Hearts' Remedy
Chapter 9
There was a shy knock at Kenji's house. Kenji, had decided to visit his chamber pot at the wrong moment, for when he stepped out of the room hastily to answer the door, Serena had beat him to it. The girl literally bounced out of the house, slamming the door in her papa's stunned face, shouting at the same time, "Bye, Papa! I'll be back before dinner!"
"Take your time, Serena!" She heard her mama call out.
Flushing, Serena grabbed the knocker of her door by the left arm, and pulled him with her. "Why are you so late? Shingo had the decency to be an hour early for Mika. You are so senseless. Do you really want Papa to eat you alive?"
Seiya was staring at her golden head in awe, already too distracted to hear her.
"Seiya! I'm talking to you!"
"What? What did you say?"
Serena stopped in the middle of the road, placing her hands on her hips. With a frown she said, "I was asking why you were so late."
Seiya was looking at her in a strange way, which caused the girl to roll her eyes. "Are you in love?"
Seiya took a huge step backward as he gasped, "Wh-What?"
Serena shook her head in sympathy. "If you're making me accompany you to this Summer Festival, so that you can get closer to a certain someone, I'll be glad to do it. You just have to tell me. I'm sure I can come up with a plan and execute it. I just need you to be a little bolder and speak out. Is it Abigail?"
Seiya blushed, "no, of course not. I'm through with her."
"Through with her? But why?"
"Let's just say, I saw the real her and found out that we are not compatible."
"Then I guess there must be someone else…" Serena murmured thoughtfully.
"Yeah… Someone else," Seiya responded. Serena looked at him in surprise and noticed how he was trying to avoid her eyes.
Suddenly, Seiya wrapped a hand on her elbow and interjected without looking at her, "Come on, Klutz! If you want to get at any free food at all, you better hurry!"
Serena balked and pulled her arm back immediately. With an annoyed 'humph' she crossed her arms in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Seiya said in concern.
"You idiot, if you don't stop calling me that, I won't go anywhere with you."
Seiya moved closer to her, giving her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Serena. It just slips my tongue after using it for so long."
"Well, I rather you not use it."
"I'm sorry, Serena," he said again, with all the sincerity he could muster.
"Is that it? That's all you got? Are you serious?"
"What?" He said. Serena could tell Seiya was utterly confused.
"You usually fight back. I usually expect you to fight back…"
"Fight back?"
"What's wrong with you, Seiya, you sound and look like a lovesick fool?"
A 'lovesick fool?' Was this girl totally oblivious to the anonymous feelings he held for her? It never occurred to Seiya that he had to reveal his true feelings toward her aloud. He was a first timer at wooing girls, not to mention inexperienced with the female mind. It was so much easier with Abigail because she somewhat helped him speak. But clueless Serena did nothing to ease his intentions or thoughts because she had totally no idea that he was bringing her to the Summer Festival because of… Her.
He could not just say that Eros' arrow had pierced his heart when he first laid eyes on Serena. That is because it did not happen that way. Their first meeting caused a spark of dislike from both people. At least that was what Seiya thought she felt for him: dislike. It now dawned upon him that she might even loath him. This was something he could not change, but hopefully overcome. She was free, and the girl never in her life, as far as he knew her, took interest in her own love life. To her, love is nonexistent. That's what makes it so hard for Seiya to confess his feelings. Then again, he knows so little about what she thinks.
"Um… I…I…" Great, he was making a fool out of himself while stuttering and blushing at the same time.
Serena interrupted the awkward moment by shouting. "I'll race you to the free food stands!" With that she raced down the road again.
Seiya stared after her in incredulity. After a few seconds, Serena confused, and annoyed, turned around while running backwards, "What are you doing? I'm going to win at this rate!"
Seiya put on a sly grin and ran after her, his long legs keeping an accelerating pace. Soon he caught up to her…
It was a clear summer night. The stars were shining against the ebony sky. And Serena stood beside Seiya, both of them leaning peacefully against the fence around her house. Serena had given up stealing quick glances at the window, to catch her papa spying on them. It didn't matter, because Serena was too busy hearing the tune of the stars.
"Seiya, do you hear that? The stars sound like bells." She said quietly.
Seiya stared at her pale face in the moonlight.
"So beautiful…" She heard him murmur.
Her eyes were still focused on the stars. She turned to look at Seiya for, she thought, only a moment. But it turned out that Seiya had a way to keep her attention. He slowly bent his head forward. Serena's eyes were as wide as saucers as they stared blankly at his closed eyelids. Before she could duck, she felt the briefest kiss on her cheek. It was short, but time seemed to stop for the kiss to linger. It felt like a butterfly landing on her cheek, but it wasn't. It would have been more comfortable if it were a butterfly and not her worse enemy's lips brushing against her soft, delicate skin.
She refused to understand what it meant, this first kiss, though it was brief. She was afraid of what he would say after all this. Worse, he might from now on, address her as 'Serena' instead of Klutz. As swift as the hare, Serena took a step back. His sapphire eyes were subtle and unnerving. It scared her and she stomped down the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach.
"Good night!" She said so quickly it sounded like a shout. Serena retreated to the safety of her house. She ignored the surprised stares from her parents and brother (who had arrived home a few minutes before Serena), and isolated herself behind the walls of her peaceful room.
Those sapphire eyes, she saw just seconds ago, subtle and unnerving, morphed to pain and regret.
_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:
He would not have gone so far if there were healers for animals where he lived. It was only a two hour journey over the hill! They say the villagers can't see the castle from where they are. They say the Bright One resided there; the Bright One with the power to heal any living creature. They say that you can't look at him when he uses his powers because you would go blind. They say a lot. He hears a lot. But he heard enough, he wanted to see for himself.
A traveler, wearing a white shirt that clung to his back from all the sweat was being blinded by the sun. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up ahead. His horse underneath him, made not a protest from the rough journey up since he took an easier path. It is a hint less steep if one rides around this hill and much more easy riding in a zigzag path. But this would mean he was riding outside the border of the kingdom.
His black hair was slicked with sweat and he wore a pouch about his waist. On his other side he wore his sword. One can tell that on his lap something white slept. The white fur ball was curled up against his stomach, unconcealed by the rider's black slacks. It shivered, causing the rider to frown and reach out to touch its burning head. He sighed in dismay and tried very hard not to lose focused attention on the road.
Behind some bushes, muffled voices could be heard. Too weary from the journey so far, he could not sense the others' presence.
There was a painful whinny, and the traveler felt the body in the beast underneath him slack. He fell from his horse's back with the bundle of whiteness clutched tightly in the circle of his arms. He took one quick glance to the side and saw the shaft of an arrow protruding out of the horse's chest. The blood was dripping out of the wound and collected in a pool. In alarm, the traveler stood up quickly. Frantically his eyes scanned the area. He heard a hoarse laugh and soon a few more others accompanied it. The weary traveler was surrounded. His eyes not leaving the semi circle of men, he settled the white bundle onto the dead horse and touched a hand to the hilt of his sword, the other to the pouch. The men were slowly closing in, with a rhythmic footing.
"Hello down there!" shouted a cheery voice atop a mound. A boy, in brown trousers with a short sleeved white shirt underneath, smiled down at the men. He wore a straw hat with a wide brim that shadowed half of his dirt smeared face. Under his left arm rested a basket of green and in his left was a wooden walking stick. Judging by his high voice and low height, he could be no more then sixteen.
"Why don't you come closer, boy? Let us have a closer look at you," one of them snickered.
The traveler was looking up at the boy, mentally pleading with him to leave and let him, a man, take care of this.
"Suit yourself," he said flamboyantly. He settled the basket on the mound and slid down with grace. He walked casually up to the traveler, who stood gawking at him.
"Sir," the boy, who barely reached the chest of the traveler, tipped his hat slightly in a gesture of greeting.
The traveler looked from the murderous men to the boy who stood beside him.
"So, what are you outlaws up to?" the boy said with a bright smile as he gazed at the rest of the men.
"Well," one of them spoke as vibrantly as the boy, except in a much, much more deeper voice. "We were planning on cutting the throat of that lordly man you're standing next to, there."
"Him?" The boy pointed at the traveler, speaking through a unbelievable look on his face. "He doesn't look like much to me…"
The men slowly drew their knives while the boy spoke. The traveler drew the sword beside him and gripped the hilt with both hands in a steady and ready battle stance.
The boy's small hand touched the traveler's shoulder in a comforting act. "What do you plan on doing with that?"
The midnight blue eyes flashed in anger, while he nearly shouted, "I plan on stopping these men from slitting both our throats!"
"Now is that—"
Before the boy could say anything more, one man charged at them with a battle cry, his knife raised over his head. The boy raised his stick and jumped into the traveler's range of attack. The stick and knife clashed together. With a jerk, the knife slipped from the attacker's hand. The boy twirled the stick in front of his opponent's face, and stopped to bonk him on the nose. The man who received the blow stumbled backward and received a hard swipe at the stomach by the stick. He fell backward with a moan of pain. Everyone gaped at the boy, who stood staring at the prone body, while twirling his stick like a baton in one hand. Just settling the stick at the gap between his shoulder and neck, the boy gave the rest of them a grin.
The grin fell when the boy watched some of the men raising their bows.
With a shaky laugh the boy said in a whinny voice, "That isn't fair. It's two against eight."
Not heeding the word 'fair' the archers grabbed their arrows and got ready.
The boy shrieked and grabbed the man by the wrist. "Run!" He shouted.
They ran. The traveler felt a arrow whiz pass his ear. Turning abruptly around, he shouted, "I'm not leaving him there!"
"What?!" The boy shouted in surprise. The arrows stopped and the men reached for their knives again.
The brawl began. The traveler with his blade, and the boy with his staff. They fought valiantly, and ceased only until every man lay unconscious.
Breathing deeply, the boy went back to the dead horse. "It's too late," the boy said in a sad voice. He took the arrow out of the horse's chest and cast his eyes down. He did not notice that the traveler had picked something small and white beside the horse.
The weary traveler moved to stand behind the boy. He cleared his voice, "Thank you, I am grateful. But my journey is far from over… Do you happen to know if I am near the village of the Bright One?"
"Bright One?" The boy turned around slowly. His eyes widened as they settled on the bundle in his arms.
"Poor thing!" He shouted seizing it out of the traveler's hands. "Come with me! Grab the basket!"
The boy raced away. The traveler grabbed the basket on the mound and easily caught up with the boy up ahead.
----------------------------------
A.N.: Probably been wondering where I've been right? Well, that doesn't matter now because I'm back with this chapter. Again I'm not sure how long the next chapter might be, so I will also have to wait and see (not just you). I'll try and get that out as soon as possible. ^_^ And I rather not tell anybody who Serena is paired with… The final outcome, I hope, is in the favor of everyone.
Chapter 9
There was a shy knock at Kenji's house. Kenji, had decided to visit his chamber pot at the wrong moment, for when he stepped out of the room hastily to answer the door, Serena had beat him to it. The girl literally bounced out of the house, slamming the door in her papa's stunned face, shouting at the same time, "Bye, Papa! I'll be back before dinner!"
"Take your time, Serena!" She heard her mama call out.
Flushing, Serena grabbed the knocker of her door by the left arm, and pulled him with her. "Why are you so late? Shingo had the decency to be an hour early for Mika. You are so senseless. Do you really want Papa to eat you alive?"
Seiya was staring at her golden head in awe, already too distracted to hear her.
"Seiya! I'm talking to you!"
"What? What did you say?"
Serena stopped in the middle of the road, placing her hands on her hips. With a frown she said, "I was asking why you were so late."
Seiya was looking at her in a strange way, which caused the girl to roll her eyes. "Are you in love?"
Seiya took a huge step backward as he gasped, "Wh-What?"
Serena shook her head in sympathy. "If you're making me accompany you to this Summer Festival, so that you can get closer to a certain someone, I'll be glad to do it. You just have to tell me. I'm sure I can come up with a plan and execute it. I just need you to be a little bolder and speak out. Is it Abigail?"
Seiya blushed, "no, of course not. I'm through with her."
"Through with her? But why?"
"Let's just say, I saw the real her and found out that we are not compatible."
"Then I guess there must be someone else…" Serena murmured thoughtfully.
"Yeah… Someone else," Seiya responded. Serena looked at him in surprise and noticed how he was trying to avoid her eyes.
Suddenly, Seiya wrapped a hand on her elbow and interjected without looking at her, "Come on, Klutz! If you want to get at any free food at all, you better hurry!"
Serena balked and pulled her arm back immediately. With an annoyed 'humph' she crossed her arms in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Seiya said in concern.
"You idiot, if you don't stop calling me that, I won't go anywhere with you."
Seiya moved closer to her, giving her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Serena. It just slips my tongue after using it for so long."
"Well, I rather you not use it."
"I'm sorry, Serena," he said again, with all the sincerity he could muster.
"Is that it? That's all you got? Are you serious?"
"What?" He said. Serena could tell Seiya was utterly confused.
"You usually fight back. I usually expect you to fight back…"
"Fight back?"
"What's wrong with you, Seiya, you sound and look like a lovesick fool?"
A 'lovesick fool?' Was this girl totally oblivious to the anonymous feelings he held for her? It never occurred to Seiya that he had to reveal his true feelings toward her aloud. He was a first timer at wooing girls, not to mention inexperienced with the female mind. It was so much easier with Abigail because she somewhat helped him speak. But clueless Serena did nothing to ease his intentions or thoughts because she had totally no idea that he was bringing her to the Summer Festival because of… Her.
He could not just say that Eros' arrow had pierced his heart when he first laid eyes on Serena. That is because it did not happen that way. Their first meeting caused a spark of dislike from both people. At least that was what Seiya thought she felt for him: dislike. It now dawned upon him that she might even loath him. This was something he could not change, but hopefully overcome. She was free, and the girl never in her life, as far as he knew her, took interest in her own love life. To her, love is nonexistent. That's what makes it so hard for Seiya to confess his feelings. Then again, he knows so little about what she thinks.
"Um… I…I…" Great, he was making a fool out of himself while stuttering and blushing at the same time.
Serena interrupted the awkward moment by shouting. "I'll race you to the free food stands!" With that she raced down the road again.
Seiya stared after her in incredulity. After a few seconds, Serena confused, and annoyed, turned around while running backwards, "What are you doing? I'm going to win at this rate!"
Seiya put on a sly grin and ran after her, his long legs keeping an accelerating pace. Soon he caught up to her…
It was a clear summer night. The stars were shining against the ebony sky. And Serena stood beside Seiya, both of them leaning peacefully against the fence around her house. Serena had given up stealing quick glances at the window, to catch her papa spying on them. It didn't matter, because Serena was too busy hearing the tune of the stars.
"Seiya, do you hear that? The stars sound like bells." She said quietly.
Seiya stared at her pale face in the moonlight.
"So beautiful…" She heard him murmur.
Her eyes were still focused on the stars. She turned to look at Seiya for, she thought, only a moment. But it turned out that Seiya had a way to keep her attention. He slowly bent his head forward. Serena's eyes were as wide as saucers as they stared blankly at his closed eyelids. Before she could duck, she felt the briefest kiss on her cheek. It was short, but time seemed to stop for the kiss to linger. It felt like a butterfly landing on her cheek, but it wasn't. It would have been more comfortable if it were a butterfly and not her worse enemy's lips brushing against her soft, delicate skin.
She refused to understand what it meant, this first kiss, though it was brief. She was afraid of what he would say after all this. Worse, he might from now on, address her as 'Serena' instead of Klutz. As swift as the hare, Serena took a step back. His sapphire eyes were subtle and unnerving. It scared her and she stomped down the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach.
"Good night!" She said so quickly it sounded like a shout. Serena retreated to the safety of her house. She ignored the surprised stares from her parents and brother (who had arrived home a few minutes before Serena), and isolated herself behind the walls of her peaceful room.
Those sapphire eyes, she saw just seconds ago, subtle and unnerving, morphed to pain and regret.
_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:_:~:
He would not have gone so far if there were healers for animals where he lived. It was only a two hour journey over the hill! They say the villagers can't see the castle from where they are. They say the Bright One resided there; the Bright One with the power to heal any living creature. They say that you can't look at him when he uses his powers because you would go blind. They say a lot. He hears a lot. But he heard enough, he wanted to see for himself.
A traveler, wearing a white shirt that clung to his back from all the sweat was being blinded by the sun. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up ahead. His horse underneath him, made not a protest from the rough journey up since he took an easier path. It is a hint less steep if one rides around this hill and much more easy riding in a zigzag path. But this would mean he was riding outside the border of the kingdom.
His black hair was slicked with sweat and he wore a pouch about his waist. On his other side he wore his sword. One can tell that on his lap something white slept. The white fur ball was curled up against his stomach, unconcealed by the rider's black slacks. It shivered, causing the rider to frown and reach out to touch its burning head. He sighed in dismay and tried very hard not to lose focused attention on the road.
Behind some bushes, muffled voices could be heard. Too weary from the journey so far, he could not sense the others' presence.
There was a painful whinny, and the traveler felt the body in the beast underneath him slack. He fell from his horse's back with the bundle of whiteness clutched tightly in the circle of his arms. He took one quick glance to the side and saw the shaft of an arrow protruding out of the horse's chest. The blood was dripping out of the wound and collected in a pool. In alarm, the traveler stood up quickly. Frantically his eyes scanned the area. He heard a hoarse laugh and soon a few more others accompanied it. The weary traveler was surrounded. His eyes not leaving the semi circle of men, he settled the white bundle onto the dead horse and touched a hand to the hilt of his sword, the other to the pouch. The men were slowly closing in, with a rhythmic footing.
"Hello down there!" shouted a cheery voice atop a mound. A boy, in brown trousers with a short sleeved white shirt underneath, smiled down at the men. He wore a straw hat with a wide brim that shadowed half of his dirt smeared face. Under his left arm rested a basket of green and in his left was a wooden walking stick. Judging by his high voice and low height, he could be no more then sixteen.
"Why don't you come closer, boy? Let us have a closer look at you," one of them snickered.
The traveler was looking up at the boy, mentally pleading with him to leave and let him, a man, take care of this.
"Suit yourself," he said flamboyantly. He settled the basket on the mound and slid down with grace. He walked casually up to the traveler, who stood gawking at him.
"Sir," the boy, who barely reached the chest of the traveler, tipped his hat slightly in a gesture of greeting.
The traveler looked from the murderous men to the boy who stood beside him.
"So, what are you outlaws up to?" the boy said with a bright smile as he gazed at the rest of the men.
"Well," one of them spoke as vibrantly as the boy, except in a much, much more deeper voice. "We were planning on cutting the throat of that lordly man you're standing next to, there."
"Him?" The boy pointed at the traveler, speaking through a unbelievable look on his face. "He doesn't look like much to me…"
The men slowly drew their knives while the boy spoke. The traveler drew the sword beside him and gripped the hilt with both hands in a steady and ready battle stance.
The boy's small hand touched the traveler's shoulder in a comforting act. "What do you plan on doing with that?"
The midnight blue eyes flashed in anger, while he nearly shouted, "I plan on stopping these men from slitting both our throats!"
"Now is that—"
Before the boy could say anything more, one man charged at them with a battle cry, his knife raised over his head. The boy raised his stick and jumped into the traveler's range of attack. The stick and knife clashed together. With a jerk, the knife slipped from the attacker's hand. The boy twirled the stick in front of his opponent's face, and stopped to bonk him on the nose. The man who received the blow stumbled backward and received a hard swipe at the stomach by the stick. He fell backward with a moan of pain. Everyone gaped at the boy, who stood staring at the prone body, while twirling his stick like a baton in one hand. Just settling the stick at the gap between his shoulder and neck, the boy gave the rest of them a grin.
The grin fell when the boy watched some of the men raising their bows.
With a shaky laugh the boy said in a whinny voice, "That isn't fair. It's two against eight."
Not heeding the word 'fair' the archers grabbed their arrows and got ready.
The boy shrieked and grabbed the man by the wrist. "Run!" He shouted.
They ran. The traveler felt a arrow whiz pass his ear. Turning abruptly around, he shouted, "I'm not leaving him there!"
"What?!" The boy shouted in surprise. The arrows stopped and the men reached for their knives again.
The brawl began. The traveler with his blade, and the boy with his staff. They fought valiantly, and ceased only until every man lay unconscious.
Breathing deeply, the boy went back to the dead horse. "It's too late," the boy said in a sad voice. He took the arrow out of the horse's chest and cast his eyes down. He did not notice that the traveler had picked something small and white beside the horse.
The weary traveler moved to stand behind the boy. He cleared his voice, "Thank you, I am grateful. But my journey is far from over… Do you happen to know if I am near the village of the Bright One?"
"Bright One?" The boy turned around slowly. His eyes widened as they settled on the bundle in his arms.
"Poor thing!" He shouted seizing it out of the traveler's hands. "Come with me! Grab the basket!"
The boy raced away. The traveler grabbed the basket on the mound and easily caught up with the boy up ahead.
----------------------------------
A.N.: Probably been wondering where I've been right? Well, that doesn't matter now because I'm back with this chapter. Again I'm not sure how long the next chapter might be, so I will also have to wait and see (not just you). I'll try and get that out as soon as possible. ^_^ And I rather not tell anybody who Serena is paired with… The final outcome, I hope, is in the favor of everyone.