Chap 4 is up... After two months. I am so sorry! (Bows)
Mei: You should be ashamed of yourself, letting school come first before me.
Myst: Um... That's because I need to go to school remember?
Mei: So all I have to do is burn down your school so that you'll spend more time writing about me... And Johann.
Myst and Johann: ...
Mei: Now that's settled, please enjoy this chapter. (bows)
Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1.
Chapter 4: There is no Trap
"Welcome to my territory, you bastards."
Like the famous Gunslingers of Einbroch with their cowboy hats and twirling guns, the mysterious figure spoke. His aviator goggles glinted in the afternoon sun, as well as the arrow that was pointed at Johann and Mei. The former had no qualm that said arrow would find itself buried in their bodies if they make one false move.
'Crap. For all the random encounters in Rune-Midgar, this just had to happen. And try as I might, I can't deflect arrows with my katana. I'm not like those flashy samurai in that historical fiction I read,' Johann thought.
"Now listen here you two. I'm a nice man, so I'll let you explain yourselves a bit," the man cockily said. "Depending on your answer, I just might spare your asses."
'Kh.. No choice. I have to talk,' Johann conceded. "We're just going to gather a few maneater blossoms for my partner's potions. We don't intend on doing any harm at all," Johann explained.
"Don't intend on doin' any harm, eh?" the man repeated with a questioning tone.
"Uh… Yeah?" Johann answered.
"Wrong answer," the man said menacingly as he readied his bow to fire. Johann instantly regretted saying yes to the man.
"RUN!" Johann shouted grabbing a still-dazed Mei and broke into a run. Just as he did so an arrow came flying just a few inches from his face, lodging itself in a nearby tree. This prompted Johann to run even faster, not caring that he was literally dragging Mei around. The man ran after them, firing arrows one after another, each shot flying through the air with a whizzing sound. Strangely, the arrows weren't hitting them, either due to their luck, or due to the man's discretion.
"Double Strafe!" the man shouted, shooting two arrows in progression at blinding speed. Johann didn't have time to think; he just pushed Mei to the ground and hurled himself in the opposite direction. He didn't make it in time. He found one arrow sticking out of his arm guard. He felt a stinging pain where the arrow had hit him, but thanks to the guard it only managed to cut skin-deep.
"Better that than having it pierce through my arm, or worse," Johann muttered to himself.
The man gave them no space to recover. As soon as he shot Johann he quickly fired another arrow aimed at Mei. Instinctively, Johann immediately recovered and lunged at Mei, pulling her away from the arrow's flight path. Again, he felt the pain of an arrow burying itself in his flesh.
"Gah! Snap out of it, Mei!" Johann screamed, trying to wake her up from her stunned daze. "It's really hard getting hit with arrows. I don't know about you but they hurt!"
Instead of answering back, Mei just mumbled some words that Johann didn't quite catch. He was starting to get real frustrated with the girl in his arms, when he realized that the hunter that could kill both of them in a matter of seconds was still behind them, steadily approaching them. Worst of all, Johann heard the dreadful sound of a bow getting ready to fire.
'Oh well. In cases like this, run like hell and never look back,' and he did exactly just that. The hunter, getting excited by the thrill of the hunt, chased the two through the fields. If Johann could see his face, he would see an expression of predatory hunger. But it wasn't ravaging like a wild cat, but calm and deadly like a falcon, the signature animal of a Hunter. He kept placing well-aimed shots at his prey, but somehow Johann would manage to dodge each and every arrow he fired.
"Whew! For a Swordie, you sure got some wheels on your heels," the hunter said in amazement. "Then I think it's time for me to try something different."
He stopped in his tracks, taking time to draw his bow to its maximum point. The arrow in his hands started to give a bright, ominous glow. Johann didn't stop to have a look-see. He just kept on running, taking what he thought to be a big opportunity to get away from the murderous Hunter. In his adrenaline-pumped state he forgot that Hunters can do much more than just a Double Strafe.
"If two arrows can't stop you…" he pulled on the string tighter. "Then how about twenty of them!" He released his grip, sending his arrow flying into the air. It twinkled for a moment like the morning star, and then…
"ARROW STORM!"
…Split into about twenty arrows, each raining down on Johann and Mei with the intent to kill as strong as their owner's. With his heightened senses as a Swordsman, Johann felt death coming down on them. He didn't need to think. He just had to do what his body wanted to do, following the patterns engraved on him through rigorous training. In one fluid motion he threw Mei away from him, drew his katana, and in one shout executed the most explosive skill of a Swordsman.
"MAGNUM BREAK!"
A blast of force and heat erupted from a single swing of his katana, creating a temporary shield against the rain of arrows. It also made a very convenient smokescreen which Johann gladly took advantage of. He carried Mei, who was miraculously unharmed considering she still looked dazed. He was beginning to think that she might have gone into a coma, but the thought only flashed in his mind for a bit. He focused on running away as fast as he can from the Hunter, hoping that the makeshift smokescreen would distract him long enough so that they could escape.
"Haah.. Haah.. What is that guy's problem?" Johann complained while running, a semi-conscious Mei resting in his arms. "He comes attacking us with no particular reason. And on top of that, I have to carry this useless girl who weighs… ugh… Ever considered taking a diet?"
"I am not fat. And I am not useless," Mei suddenly spoke up. A jolt went down Johann's spine as he heard her voice, which for him was unexpected in this kind of situation. That and he felt, for an instant, an icy-cold murderous intent from the way she spoke. "I was in a state of suspended thought, reorganizing my memories stored within multiple compartments hidden in a section of my brain. It was hard, considering that I was getting roughed up a bit back there. And that last comment from you almost ruined my concentration. ('There's that killing intent again,' Johann thought.) I was trying to find the memory related to that Hunter and the events that had transpired up to now, using it to identify our assailant in order to formulate the optimal plan of action for us to take."
About two seconds of silence, before a confused Johann said, "So… Eh?"
"In short, I'm figuring out who that guy was, and what we could do about him," Mei said, sighing at her partner's lack of understanding.
"Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Johann said, ignoring the sigh. "So, who was that guy?"
"I remember meeting him a few months back when I was replenishing my ingredient stores. He attacked me the same way he did us, screaming something about saving the planet. Luckily I was able to get away before he could do any real damage, but I lost some of my precious potions for that," Mei explained.
"Wow, you escaped. You, an Alchemist. Escaped. From a Hunter. And he was shooting arrows. You were throwing potions. Yep. You escaped," Johann said, deliberately showing his sarcasm.
"Shut up you!" Mei indignantly said, slapping him in the process. "I may be an Alchemist, but I've got more than those boring old teachers back at the institute.
"But it certainly wasn't easy. He didn't have just arrows. What marks a Hunter other than arrows?" Mei asked.
"Traps," Johann stated the obvious, with a huge red handprint swelling on his right cheek.
"So don't you find it strange that he stopped attacking us, and that there are no death traps springing on us right now?" Mei asked again.
"Now that you mention it… It does seem strange," Johann said. "After I blocked his attack with Magnum Break, I used the resulting smokescreen as a diversion to run away… It's been silent ever since."
"Hmmm… Is that so? Then I have another question for you."
"Shoot."
"Why are you stop – woah!"
At exactly the same time she said it, Johann felt himself lunge forward. In reality, only his hips up to his head lunged forward. He felt intense pain from his legs due to the sharp resistance that prevented him from falling over. It was a feat that he managed to keep Mei in his arms in spite of all that. He looked down to see what happened, and he saw himself literally rooted to the ground by a multitude of wires wrapping themselves around his feet and legs. The bindings on him are so tight that they actually drew blood, the wires digging into his legs.
"Kuh-! Shit, that hurt! I should've known there would be traps lying around," Johann cursed his unfortunate condition.
"Thanks for not dropping me," Mei uttered her gratitude, her voice shaky due to the sudden force of inertia that acted on her. "But how could you not consider traps in your getaway plan, when our enemy is a Hunter, master of bows and traps." She put heavy emphasis on the last word.
"I knew Swordsmen were dumb, but you really took it up a notch," Mei said with something in between genuine amazement and ridicule.
It was Johann's turn to hit Mei on the head. The expression on Mei's face when he did that screamed 'UNFAIR. You know you're stronger than me physically. You could've eased up a bit.'
"I was trying to save both our asses from that guy. Of course I'm bound to forget some things," Johann defended himself. "Besides, what's done is done. Now either we just sit here like ducks and wait to be turned into pincushions, or we think of a plan to get out of here, survive, and possibly do a number on that Hunter as a bonus."
"I have a plan," Mei said. "Put me down."
He did as he was told, and waited for another long and boring discussion about a highly complex plan devised by his very intelligent Alchemist partner. It would be structured very intricately, with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, plus some recommendations. He was waiting for that and for the chance to make a witty comeback to stop her running mouth since they didn't have that much time to actually plan that much.
Yet she said nothing. She simply took out six vials containing green liquid from her red handbag, holding them in her hands like a Ninja would with six kunai. Johann stared in disbelief. He didn't expect Mei to assume a battle stance, much less one a Ninja usually uses. He had so many things he wanted to shout at her. 'Is she serious? She's planning to fight that guy head-on? She's gonna get killed in less than a second!'
But he remembered her skill in the fields of pyrotechnics and carnivorous plants, so while he had some reservations, he can't deny that maybe she could do something after all. There are Alchemists that are known for their battle prowess, small in number they may be.
'Still, I can't see that battle prowess in her… First of all I've never seen her with an axe. But if you call having psychotic tendencies as battle-prowess, then she has a whole lot of it,' Johann thought.
Her body was still, waiting in anticipation for their chaser. Her eyes were darting to and fro, searching her surroundings for any sign of the enemy. Her breathing was slow and steady, like a Monk in meditation. Silence pervaded the forest. There wasn't any wind at all, making it easier for Mei to notice anything strange in the field.
It is very different from what was going on inside her mind, though.
'Oh my… I'm so nervous! Oooooh, when will that guy show up? I hope I won't mess this up… Tch, damn me and my huge ego. I was caught up in the moment, damn it! I wanted to prove to Johann that I can fight on my own… But now I'm in danger of getting pierced through multiple parts of my body with pointy arrows! And they will hurt! Grrrr… This is all your fault, Johann! If it wasn't for you undermining my capabilities, I wouldn't have to do this… Thanks a lot. If I die, I am seriously going to haunt you. Remember it!'
At that moment she heard a rustle in one of the overhead branches, and the unmistakable draw of a bow. Her thought processes stopped, and following strong human survival instincts to protect herself she threw all six vials all around her. Loud explosions was heard everywhere, followed by a surge of green smoke. It immediately covered the entire area, creating a dome of gas. Mei seemed to have immunity from the gas, since she was still standing with nothing happening to her body. A distinct thud was heard a few meters away from her, followed by another thud behind her.
When the smoke cleared, Mei saw the Hunter lying flat on his face in a weird and somehow painful position. It looked almost comical in a sense. She was filled with relief and pride that she was able to take down the enemy by herself. Then she felt the urge to rub that particular fact in Johann's face so many times he would be forced to recognize her.
"Johann! Did you see what I did? I-"she turned around, trying to brag about her achievement to Johann. But he wasn't standing behind her; he was lying on his back, his legs still bound to the ground. He looked like someone preparing to do crunches. He had drool running down the side of his face, and he had swirls for eyes. The second thud Mei heard came to mind, and she instantly knew who that was.
"Um… Johann?" Mei kneeled next to him, poking him with his finger in an attempt to wake him up. "Come on, Johann. Wake up. Don't joke around with me."
Johann didn't move an inch. Mei swore she heard a snore coming from his mouth. She poked him again, about three times. When that didn't work, she slapped him hard on the face for good measure. Now he had two swelling handprints on his face, but he was still unconscious.
"Wow. I was expecting my sleeping gas to work against that Hunter, but I didn't expect it to be this effective," Mei said, looking down at the sleeping figure of Johann. "I should be proud of myself, but now I am troubled with what to do with these two men…"
She sighed, torn between admiring her work and taking care of the two unconscious men with her. "I guess I'll start with him… This should be fun… Hehehehe…"
Mei approached the Hunter, a dubious smile on her face. She dug her hand into her magical red handbag, and she took out a few meters of rope, and a blindfold, plus some syringes full of yellow liquid…
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review, since your voice counts. And it will help me improve my writing. So if you want to see a better Mei and a better Johann, please review!
Mei: So you're saying I'm not good enough?
Myst: No! I didn't say anything! I-uh... You're... perfect! Just the way you are. Right, Johann?
Johann: ...
Myst: Thanks a lot...
Mei: I think a punishment is in order... You like acid, right? (smiles)
Myst: NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo...