Rachel smiled in satisfaction as she finished tying a bandage around Alexandra's shoulder.
"All better!"
"I didn't ask for your help, you know..."
"But I gave it anyways." Rachel giggled.
"Meh..." Alexandra leaned back. She was topless, making it easy to see her athletic, well toned upper-body. The huntress was quite agitated, this was the second time she had to accept help from that... clumsy little girl, as she often reffered to Rachel in her mind. Regardless, Alexandra had to acknowledge that if not for Rachel's help, she may not have been so fortunate as to only come out of the clash with a minor injury.
"Don't be sad, Alex. You fought your best..." Rachel spoke gently, and offered a sympathetic smile.
"But it wasn't enough. Leon played us all for fools, and then I lost to that..." Alexandra slammed her fist against the bed in frustration. "...That stuck up little whore!"
A sweatdrop ran down Rachel's cheek. At that moment, the night sky was lit by lightning, and a piercing crash of thunder was heard, followed very shortly by a shrill shriek. A startled Rachel clung to Alexandra's arm for support. "E-eheh..."
The rather annoyed Alexandra shut her eyes, shaking her head.
iYou have got to be kidding me.../i
In the midst of that night in Al De Baran stood two silent figures staring eachother down through the darkness. As another bolt of lightning struck down, the lit sky revealed their faces to be none other than Rikhael and Leon, Straterra by Rikhael's side. Their hair and clothes were soaked. Leon chuckled and brushed his hand through his black hair, which blew with the wind, as the sound of thunder echoed through the twilight sky, and raindrops continuously hit the ground...
In the other room, Dalndox kicked back in his chair, resting his feet on a table. Shichiyo sat on the bed, calmly pondering their situation.
"Great beauty... what could he mean by that...?" Shichiyo rubbed his chin in deep thought.
"Dunno." Dalndox was clearly the more relaxed of the two of them. "Don't worry... we'll beat him. Now that the little misunderstanding's cleared up, Mr. Pretty Boy has no one to hide behind..."
"True. The assassin who called himself Rikhael was... quite formidible."
"Indeed."
Shichiyo sighed.
"Still... something tells me we had best not underestimate Leon..."
Dalndox chuckled and shook his head.
"Heheh. You've always been the serious one, haven't you? You gotta just lighten up sometimes..."
"One can never be too cautious, my friend..."
"Is that so? Is that why you've never been able to beat me?" Dalndox chuckled again, and leaned his head back. "Where would you be without me..."
Shichiyo smiled slightly.
"I must admit... I'd rather ponder the answer to that question..."
Meanwhile outside, Rikhael pointed a katar in Leon's direction. His eyes narrowed.
"So it was you..."
"And you tricked us, didn't you?" Straterra cracked her whip in frustration. "I dislike people like you"
"I merely wish to bring great beauty to Rune Midgard..." Leon smiled slyly, as he prepared his halberd. "But I can see it in your eyes... you're not the types to talk things over. Come!"
Another burst of thunder was heard, as the assassin and the alchemist dashed forward.
Rachel was shivering with fear by now. She clung tightly to Alexandra's arm.
Alexandra rolled her eyes.
"It's just thunder... get over it."
"Sorry..."
"Meh... hey Rachel, where ya from?" Alexandra's eyes shifted as she changed the subject, thinking it best to distract the cowering magician's mind.
"G-Geffen... I was born in Geffen..." Rachel studdered.
"Ahh. Shichiyo and I have been there on numerous occasions..." Alexandra stretched, and yawned. "Personally, I think magic is for pansies."
Rachel blushed.
"Hey..."
Alexandra laughed.
"Well, just look." She flexed her arm, showing off her athletic build. "Do you have that kind of muscle?"
"Well... no..." Rachel blushed a bit harder as she looked down at her much less firm stomach.
"Heheh. I was born in Payon. I've been training hard to become a great hunter for years... so why did you choose to become a magician, anyways?" Alexandra raised an eyebrow.
"W-well..."
Rachel's thought was cut short by another loud crash.
"Eep!"
Alexandra sighed, and shook her head.
"It's getting late... why don't we just get some sleep?"
"That sounds good..." Rachel smiled shyly, and turned out the lights. "Pleasent dreams, Alex!"
"Yeah, night..."
Rikhael and Leon struck once as the halted on opposite sides. Immediately, both of them turned to face eachother once more, and began clashing. Leon weilded his halberd with ease, attacking with remarkable speed considering the size of the weapon. Although he still was incapable of matching Rikhael's speed, he was more than capable of giving the assassin a match worth fighting. A flash of lightning lit the sky as their weapons clashed, and the fierce confrontation continued. Neither side seemed to show a sign of weakening.
"I remember the days back in Izlude..." Dalndox sighed, and shut his eyes.
"Indeed... I was often picked on... they called me a pansy for wanting to become a spellcaster..."
Dalndox chuckled.
"Until I kicked their asses."
Shichiyo laughed lightly as well.
"After I finally became a mage... the two of us would meet everyday at the usual spot and spar... you always won..."
"Heheh. Yep." Dalndox smiled, a hint of arrogance in his tone.
An earsplitting crash of thunder was heard as Rikhael and Leon's weapons went into a lock, bringing them into a stalemate. Leon chuckled.
"Heheh... you're fast. But can you overpower me?"
Leon's eyes widened as he felt something wrap around his ankle, and tighten. He turned his head, and to his dismay saw Straterra. She grinned as she held a tight grip on her whip.
"My my... what a cowardly tactic." He smiled slyly.
"Pfft." Straterra shook her head. "Cowardly? You're the one who tricked us into attacking those travellers!"
"Touche. But to your misfortune... I am not to be defeated here. Farewell! Heheheheh!" In a flash of blue light and a gust of energy, the cunning alchemist took his leave once again.
Straterra snapped her finger in disappointment.
"Aw. He's gone..."
Rikhael closed his eyes, and shook his head.
"...Come, Straterra."
The duo vanished into the night as the storm began to calm, and the party rested for the night. Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow, they would resume their journey... to find Leon, discover his shrouded intentions, and ultimately put an end to them.