Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter III

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Chocolate and Tira played Cat's Cradle with a long loop of silk cord. Not liking the contents of the heavy tome he was carrying, Marron watched them pass the cord back and forth, laughing softly as Tira repeatedly missed the tangled loops.

The girls sat on a bench next to the town fountain, while Marron preferred the cool stone of the fountain rim. Gateau was quarantined with a fever, and Carrot was confined to the house for having neglected two weeks' studies.

"I really wish he'd just do as Big Momma says." Chocolate created a ladder using the silken cord, her fingers nimble. "We'd have a lot more fun if he was here."

"But he's such a slacker," Tira said, trying to transfer the cord-ladder from Chocolate's fingers to her own. "He's not doing us any good goofing off all the time like he does."

"That's why I said I wish he'd do what Big Momma tells him, Tira."

Marron tried to turn his attention back to his book, and frowned. With a sigh, he shut the cracked leather tome and stood. Tira looked up at him, dropping the Cat's Cradle. "What's up, Marron?"

"Yeah," Chocolate said, standing. "You're not nose-deep in your book. What's wrong? It's not because Carrot's being stupid again, is it?"

Marron smiled. "Er, no... I'm just having some troubles with some of the magic I'm researching. It's not really a problem. I just think it might be too advanced for me."

The girls laughed. "Too advanced for you?" Chocolate asked. "That's like saying Gateau can't break a toothpick."

"Yeah, you're the best there is!" Tira agreed. "With you on our team, we're going to be unstoppable sorcerer hunters!"

"I'm really not that great," Marron protested, although he laughed with them. "I really do have a lot more to learn."

"But you will learn, and you'll be the best mage in the world–no sorcerer will be able to stand up against you!" Tira clapped her hands together and Chocolate nodded. Marron could not help but join in their enthusiasm. Facing each other, the three friends did not notice the duo that approached them.

"Why so happy, ladies?"

Marron and the Misu sisters looked up to see two tall young men eying them. One, a close-shaven blond, winked roguishly at Chocolate. Tira eyed them both warily. "Can we... help you?" she asked.

The other young man had brown hair that hung in heavy curls to his shoulders. His blue eyes on Marron were more than warm. "We just wanted to know what had three beautiful visions such as yourselves laughing so gayly this afternoon," he said, his voice deep and rich as he stepped closer to Marron, "...Even when the sky is gray and the air grown chill as winter approaches us."

Marron tried to step back from the oncoming man. "That's, er... very poetic," he offered, stopping as his foot hit the edge of the fountain.

"Get away from us," Chocolate hissed at the close-shaven blond. She wielded the Cat's Cradle cord threateningly as she glared at him. "What do you want?"

The blue-eyed man reached a hand out to rest on Marron's shoulder, who turned quite pale and stared at him in silence. He turned his blue eyes to Tira. "We're just interested in the company of a few lovely ladies, and the musical laughter of you three nymphs called us over," he purred. Tira backed up until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with her sister.

Chocolate snorted. "I don't think you'll find us very nymph-like, mister, and I don't think he would appreciate your offer," she said, nodding towards Marron.

With one eyebrow raised, the blue-eyed man looked over Marron again. "A... boy?" He tilted his head, then winked at his friend. "All the better. He's lovely, Puyo, isn't he?" He turned back to Marron and stepped even closer to the shell-shocked boy. "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful young man," he told him. "What a lovely piece of work you are."

The color came back back to Marron's face in a flood of red. He used the bulk of his magic tome to push the blue-eyed man away from him as he ran quickly to the girls. The close-shaven blond, Puyo, stepped out of the way to avoid catching the brunt of the book as Marron raced forward.

"Er, nice meeting you," Marron mumbled, grabbing Tira's arm with his free hand as he passed by. "Come on, Tira, Chocolate... I think we should be getting home."

"Yeah, definitely," Chocolate pushed Tira ahead of her as she ran to keep up with Marron. The young mage looked back over his shoulder, to see the brown-haired, blue-eyed man watching them go.

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Marron fidgeted.

That was how Carrot knew something was wrong.

As his younger brother tapped his foot and chewed on the end of his pen, Carrot gave up with a sigh. "What's wrong, bro?" he asked. From where he sat on the floor, he pushed his books aside and lay on his back. "I can't concentrate on these stupid books with you fidgeting like that all the time."

"...Sorry," Marron offered. He stopped tapping his foot. "I just can't concentrate."

There was silence for a few moments, and Carrot yawned, considering the possibilities of sneaking a nap while Marron was distracted. Then the tapping started again. "Dude! You've been doing this for two weeks now! What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," the younger Glaice brother answered immediately. "I just... need some air, I guess. I really just can't concentrate." He stood up, consciously brushing nonexistant dust from his robes. "I'll just be in the garden."

Carrot watched him walk out through the garden. He looked at the piles of books near his brother's desk, then at his own assigned text. He stuck his tongue out at his book and stood with a sigh to follow his brother.

He found Marron leaning against a tree, looking out into the snow-covered forest. "Come on, bro," he said wearily. "You know I'll keep bugging you until you tell me what's really bugging you. Make it quick so we can go inside. It's cold out here."

"You don't have to ask, you know," his younger brother replied, not looking at him. "I know you don't like dealing with problems."

"Pshh." Carrot waved his hand as if shooing away his comment. "I'm your brother and I'm here for you and that's what matters."

"That's... good to know."

"Aw... just talk to me, bro, okay?" Carrot rubbed his hands on his arms. "At least come inside."

With a sigh, Marron walked back inside, Carrot close behind him, shutting the door as soon as they were in the house.

"Whew," Carrot said, flexing his cold hands. "I don't understand how you can stand it, unless you're wearing long-johns under that dress of yours." He laughed. "Come on, just tell me what's bothering you. Is it a..." he paused for dramatic effect, "...Girl?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Marron blushed. "N-no."

Carrot shrugged. "So what else could be so important that you're all depressed about it, huh? If you're not going to get that worked up over a girl, what else are you going to get worked up over? Come on, bro, come on, just tell me."

"I..."

The two brothers stood in silence for a moment. Marron looked at the floor, while Carrot watched his brother, waiting for him to go on.

"I... think something is wrong with me, brother."

"So do I," Carrot laughed. "You'd rather sit around all day with your nose in a book than do anything else! But seriously, keep going. That's a start. What d'you think's wrong with you?"

Marron swallowed, his eyes tracing the shadows on the floor. "You... really mean it?"

"...What?"

"That... we're brothers, and that's all that matters, right?"

"Dude, if you've got the hots for Chocolate or Tira, it's not a problem, honestly."

"I don't like girls, brother."

"Yeah, I don't like them either. I mean, I like them, but not the way Chocolate thinks. They're more like sisters, if you know what I mean. I'd rather have some sweet young honey who thinks of me as the handsome stranger that just rode into tow–"

"I don't like girls at all, brother."

Carrot blinked at his younger brother. "...At all? ...Chocolate and Tira...?"

Marron swallowed hard, blinking his eyes fast, as if holding back tears. "They're good friends, brother, but... I don't like girls. You... you and Gateau like them... You find them attractive, but I..." His voice trailed off.

"...Don't." Carrot finished for him. Marron shook his head, and Carrot thought for a moment. "...Guys?" he asked.

His younger brother nearly choked. "I... didn't..." He sat down on the floor and buried his face in his hands. "I didn't realize it. I always had my nose in a book l-like you always say I do. I didn't... I thought I was just too young for girls..."

Carrot kneeled next to his brother and clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, bro... it's okay." When Marron did not respond, he ruffled his brother's hair. "Come on, it's not that bad. Heck, half the time I think I've got a little sister instead of a little brother anyhow."

Marron glared up at him, his eyes red. "I'm not a girl, brother, in case you haven't noticed."

"I know, I know." Carrot held up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying it's not that bad, okay? So you like guys? So what? I think it's a little weird, I mean... what can you see in a guy when you could look at some curvy girl and get all... er, well... I guess you don't, huh?"

Marron shook his head. "It was... it was a man in the park... a few months ago." He sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "He thought I was a girl–I was with Chocolate and Tira at the time. It was when Gateau was sick." He stared at the wall as if it were the man from the park. "It was... the way he looked at me, and the way he talked..."

"No offense, little bro," Carrot cut in, looking slightly green, "But spare me the details. So a guy hit on you and you got hot under the collar. At least now you know. Just don't dress any girlier than you already do, okay? I don't think I could deal with it."

Marron blinked, looking up at his brother. "You're... you're really okay with it?"

Carrot laughed and offered his brother a hand up. "Sure! We're brothers, right?"

"There is... one thing," Marron mumbled. He looked away again, frowning.

"What's up?"

"Could you... could you not mention this to Gateau and the girls? They might not... be okay with it."

Carrot considered his brother. "Well, sure... if that's what you want. I think you've got them wrong, but if you don't want me to, I won't tell them."

Marron turned and finally smiled at his brother. "Thanks. Thank you, brother."

"No problem!" Carrot grinned. "Now go back to studying. You're starting to weird me out."

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