Ink and Blood
By: Asnee
Chapter 2: Nice to See you Again
AN: Yayyyy chapter two. Thanks for the reviews. I wish I could respond individually but FF.N has suddenly taken a random bout of flagrant idiocy. I shun thee! Um…thanks for the positive remarks, and remember that reviews make me write. Lol. xD
Disclaimer: I don't own RO. /sob
The air that blew over the rooftops was cool and refreshing, and Seda was just beginning to enjoy herself when they touched down soundlessly. She was disoriented for a moment, since they had arrived from the back. Er...She dropped from mister assassin, and looked around.
"Do you have a key?"
"Yep. But it won't work after hours...it's enchanted," she said, pulling out a key from under her shirt. It dangled from a silvery chain, and he could see the runes running over it. "If I try to stick it in there, it'll raise an alarm, and we'll be dealing with the night watch."
'That's all I need now,' she thought. 'A stampede of stupid, fatass, half-drunken knights. That would look good. Me standing here alone cuz the sin hauled ass- Or better yet! With him. Oh my, I'd be endangering their lives...'
He nodded. It seemed logical. He carefully reached in-between a piece of armor on his chest, pulling out a thin hook. Seda gulped. Carefully, he leapt upwards towards one of the windows. Setting the book down on the sill, he shuffled for a second. There was the click of a lock coming undone. He went back down.
"You need to look up the records for me, so you're coming in," he said casually, and then grabbed her around the waist and leapt up again. She shrieked. Once on the ledge, they went in through the window and onto one of the shelves of the store.
"Wow...I've never been on top of one of these shelves," she said, feeling woozy yet excited. "I'm a bit frightened."
He said nothing, jumping and landing soundlessly. He turned to her. "Jump."
"N-no way," she said, her voice hoarse. "I don't wanna die, if I had wanted to I would have asked you earlier"!
He let out a real chuckle this time, and Seda startled - which caused her to fall of the shelf. Before she could utter a sound, he had caught her deftly, and let her down.
"..."
"C'mon, let's go," the assassin sighed, and strutted towards the desk. Seddy obeyed, still a bit disoriented. She wandered chibi style behind him, taking in the sights of the store at night. Kind of cool, actually.
They arrived at the desk, and the chocolate-haired sage got serious. "Well, I just have to find the receipt," she said softly, rustling around in some papers. He waited patiently. "Ah hah!" She said, passing the parchment to the assassin.
Title: Deadly Poisons
Author: Tylius Firandir
Price: 80,000 Zeny, paid in cash.
Section: 6-C (Medicine, miscellaneous.)
"This about clears things up," he said softly. He sweatdropped suddenly. "80k? Jeeze...".
The sage gave him a confused look, and then giggled lightly.
He blanched. "What?"
She was still laughing, "Sorry," she choked out, "That was just funny, very out of character."
"Ah...okay?"
There was an awkward silence between them, which was interrupted when she looked at the book. Barely sticking out of the pages was a thin purple sash, which she knew was for reserved books. He caught what she was looking at, and looked suspicious.
"Does this...mean something special?"
She knew exactly what it meant, of course. She had worked at this shop for a year and a half now. She took a deep breath. Well, she might as well just tell him. No point in trying to hide it. He would think she just pretended to get it off the shelf, she worked there after all.
"Alumani."
She choked a bit. "It means...it's reserved."
"And you bought it anyway..."
She choked back a soft sob again, "I-I didn't see it".
"You're lying to me, Seda Alumani," he said softly, moving towards her. She moved backwards slightly, from his advances. He moved with slow, deliberate grace, and she began to realize that being killed by one of them was indeed the most elegant way to die.
She took another step backwards-and tripped, falling to her back with a painful thud. A stick of rouge rolled and clinked when it met the metal of Ryxam's boot. He picked it up, and looked to where it come from. Surely, there it was - 6-C.
Seda pulled herself up with her arms, her world spinning slightly. The assassin looked from the rouge to the girl.
"Yours?" He said mildly.
Seda, despite her fear managed to say, "No, it belongs to Lyna. She's new he--".
It dawned on both of them.
"Ah...so she must have misplaced it, and you paid the price."
Seda nodded numbly, tears forming in her eyes despite her efforts.
He came towards her suddenly, drawing his katars. She gasped, scrambling back til she met the book shelf.
He was still walking towards her. Forgetting she was a sage for a moment, she began to chuck books at him. They missed every time, needless to say. He raised both arms in front of himself, a mere foot before her, and she held her arms in front of her, preparing for the final blow. Nothing came, and she opened one eye - just in time to see him bow. She sweatdropped as he then sheathed his weapons. Ah, an Assassin's Word. Weapon had to be drawn. She felt dizzy.
"I owe you a great apology, Miss Alumani," he said softly, running a clawed hand over her cheek.
She flushed, unable to articulate anything but "S'all good." He laughed lightly. "You remember the terms of our contract?"
She scratched her head in confusion.
"Since you were right...I am in your debt. I am at your command," he bowed this time, hand on one knee, the other still holding her small hand. She looked into his eye...but what could she possibly do with him? Certainly, she wished nobody harm.
"Uh..um," she began - and then Byri exploded through the door, shattering wood and spells alike. Hooray Aura Blade! Ozi was not far behind, and Yuli was apparently very frustrated with being tied up outside, for she could hear the bird's angry warbles.
"GET AWAY FROM HER"! The blonde man roared, taking a swing at Ryx.
"N-no"! Seda cried, rushing to her brother's side. The ground where the assassin had been a breath before shattered under the impact of the knight's scythe. He dropped his weapon with a deafening clatter, wrapping his arms around his sibling. "Seddy, by Odin's name, I thought...I thought he had...and you...Yuli was so upset...".
Seda patted her brother's hair, like she did when they were young. "No no, bro. I told Yuli to run. The assassin just um...I had something of his," she said quickly, to where Ryxam was still crouched in the shadows.
He clutched his sister to his side, glaring at the silver-haired man.
"My apologies."
Byri took a deep breath. "Y-you..leave. Now. I...don't know what I'll do...if I ever see you near her again...I...I'll...," he seemed to shake with rage.
"You'll what? Is that a threat?", Ryxam hissed. "She will not be harmed. Nor will she ever be. I am in her debt." Ozi blinked. His ability to remain calm in particularly shitty, confusing situations never ceased to astound her.
"Oh?"
"W-we made a deal," Seda said, pulling away from her brother to talk to Ozi. He refused to let her arm go however, his deep brown eyes going cold. "If..If I was right in saying the book came off the shelf...then he owed me..".
Ryxam nodded. "And she was correct. I always keep my word," he stood, "Always."
Ozi sighed. "Alright then, it's gettin late. As long as this drama is over, I think we should all go home."
There was a tense silence, broken when Ryxam strode forwards and took Seda's free hand, and she again took note on how large his were compared to hers.
"Until next time, Mistress Alumani." And with that he vanished, leaving only a few grains of sparkling sand and the faint smell of Sandalwood behind.
The next few days passed quietly at the Alumani residence, as it seemed Byri was in a sort of shock. Seda tiptoed around him, both physically and verbally. Whatever she said, she kept concise and assassin-free. When four days had passed, things were almost normal. It had been strange, besides the silence, he kept pulling her towards him, as if afraid if he wasn't constantly watching her that she would disappear. There was a knock on the door in the early afternoon one Thursday, and she rushed to the front of the house, still in the middle of trying to pull her hair into its proper place.
"Coming, coming"! She sang, throwing the door open haphazardly. Ozi was there with Yuli (Squawk!), as well as a serious looking man, pale with light brown hair. His youthful face was taut, his mouth in a straight line. Ice blue eyes regarded her.
"Is Byrin Alumani in?"
"Yep, hold on a sec," she said shyly, turning to run back into the living room. Byri was pouring over some bills.
"Hey...Seddy? 800k on books?"
"Uhhhh you have a guest"! She said quickly, sweatdropping. Saved by Ozi and the scary looking crusader. Her brother pushed back his hair, sighing, and proceeded to ruffle her hair which she had just spent the previous fifteen minutes on. Mumbling, she went back to fetch her brush by the front window. She ducked immediately, as it was obvious there was a very heated discussion going on.
"No...no, but...Yes, I understand that Fafnyn...yes...yes," her brother's voice sounded glum.
"Then you will come," came the deep, elegant tones of the crusader. "It is your mission to serve your king, just as I serve God."
Byrin sighed, his shoulders slumping. Without his armor, she realized how much thinner he looked, so much more stressed and pale. She felt her eyes water. Where was he going...Was it dangerous?
"Right then...so how long do we have before he tries again?"
"We're not sure. I'm thinking another week. We need longer to prepare...but, I think that's all we have," Ozi said sharply, and Seda steeled herself. She had never heard Ozi snap.
"What are you gonna tell Seddy, Byri"?
"If this Seddy person is who I think it is, there is no need" The crusader interjected, pointing towards the window. She sweatdropped, gloom lines appearing. "She's been listening for a bit now."
She rolled out from the doorway. "Heyyyyyyy...there...," her voice became a tiny squeak as Byri stared at her, furious. She saw now why enemies feared him so.
"Go inside, Seddy," he began, but the crusader, Fafnyn, stopped her.
"Your sister, Byran?" He said, staring at her. Seddy gulped. This man seemed more frightening than Ryxam, if possible. He stood at least six feet and five inches, his armor making him seem larger than life. She stood, brushing herself off and bowing.
"H-how do you d-do? I'm S-Seda Alumani."
He lifted her hand gently, kissing it chastely. Ozi chuckled as Byri went completely red, and then smacked his blonde friend's hand away from his halberd. "Fafnyn St. Ludel. At your service," he said, releasing her hand to bow. She felt chills, like her hand had just been put in ice water. Despite the fact there was a handsome crusader bowing to her, she felt odd. There was something just...frightening about him.
She giggled none the less, though it was a nervous one and not a flirty one. He rose, meeting her eyes again one last time before mounting his peco. The massive animal turned to Seda, it's large eye focused on her.
"Francis likes you," Fafnyn smiled. Despite her fright, the sage tentatively reached a hand out, ever so slightly. The bird warked, before letting her pet his head. Fafnyn looked a bit startled. "I've never seen him like anyone so quickly. You must be a very talented sage. Even the hunters can't quite cope with him."
She laughed nervously again. "Oh, I just...I dunno. I love animals, maybe they can tell," she said, petting the peco again. "Francis a good name for a peco. He's the patron of animals, after all."
"Yes, St. Francis must have been with me when I found him. He had been taken away from his mother, and I got to him just before a Driller," he said nostalgically, petting the bird, his empty blue eyes seemed to warm for a second.
Ozi climbed on top of Yuli, who Seda made sure to pet to. Francis warked in envy.
"Well then, fair Alumanis! We shall see you again"! Ozi chirped, and Seda backed up to stand beside Byran and wave them off. Fafnyn turned one last time to look at the chocolate-haired sage, who smiled uncertainly. He parted his lips icily in return, and then he had disappeared into the horizon.
"Byri..."
"Mm?"
"I don't want him here, ever."
"...Well, I see your Gift has developed," he said softly. "That was Fafnyn St. Ludel, Seddy. Do you remember me telling you about him?"
"No, I don't."
"Eh...they call him Fafnyn the Holy Beast."
"Oh?"
"Yes," the knight said, and began leading his sibling back inside, "He's one of the most vicious, blood-thirsty people in existence. Not outwardly aggressive. But he...he loves killing. Believes he's sending people to their rightful place in existence."
Seda shuddered. "So...he's a egomaniac with a God complex?"
"Exactly."
"And..."
"And he kissed your hand," she caught the laughter in his eyes. She grumbled and whacked him, though she knew it would feel like a breath of air to him.
"I need a chemical bath."
"More than that. Go have Melline throw some acid bottles at you."
Seda laughed at the thought. Melline was one of her few friends, but really because Melly loved books almost as much as her. The short, blonde girl proved a permanent source of companionship and laughter. Seda felt her heart ache. Melly had been away a while now in Morroc, studying the effects of bombs on easily-flammable mummies. Poor Osiris didn't bother to get out of bed anymore.
The room was silent for a minute, and Byri placed a hand on his sister's head. "Don't worry about Whacky Faffy, I'm sure he was just being polite."
"Right Byri, no problem," she smiled, and stood on her tiptoes to put her hand on her brother's head. "Plus, if really was trying to flirt, wouldn't he hit on say...someone important?"
Byri stuck out his tongue, grabbing his sister's arm. "You ARE important. Don't forget that."
She nodded. He narrowed his eyes suddenly. "And, about those books-"
"OHHH FAFFY! WHERE ARE YOU MY DEAR, DEAR PSYCHOPATHIC HUBBY!" The sage cried conveniently, rushing off. Her brother sweatdropped, sighing as he sat back down and listened to her run to the other end of the house.
Moonlight pooled through the window of the fortress, illuminating Ryxam Tyrik's silvery hair. It spilled over the ancient sandstone walls and onto the pages of Deadly Poisons, lighting up the picture of a particularly nasty looking concoction. His brow furrowed, the tan youth mouthed the ingredients in confusion. He had gotten by okay so far, until he got to the advanced things. The sage girl had scribbled simplified notes onto the pages, and he read them with gusto. Sighing lightly, he adjusted his knees and tried to be more comfortable on the hard stone windowsill. Without his armor, he looked almost normal. Small but with a strong, wiry frame. He wore a black turtle necked tanktop, with billowing black silk pants. There were scars down his body, marring the olive flesh, and along his face. A long scar ran down his left side and over the bridge of his nose, and to the other cheek. It was an old wound, one he had obtained long ago, younger than now and far more foolish.
There was a tap on his shoulder, and a flirty "Boo"!
"Evening, Hara," he said stonily, not gazing up from his book.
"Damn, how'd you know"? A girl questioned, stepping out of the shadows. She was clad black silk, the casual wear of the assassins obviously. Hers was a slip just past her knees. It contrasted sharply to her own pale blonde hair. She put her hands behind her back and rocked a bit on her ankles. "Sooo Ryx, whatcha up to?"
"To you, that is Sempai, or Master Ryxam."
She pouted again, pretending to wipe a tear from her massive blue eyes. "B-but that sounds so formal."
"It's formal because it SHOULD be formal," he sighed, closing the book in a mildly disgruntled manner. "You're barely even a full assassin. The Assassins of the Cross only let you in here because of your father."
She looked miffed, but concealed it quickly. "Oh oh, Ryx...sempai! You got your book."
He nodded glumly. "It is a difficult one. I shall have to study this one exceptionally hard."
She looked him over, noting the way his red eyes wandered to the wall behind her in anger. "Do you like my slip?"
"It looks the same as it normally does," he said, completely ignoring the fact it had been drastically shortened, "And if you excuse me, I need some fresh air." He brushed past her. She sighed, looking out the window at the moon.
The rooftops of Juno were a bit more difficult to navigate. The ancient citadel was far to spread out for his liking, and he made a few leaps that made even his heart pound for a second. He landed on the roof of his destination at last. There was a surly looking bird outside, and he noted the only light on was that of the topmost room. The Alumani residence was one of the oldest in the city. It was a stone house, one story high and cozy, save for off to the side, where there was a miniature tower. Narrow and about three stories tall. He guessed the bedrooms were there, and the topmost point of the cylinder would be the attic. The light was on up there, and he could see a girl's back, hunched over a book.
Making up his mind, he scaled the tower soundlessly.
Seda giggled girlishly, flushing at a particularly raunchy part. Hey, even sages could enjoy cheap romance novels. She sort of felt like covering her eyes, but told herself the victory would make up for the battle, and not reading it would mean defeat. Trying to convince her brother that "Between Us and the Sheets" was a documentary about life among Whispers had been a brave task indeed. It had involved much made-up hypothesizes and exchanges of threats of cold bolts and brandishes. In the end, she had won by whining about needing it to be a professor.
She was turned to the next chapter. Endless pillow talk. Yuck. She WOULD skip that. Giggling to herself again, she suddenly froze, feeling a presence at her back. She turned to the window, where, sure enough, mister assassin was looking in at her, rather bored.
Embarrassed, she quickly sat on her book and looked at him through calculating brown eyes. "H-hello mister assassin."
"Hello miss sage. Want to let me in"?
"You can't come in if I don't invite you"?
"That's vampires. And if I had to be invited in, wouldn't it make my job rather difficult?"
"Ah, right," Seda said, sweatdropping, and undid the latch on the window. He climbed in soundlessly, and she suddenly felt very shy. That or it was just the book. He cleared himself a spot in the sea of books, and sat down, his arms folded across his chest.
"So um...How's your book"?
"It is quite excellent. Especially the parts you scribbled on."
Her eyes became little dots. "A-ah! S-sorry! Oh my goodness, I totally forgot I did that and--".
He sighed, and pulled it out from behind him. She sweatdropped. Where did that...
"I don't understand some things. Will you help me?"
She was stunned. Tutor...an assassin. Her first thought was to refuse of course. But then she imagined it. Telling the Juno scholars that she had tutored an Assassin of the Cross. Bling. The light bulb in her head lit up.
"S-sure. P-point out what you need help with."
He nodded, and then opened the book to the middle. He pointed a clawed hand at the paragraph he had circled in black ink. Neatly written in Sandtongue were some questions and notes. She bristled a bit, studying him intently. "You're very serious about your studying. These are good questions."
He blinked. "Thank you."
She picked up the book, flipping through it once more. "I'm going to mark some page numbers on other pages. Some things just sort of explain themselves, but they're in chapters ahead and further back." She paused on the inside cover, and looked at some Sandtongue she didn't recognize.
"What's this?"
"My name."
"Oh." She then realized the gravity of the situation, and pursed her lip. He closed his eyes.
"It's alright, everybody knows it anyway," he opened them, looking a bit more frightening than usual, "Knowing my name wouldn't save them anyway."
"Right then, Mister Tyrik."
"Ryxam. You may call me Ryxam."
She felt herself turn pink, and berated herself mentally for it. 'He's an assassin, stupid! A mean, cold-blooded killer!'
She composed herself, then turned the book to face him. "Read this part aloud for me, if you please. And then tell me what you think it means. I'll correct yo-," she caught him assessing her. "If that's...okay?"
His hand moved upwards, as if towards her, and she flinched. Nothing happened, and then the sage realized he had taken his mask off. She blinked in awe. He was very tan, like she had thought. He had a nice, round nose and his lips were dusty tan, the bottom slightly fuller than the top. The scar ran down his concealed left eye and over his nose. She wondered where it was from.
He coughed, and she caught herself staring.
"S-sorry, that, er - I wasn't expecting it all, sorry sorry," she mumbled, and adjusted her nightgown.
The ghost of a smile danced across his lips. "Not to worry. And now, I shall read this one..."?
She nodded. Maybe, just maybe, things were gonna be okay.
And she was only partially right, of course.
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