Sorcerer Hunters
"Starstone"
Chapter XII
Author's Note: This would be the point at which my story begins to really split from the anime series. It'll only get worse from here... Enjoy!
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"Prick tease, prick tease," Gateau whispered playfully in his ear. "Prick tease, prick tease."
Marron waved his hand at his friend, not really trying to fend him off. "I'm not so sure you're the one who should be saying that." His voice was soft, so the squabbling menagerie-a-trois ahead of them could not hear.
Gateau's calloused fingers tickled his ear. "We had a perfect opportunity..."
"My brother was in danger."
"We didn't know that then!"
"I have a sixth sense."
"Which I'd like to spend about ten hot hours pounding out of your naked body."
Marron blushed faintly. "They'll hear you," he said, nodding at their teammates ahead of them
Gateau shrugged. "Can't be any worse than one of Chocolate's daydreams."
"Or my dear brother's extraordinarily polychromatic metaphores regarding coital relationships," Marron agreed.
"You keep using those big words," Gateau murmured. He let his hand fall from Marron's ear to tuck behind the black sash at the small of his back. "How long do you think it would take me to pound those out of you?" he teased, tugging gently on Marron's sash.
A puff of white smoke saved Marron from having to reply.
"Hi there!" Dota greeted them all with a wave of her hand and a sunny smile.
"Hey, Dota!" Carrot greeted her with a leer. "Got room on cloud nine for two?"
Dota giggled. "Carrot, you're such a pervert!"
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And how's that going to stop me from making heaven real for both of us?"
Chocolate reached a hand back towards her sister, her other hand fisted in anger. "Give me the number five," she demanded. After a moment of searching, Tira handed her a large mallet, which she promptly used to clobber her 'Darling.'
"This is no time for joking," Dota told them, shaking her head. "This is important."
"As important as you not telling us about the gods inside us?" Chocolate huffed. "I'd call that important. Or how about giving us a little warning next time you decide to try to kill one of us?"
"I felt it was necessary." The team of hunters looked up as the vision of Big Momma appeared in front of them. Her face was sad. "I knew the consequences it could have if you learned of your incarnations early on. It is my fault for not informing you, and you are right to blame me. I..." Tears formed in her eyes. "...I told you how hard it was, for me."
"Aw, we understand," Carrot told the goddess. "Heck, we probably wouldn't be sorcerer hunters right now if we'd known back then that we had gods inside us. You're just doing your job, so forget about it--or better yet, just give me that bonus and I'll forget all about it!"
"I know." Big Momma smiled at him, then at the others. "I chose a difficult path for you. I hope that someday you can forgive me."
"That doesn't explain what we need to do about Zaha Torte," Marron said, stepping forward. "Obviously you have been preparing us to defeat him." He looked around at his teammates, then turned to the goddess and spread his arms. "We are at the peak of our training. Our skills will never be better than they are now, Mother. If we are to defeat Zaha Torte, you must tell us how. That is why you followed us, even though we walked out on you... Is it not?"
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Tomorrow.
Years of training to enter battle situations unexpectedly, without warning, roiled in the minds of the five sorcerer hunters as they crouched silently around their campfire. The knowledge that they would be facing their most lethal enemy tomorrow made them brood and plan, uncharacteristically quiet while they waited.
Which was something Carrot could deal with easily.
"You know, we're all probably going to die tomorrow," the elder Glaice brother announced as he stood up. The others glanced up at him, and he looked around the fire at each of them. "But you know what?" His question was met with silence, until he grinned lecherously. "I'm not going to die a virigin, so I'll see you guys later!"
With that, he ran full-speed off into the early dusk.
Chocolate jumped to her feet. "How can he think about trying to find some floozy at a time like this! I don't want to die a virgin, either!" She ran after him.
"I guess that means I should follow them," Tira sighed, standing. "Or they're both going to die virgins, because she'll kill him." And she was gone.
After a few minutes of relatively comfortable silence, Marron spoke up. "Do you think the three of them will finally settle down and do it?"
Gatea snorted in amusement. "Not if Carrot has anything to say about it. Those two?"
"Oh, I don't know..."
Marron scooted closer to his friend, leaning his head on one tanned, muscular arm. When that arm lifted to pull him closer, he wrapped his arms around Gateau's chest.
The minutes of silence stretched. Gateau began to gently twine his fingers through the strands of black hair that fell over them.
Marron pushed himself into a kneeling position, facing Gateau, and pulled his friends towards him. Gateau obliged, smiling. "What's up, Marron?" he asked.
Pressing his face forward, Marron kissed Gateau slowly. He ran his arms behind Gateau's brawny neck, and used that leverage to pull himself fully into his friend's arms. Strong hands wrapped around his waist as Gateau sat back.
Minutes passed before Marron pulled away. His cheeks were pink, matching Gateau's, but his expression was not a happy one.
Gateau sighed and kissed the corner of Marron's frowning mouth. "You're just as worried about tomorrow as the rest of us. That's very... human... of you, Marron."
"But I'm not," was the soft reply. "I'm not really that worried. I think that is what bothers me."
"Why not?"
Marron frowned. "I can not say."
Gateau flexed his fingers around Marron's waist, tickling the young mage and causing him to squirm. "You know something?" he teased. "If you got an 'in' on tomorrow's outcome, I'd love to make a bet with Carrot. The look on his face would be–"
Laughing, Marron shook his head. "It's not like that." He combed his fingers through Gateau's blond hair. "I think it might be because I know it will be tomorrow. And I know it will be a magician's battle." Gateau watched Marron's amber eyes drift from his face to some other, unfocused sight. "I know when it will happen, and I know what will happen. I know what my options are. Why should I be afraid?"
"Don't be," Gateau advised. "Let the rest of us get scared shitless."
"I'm scared for all of you," Marron whispered, still staring into space. "What will become of our team?"
Gateau shrugged and leaned back, pulling Marron with him. He propped his head up on his arm, one hand resting on on his friend's. "I think Carrot and the girls just want to retire... As for me, well, there's always going to be sorcerers to hunt."
"I would die if anything happened to my brother, Gateau."
"I think I'll feel sorry for the poor bastard that hurts your brother," the tall blond laughed. "I've seen you when you get protective of him."
Amber eyes took on a haunted look. "What if... something happens to me?" the young mage asked. "Who would look out for him?"
Gateau sighed and gripped Marron's hand, pulling it toward him and forcing the mage to look at him. "That's why we're a team, Marron. We all take care of each other."
"I am sorry if my melodrama is upsetting you, Gateau."
"Not really."
"You'll watch out for my brother?"
"I'll have to fight Chocolate and Tira for the honor." Gateau grimaced, making Marron laugh, "But I'll protect him as well as I've protected you this last year."
Marron squeezed his friend's hand. "If that's the case, I shouldn't worry at all, because I know I'll live through tomorrow."
"Did you just flatter me?" The brawny blond looked slightly surprised.
Marron continued as if he had not heard Gateau's question. "Now there's just one thing left for me to worry about."
"Worrying is kind of... not normal for you, Marron. Except about your brother."
"I worry all the time, Gateau." Marron raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I just don't show it. I worry about Chocolate and Tira and their feelings. I worry about my brother, and his health, and his safety... and pretty much everything else about him. I worry about you," he said, leaning in to kiss Gateau.
"Uhuh," Gateau hummed, leaning in just as Marron pulled away again.
"I do," said the mage softly. He pulled Gateau's hand to his face and leaned his cheek against it. "I worry about your safety, your opinions..."
Gateau rubbed Marron's cheek with his hand, then slid his palm up, to run his fingers through long, raven hair. "Do you ever worry about yourself?" he asked curiously.
"Oh yes." Marron smiled at Gateau. The light was not so dim yet that the blond could not make out a slight blush on his friend's pale cheeks.
"Er... Marron?"
Reflective amber eyes caught clear ice blue. "I'm terribly afraid," Marron whispered, "That I'm going to die a virgin."
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Chocolate caught up with Carrot after five high-speed chases through town, two dunks in the town's canals, three run-ins with a stripper named 'Boopsie', and an apology to a fishwife whose laundry she had massacred. He was sitting at a small fire a few minutes walk from their campsite, warming his hands as she walked up, panting.
"W-why aren't you at the camp, D-darling?" she asked. She put her hands on her knees and sat down to catch her breath.
"Uh..." Carrot glanced over his shoulder in the direction of their camp. "W-well," he stammered, "I just thought I'd spend some time to myself, y'know..."
A moment after he finished speaking, a deep howl came from the direction of their camp, followed by a screaming call slightly higher in tone. Chocolate jumped up and stepped towards the camp, readying her garrot wire. "What's out there?" she asked, already prepared to fight, "Are Gateau and Marron still there? Are they all right?"
Carrot blushed a very uncharacteristic red, bright enough that Chocolate turned to look at him.
"Er... they're still there," Carrot confirmed, as more yelling came from the camp.
Chocolate stopped dead in her tracks, color flushing into her cheeks. "Was... that... Gateau?" she asked weakly.
"Oh, here you are," came the sound of Tira's voice. Chocolate and Carrot swivelled to see her as she stepped into the firelight. She blinked at them as she pulled her cloak around her. "Why are you guys here instead of at the–"
From the campsite, increasingly loud calls and a yelping moan caught the ears of Carrot and the Misu sisters. Beneath her thick glasses, Tira blushed in the firelight. "Eh... was that Marron?"
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Carrot woke up, groggy, as Tira nudged him. "Whassat?" he mumbled. "If Tortawhatsisisisis here, tell him tah come back–" he yawned, "–later."
"No, Carrot," Tira whispered. "I, er... we think it's okay to go back to the camp now."
The elder Glaice brother opened one eye blearily. "What time is it?"
"Maybe three or four I think."
Listening carefully, Carrot could not hear any sounds coming from the campsite. He stood up, yawning. "Well, let's see if we can get at least a half a night's decent sleep," he groaned.
Chocolate kicked dirt over the embers of their small fire, and they pushed through the forest to their campsite.
The sight they found answered a few of their questions, but still left Carrot and the Misu sisters staring in stunned silence. The central fire was still miraculously burning, although an oddly-shaped spread of ashes and some tattered scraps of fabric that looked suspiciously similar to Marron's over-robes and Gateau's vest littered the dirt around the pit.
The Misu sisters' tent was knocked entirely over, Gateau's black briefs waving like a flag from the listing center pole. They found the majority of the pile of drywood poking out of the flap of the tent the Glaice brothers shared, and a package of jerky that had been upended into a very large pitcher of Gateau's favorite beer. Finally, they noticed a large hole ripped in the side of Gateau's tent, close to the ground. A second look showed that Gateau's foot was poking through it.
"That's kind of impressive," Tira commented, adjusting her glasses as she took in the damage.
Chocolate turned to Carrot, who was slumped over, looking slightly green at the wreckage. "What's wrong, Darling?"
"Yeah," Tira said. "Don't tell me you didn't notice that Marron and Gateau have a thing going?"
"Er, I... uh... kind of figured," was the halfhearted response. He looked ready to cry.
"Darling, you don't disapprove of him and Gateau, do you?" Chocolate asked, as if the very idea were impossible.
The elder Glaice brother shook his head. "How...?" he mumbed. "...Why...?" He grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled. "Aaaugh!"
"Darling!"
"Carrot, what's wrong?" asked Tira, concerned. The Misu sisters rushed to Carrot's side and put their arms around him.
A sudden loud snore came from Gateau's tent, causing the three hunters to turn and look at it. The tent shook for a moment, and there was a sound of rustling bedding as Gateau's foot was pulled inside the tent. There was some incoherant mumbling, followed by, "Uhm humm... I'll also take the book on the History of Mahmahmummughmm... Gateau, can you carry these for me? And two pots of Exelhom ink, pleashhhzzzz..."
"I... I don't know what's worse," Carrot said bleakly. "The fact that we're all probably gonna die tomorrow... Or the fact that my little brother lost his virginity before I did."
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