Sorry for the late update, Christmas was up and had to update some other stuff I've been doing as well as training (I'm part of our National team in Initial D Ver 3). Anyway, I just played around with the overall setting of the chapter but it will explain a few things as well as connect some other things as well. Hope you readers are still out there! LGA Chapter 4 now up!
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
(Since Chapter 1)
Main Chars:
Damienus - Master Priest and High Counciler of the Pronteran Church High Council. The only living Grand Master who has perfected the Magnus Exorcisimus spell.
Rahne - Softspoken but aspiring swordsmaiden whose father was allegedly killed by a Wanderer. (See Prologue)
Roxanne/Roseanne - Feisty, conceited but fiercely loyal, this lady acolyte always seems to be getting in trouble.
Lilly Loran - Demure, Intelligent and strong, Lilly is one of the brightest students in Geffen's Academy of the arcane arts. She is also Roxanne's bestfriend.
Canaan - A lonely and pitiful figure. This blacksmith lives by his lonesome in the woods of Geffen.
Supporting Cast:
Yukan - A Wizard Lord from Geffen's Supreme Council of Wizards. He has mastery over Fire-based spells
Origon - Belongs to one of the ruling nobilities of the land of Morroc, this Assassin is known throughout the land for helping bring peace between Prontera and Morroc during the Morrocan war
Shinbo - The self-proclaimed "Lucky thief" captured by Lilly and Roxy while he was stealing an apple
Staple Wire - A thief with a unique tool of weapons
Kiko - A Thief with quick hands and a short temper. He is the leader of a trio of poor bandits that continually steals the Blacksmith Canaan's wares every morning
G-sas - A swordsman in Kiko's party
Iya - A gentle acolyte forced to steal with Kiko and G-sas because of poverty
Grand Councilor Wepz - The youngest priest in history to recieve the title of Grand Councilor, which means the leader of the Pronteran Church
Dragonz - Supreme General of the Pronteran Knight Academy
Minos - Dragonz's XO
Kram-Z - Another high-ranking knight in the Pronteran Academy and a friend of Minos and Dragonz
Other characters:
Sister Matilda - One of the helpers in the Pronteran Church and appears to be a love interest of Damienus
Governor Xen-Lou - Governor of Payon City and close friend of Damienus
Ferdomear - Retired colonel of the Pronteran Army and an instructor from the Pronteran Knight Academy. Ferdomear lost his life protecting his daughter, Rahne, during the events that happened during the Prologue.
Prince Tam - Young King of Prontera forced to sit on the throne when his father, King Tristam the 1st, died.
CHAPTER 4: LESSONS IN SCARLET
Prontera All-purpose Hall, Prontera
Damienus stood in the middle of the stage, dressed in a fine leather jacket covering his bare chest, and a dark pair of tight jeans. He was holding an electric guitar that had the faint image of a cross painted on the front. The crowds of fans cheered and roared their praises to the guitarist, and he gave a wave of recognition in response.
He strummed a chord, preparing for a song, fixing the various cracks and squeaks in the AC/DC box. Suddenly he broke into a soft melody with an acoustic sound, and began to sing after a few seconds.
colorred"Your words to me just a whisper,
Your faces so unclear I try to pay attention Your words just disappear.
'Cause it's always raining in my head Forget all the things I should have said.
So I speak to you in riddles,
'Cause my words get in my way I smoke the whole thing to my head,
And feel it wash away 'Cause I can't take anymore of this, I want to come apart, or dig myself a little hole Inside your precious heart.
'Cause it's always raining in my head Forget all the things I should have said.
I am nothing more than a little boy inside That cries out for attention,
Yet I always try to hide And I talk to you like children,
'Cause I don't know how I feel But I know I'll do the right thing If the right thing is revealed.
'Cause it's always raining in my head Forget all the things I should have said."
Damienus finished on a soft fade-out and nodded at the cheering crowd. "Thank you, you've all been great."
"You've all been... great... uh..." Damienus opened his eyes as the dream faded out from his mind. He felt something wet behind his head and he groaned as he tried to sit up. The right hand that he used to touch the back part of his head came up with speckles of scarlet on it. Damn. His head felt like hell and he was feeling a little woozy and all the while looking for the audience that was cheering for him just a few seconds ago. All he did see was Roxy on his left kneeling in front of him but she was looking behind him and her mouth was wide open.
Then the old priest looked followed her gaze. The scene was entirely far from a stage and people cheering. It was quiet. Eerily quiet. When Damienus saw what everyone was looking at, his mouth dropped down too.
Kiko, the thief was standing with his knife hand extended and splattered with scarlet while Rahne was sprawled on the ground, shaken and with a lot of blood on her Swordsmaiden dress. There was somebody between them but he couldn't remember who it was, he was still a little woozy. What he could see was that it was a man. Somebody in a white polo shirt.
Then it hit him.
Kiko was too shocked to move. He didn't really intend to kill the swordswoman but he was too caught up in the heat of the fight, too eager to show his moves that he might have gotten a bit too far. When his dagger did tear through flesh, his heart sank as he closed his eyes. He couldnt bear to look. To see his dagger pierce through her neck. To see Iya's face of dismay. He felt warm blood on his hand and he shivered. This wasn't his true self! How can he face Iya now?
He remembers the time he met Iya and G-sas back in Prontera. He was a novice who had a lifelong dream of becoming the strongest assassin in the world. He, Iya and G-sas were all orphans and they vowed that they would stick together no matter what happened. To become a thief, Kiko worked so hard and trained to the fullest. He refused to be helped or tanked by stronger people. Iya and G-sas liked this trait about him, his devotion fed their own and through his example, they made it through to their first jobs. Kiko, of course was the first to reach the first job of all three. He knew that it was the start of an all-new adventure and that he needed to work doubly hard. But sometime along the way, he apparently lost the passion and the devotion for his dream. Somewhere between getting through a day with nothing to eat and to bear Iya's sad look, Kiko had changed. But the event that ultimately derailed Kiko was one a long time ago in a far off place and time but still burned in his memory.
He remembered Iya was having a bad fever that night and he and G-sas were looking for some food in Prontera. Without a penny to him, Kiko wandered about, begging Blacksmiths and merchants to spare him a few zennies. The merchants and Blacksmiths all looked at him with disgust in their face, shooing him away like an insect. He was up the entire night trying to find food, or money, anything at all. When he figured he couldn't find it this way, he went out and tried to gather loot to sell. He chanced upon a lone Mummy that had lost its way out of the pyramids and figured he had to give it a shot. The fight was long and hard. Kiko had been bloodied and bruised and all his pots and healing equipment were used up. When finally he did defeat the monster, he slowly bent down to gather the single jeweled memento that was dropped. But he couldn't grab it. A burly, ugly-looking Blacksmith pushed him out of the way and snatched the loot off the ground. Kiko pleaded with the Blacksmith, telling him how he needed the loot for his sick friend but the Blacksmith ignored him and told him that he saw the loot first and Kiko just didn't try to pick it fast enough. Finally, the Blacksmith threw him two zennies just so that he could leave. But before the cruel Blacksmith left, he requested that Kiko say his thanks.
"Whenever you are given something you don't deserve, twerp, you say Thank You. Show a little gratitude, you ingrate!" The Blacksmith sneered and took off, leaving Kiko injured and with two measly zennies to buy food for Iya. It was lucky for him the G-sas managed to kill a few Willows to gather some sweet potatoes or they wouldn't have been able to eat that night. That time Kiko decided that he would NEVER beg again. He would take the money from them and he wouldn't have to hear any thanks from him. But even pushed to the limits of desperation, Kiko never really wanted to kill anyone. He despised murderers who killed in cold blood. He may be a thief but he knew that he still had his honor.
Until today. For today he killed in cold blood. Killed a girl to take her money. He was lower than anybody he had ever known.
Slowly he opened his eyes to survey the damage. His hand was all bloodied and red but the knife was not buried inside Rahne's neck. It appeared that it had pierced an arm. A forearm to be exact. The Blacksmith Canaan was kneeling in front of him, with his left arm held up, blocking Kiko's knife with his naked arm and clutching a bag of food on his right. The body cringed in pain as Kiko moved a bit but Canaan didn't lash out. He didn't even try to take the knife off his arm. What he did do is bring his right hand up to offer the bag of food to Kiko.
"Here... take... this. This could... get you through... the week at least. Please, just leave these people be. Take the weapons... I've made. They're worth... a few zennies at the worst." Canaan said, his voice trembling a little with the pain. Kiko didn't know what to do. Everyone seemed to be waiting for him to move. Slowly, he took his knife away from the Blacksmith's hand. Canaan clenched his teeth as the blade came off but he did not move. The Blacksmith didn't even bring his arms down. Kiko looked at G-sas and Iya. Both were watching him, waiting for his command. He looked again at the Blacksmith. This other Blacksmith who had apparently fed him and his friends for some time now from the money that came from the weapons they stole from him. This other Blacksmith whom for weeks now had to go home penniless because of what they've done. This other Blacksmith that risked his life to save a stranger and unwittingly also saved a thief's soul. There was no pity for Canaan from Kiko. No. The pity Kiko felt was for himself.
"I didn't... I mean I don't..." Kiko started to say, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I know you didn't mean to. But if you had just wanted food why didn't you just ask for it?" Canaan interrupted him gently as Iya came up beside Kiko. The acolyte also had tears in her eyes. The revelations had been stunning. The Blacksmith had known all along how poor they were. He could've caught them anytime if he had wished. But he knew that they needed the money from the weapons. Knew that they didn't have a choice. And now he had saved both Kiko and the swordsmaiden. Who was this man?
"I think its time we ended this way of living, Kiko. Maybe if we worked honestly for a living, things wouldn't resort to this. Instead of getting items through stealing, why don't we earn them through hunting and honest work? But it could only happen if we act together." Iya said, wiping the tears in her eyes but with determination in her heart. Kiko never wanted to see Iya cry. But he had a feeling that her tears were not of sadness but also for joy. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to his other side and saw G-sas standing with a smile on his face. It seemed he had agreed as well. What the hell... it was about time he became an assassin anyway. He looked at the Blacksmith, nodded his head and took the offering of food and weapons. Fighting back the tears, he said the two words he had never thought he'd say. And he meant every word.
"Thank you."
This reminded her so much like home.
Rahne looked around the cozy clearing, observing the makeshift training dummies, the rusty anvil, the makeshift cooking area and the small, round house. It felt so much like her shack, holed up in the middle of the woods with nobody bothering you. It was a good way to live. But remembering her home made her think of her father again. And that kind of memory always hurt.
It had been some time since Kiko and his party left with the Blacksmith's offering of food and weapons. She found that they had been good people after all, forced only to steal due to poverty. If Canaan (which she learned was the name of the Blacksmith) had not been there, she would've been dead by now. Seeing Canaan take a blade meant for her kind of reminded her of a time that another man was standing in front of her with a blade pierced through him. Rahne closed her eyes to fight off the memory. It was no use being sad now. If she wanted to be strong to avenge her father, she would need every amount of bravery she could muster.
"She doesn't say much, does she." Canaan asked, observing Rahne walking aimlessly around his clearing. Roxy was busy tending to his arm and to Damienus's bump while Lilly cooked some stew for them to eat.
"Kind of reminds me of someone." Damienus said, smiling at him. Canaan shrugged and looked away.
"Point taken." Was all the Blacksmith said when he felt a sharp pain on his left arm. He took it sharply away from Roxy's hold. "OW! Can't you be a lot more gentle with that???"
"Well, excuuuuuuse me, your highness... you know, if you had just pushed Rahne out of the way instead of taking a blade in your arm to act like a hero, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" Roxy snapped, brimming with irritation. But she had a hidden curiosity about what happened. She didn't know if she was too shocked to observe things properly but she couldn't explain how Canaan had gotten between Rahne and Kiko so fast. Kiko was already in the air and Canaan was just standing beside her, taking the bag of food. The next thing she knows Canaan had covered Rahne and took the hit meant for her. She couldn't understand it. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her thoughts were interrupted when Damienus spoke.
"You do come in handy sometimes, Mister Canaan. Didn't even see you move back there. Listen, I'm sorry we got you mixed up in this but I'd really like you to reconsider my offer. I'll pay you 5 Million zennies taken from the Church's fund if you just guide us to the road to Payon." Damienus offered, playing his ace in the hole: money. Not his. But the Church's. There was something very peculiar about this Blacksmith. Something he couldn't put a finger on just yet. But Canaan did deal with the scenario perfectly, wound none withstanding. Looking around the Blacksmith's place, he knew that it was not an offer easy to pass from somebody this poor. He looked at the Blacksmith again. This time, he was taking a longer time to think about it. Five million zennies could spiffy the place up a little bit and pay for a few luxuries. Canaan closed his eyes and crossed his arms with a deep sigh.
"I don't have to fight. I don't really want to play hero. All I do is guide you there. And I don't take orders from anybody. If somebody wanders off, I'm not responsible." Canaan finally grunted. He wasn't sure if he was making the right decision. But he had absolutely no money now. And he didn't have any more materials to make weapons. He needed to hunt some more materials that could only be found from Payon monsters. Besides, Five million zennies just to bring them to the road wasn't all that bad. He stood up and walked to his house with Lilly, Rahne, Damienus and Roxy shrugging to each other, wondering what he was doing.
Canaan emerged a few minutes later looking very different from when they last saw him. He had on a clean polo, new jeans and some spiffy new gloves. His long hair was tied up in a ponytail behind him making his deep blue eyes stand out so much that Lilly blushed a little when he glanced at her. But it wasn't the outfit that stunned them all... but rather what the Blacksmith was carrying.
Behind him, two swords made an X pattern as they were held in place by straps. Covering Canaan's back was a shiny buckler, worn out but still very much sturdy. His polo was still untucked and covered his belt but a few knives could be seen jutting out. Damienus wondered how many of them were there. Just above his shoes were two Tomahawk axes held in place by straps that hugged his legs. Finally, in his hand he carried something wrapped around in some dirty bandages. When Canaan unraveled it, the party discovered that it was a magnificent sword. Long and sharp, it was curved like a Katana but the length was a little off. This sword was longer. There also seemed to be a certain lightness to it. Obviously, it was no ordinary sword.
"Wow... you look like you're going to war..." Lilly marveled, still amazed at the sudden transformation. Rahne nodded in agreement. Canaan looked uncomfortable with the attention.
"I've got to hunt when I get to Payon. And these... these are the last of my wares. I'm planning to sell them." Canaan huffed; hurriedly sheathing the sword but not before Damienus took a good look at it. The old priest could not believe his eyes.
"It can't be... that sword... If I'm not mistaken, that sword is a Masamune." Damienus stammered taking a step towards Canaan. The Blacksmith moved back, suddenly becoming suspicious.
"Yeah. Its a Masamune... What about it?"
"But that kind of sword could only be taken from..." Damienus asked, knowing full well what the answer was.
"... some monster called a Wanderer." Canaan said calmly, wondering why this was suddenly so important.
"And you... you killed this Wanderer?" Damienus asked, his disbelief growing more and more.
"Uhm... yeah?"
Damienus couldnt believe his ears. This Blacksmith had killed a Wanderer?? But the Masamune was proof enough. He couldn't have bought it, nobody was stupid enough to part with such a splendid sword. He was getting dizzy with all the thinking. It was just impossible. The only way to get a Masamune was to kill a Wanderer yourself. No other way.
Canaan was looking at the priest curiously. He didn't understand why Damienus had reacted that way. Canaan just thought that perhaps he'd been away from civilization too long that he didn't know if there was something wrong with people carrying Masamunes. Damienus was looking at him strangely now. The priest looked like he was going to faint. Canaan coughed.
"I don't know what's the big deal... I had a hundred of these. I gave away ninety-nine and kept this one for myself. Why? Are you looking for one for yourself?"
THUD!
"What the?? Lilly, Roxy, the old priest fainted! Get me some cold water!"
Damienus smiled as he saw the audience cheer from his last encore. But it had been a long night and he had best go home. He bowed and gave a small salute with his guitar to his fans before the scene faded out.
"Thank you, you've all been a great audience."
AUTHOR'S HOWLS:
Well there you have it folks! Please keep those reviews coming! Chapter 5 won't be up till around 2nd week of January or so depending on how busy my schedule will be.