the top most part curving round about an orb a mix of pale blue and green colors. Scrawny in build and sickly looking, one could automatically place him as a Wavemaster.
Although the strongest people in the fields of magic, many Wavemasters were looked down upon for their destructive offensive magic. The extent of their powers was unknown and not many could become one. Most children were tested at a young age for magical ability and, if they were found to be strong enough, they were taken from their families to be trained in the magical arts. The boy here was clearly the student of a very rich master, his staff reflected that at a glance.
His companion was indeed the odd creature the Theatens had mentioned. Dark purple fur covered her body, long cat-like ears atop her head. Decked in form-fitting forest green armor, a short sword's sheath was at her left hip. Cream colored boots hid her feet but not her toes, similar gloves on her hands. A long, whip-like tail twitched about her legs, her eyes narrow and bright yellow with slit pupils. Whiskers were on her cheeks, which had white fur unlike the rest of her body. She was muscular to a degree and had a curvy build, her movements fluid and graceful like a dance. However, it was like she had been strictly trained as her lady-like pace had a certain mechanical quality Kite could not explain.
Her ears twitched for a moment and she turned sharply towards the young thief. Her eerie eyes narrowed and she marched up to him. Her Wavemaster companion blinked. "Uh, Mia?" he asked, confused and hurried after her.
The cat-like creature the boy had dubbed as 'Mia' had made it to the young thief. "You have an interesting bracelet," she declared, grabbing his wrist where the glass-like apparition had appeared. Her eyes were livid with excitement.
"Can you see it?" he asked, shocked. He himself could see nothing on his wrist, it surprised him greatly that she could.
She looked at him directly, a thin smile tracing her mouth and eyes still narrowed. "Yes, you mean you can't see this nice bracelet?" Kite nodded.
"Well, even if you can't see it, knowing its there is the same thing as seeing it, am I correct?"
A surge of . . . something laced through Kite's mussels and he shivered slightly. Her smile widened, almost as though she wanted him to feel that pain, but at the same time it was though she were shocked he could.
"Hey Mia, what are you talking about? I can't see any bracelet," said her companion, looking quizzically at his friend. Mia threw down Kite's arm leaving the dagger-wielding thief looking at her in mild surprise.
"Well thanks again," she said in an almost seductive matter, "For letting me look at your bracelet. I have a feeling we'll meet again."
She walked off. The Wavemaster gave Kite a venomous look before calling after Mia. "Wait, Mia, what about the Aromatic Grass?" He ran off to.
Kite looked down at his wrist. Nothing was there, but it felt as though something tightened around his skin. He gave a shiver again. This was all too eerie for his tastes.
I do not own .hack, Bandai does. I own the gist of this story.
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