Gatz led Sharmin through the woods towards waterfall near the Elven Ruins. Along the way they chatted of Village gossip and the children of the house they protected. The hike was peaceful, save for the occasional snort of a goblin from the trees around them. The Orcs and Werewolves seemed to have retreated for the night. Fireflies lit the air around the pool the waterfall dumped into, and several couples had seated themselves on the rock ledges surrounding it to cuddle. Sharmin blushed as she passed them and kept her gaze focused on Gatz' back. He didn't seem to notice the people already there.
He finally stopped and took a seat near the path that ran under the waterfall to the northern part of the Island. It was a more dangerous roosting spot, as Blade Spiders ventured dangerously close to this part of the waterfall and were known to attack wayward young couples who didn't know any better. Seated under the ledge, it was louder, but more fireflies had gathered there, giving the spot a more ethereal, beautiful glow.
"Wow, I've never been here before." Sharmin breathed, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them. Gatz gave her a surprised look. He stretched his legs out straight in front of him and leaned back on his hands
"Seriously? From what I've heard your sister's been out here quite a bit." He mused, crossing his legs at his ankles. Sharmin stiffened; her sister's reputation of never being without a suitor of some sort was quite renowned. She never got serious with any of them it seemed; despite always having a boy following her with starry eyes, her standards were incredibly high. Sharmin sighed gloomily and plopped her chin upon her knees.
"Yeah well Komugi seems to always be a few steps ahead of me." She grumbled.
"How so?" Gatz asked, turning to face her. In the corner of his eye he saw a familiar figure making its way slowly towards the waterfall on the path behind him. He drew in a deep breath as his muscles stiffened, his temper flaring for a brief moment as he never seemed to get a moment alone with Sharmin without getting intruded upon.
"Well she was the first to show any sort of useful talent for one. I was just a common villager, remember?" she stated, watching a firefly land on her arm.
"That's not necessarily her being ahead of you." Gatz said, scooting a little closer to her. Sharmin shrugged, not noticing his movement.
"That's just one example. She's really smart, and she was able to make friends before I was. She got pretty way before me." Sharmin laughed shortly. "I'm still working on that one."
"I think you look fine." Gatz offered gently, scooting a little closer. He glanced behind him; the familiar person had paused in their trek towards the waterfall to kill a spider that had come from the trees. Gatz' eye twitched at the ease the person displayed as they cut through the giant insect.
"Heh. Thanks. It doesn't help either that she seems to know how to get a boys attention easily either. I mean, she's had countless boyfriends now and I haven't even had my first kis-.." Sharmin trailed off, her cheeks pink. She hadn't meant to ramble that much to him. He was a good listener though; she was finding it hard not to open up to him.
The person slowed as they approached the waterfall, their eyes trained upon Sharmin and Gatz in surprise. Without a word, Gatz gently grabbed Sharmin by the chin and kissed her hard upon her lips. Her eyes widened in shock, her brain not quite figuring out what was going on. She finally regained enough sense to pull away from him and stare, speechless. Gatz gazed at her with half-shut eyes and a cocky smile upon his face before turning to look behind them.
"Well look who's here. You're a few months late DiValmont, they've already repaired the Village from the siege." Gatz stated, his voice gathering an icy tinge. The shock from the kiss instantly forgotten, Sharmin jumped to her feet and whipped around. Sure enough, standing behind her, was Leon. He wore red and blue Brigandine armor, which was spattered with spider blood. A firefly lighted the air in front of his face, revealing a very surprised expression. Sharmin looked down, her face red with embarrassment.
"What are you talking about?" Leon said a few moments later. If there was any emotion in his voice, it was hard to read which emotion it was.
"Oh, so you didn't get the memo?" Gatz asked sarcastically, standing up. Sharmin cast him a bewildered look for his attitude. "The monsters laid siege to the village a few months ago. I managed to catch the boat coming back, on time to help stop things. Where might you have been, oh great Knight?"
"Gatz..." Sharmin breathed, shocked at him. Another firefly lit up to show Leon's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Oh that's right, you were too busy playing with the elves to come back to help, weren't you." Gatz said, his voice becoming more and more challenging.
"Now see here..."
"I can see clearly DiDumba…"
"Gatz, ENOUGH!"
Sharmin stepped away from him and looked him square in the face, angry. "What has gotten into you? Why are you being such an asshole?" she asked, glaring. Gatz blinked at her, expressionless, before shrugging and turning away. Without a word he began to walk back the way they had come. Sharmin watched him leave with a sour expression before turning back to Leon. She opened her mouth to welcome him back, but her voice caught in her throat and her face went crimson.
"I'm glad you're ok." Leon said, sheathing his sword. Sharmin's head flew up at the sound of his voice, her eyes wide. "Were many people hurt?"
"Several were killed," she began, clutching one of her arms with her hand and looking down, "including my parents." She jumped as Leon placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into his face to find him gazing at her in honest sympathy. Her cheeks once again grew pink.
"I'm so sorry..." he began. A loud clattering sounded above them, interrupting his sentence, and the silver-haired elf Sharmin remembered as Narlafayn fell from the ledge above them. She landed on her side and groaned, rolling onto her back and holding her hip. She wore yellow tinted Mithril armor now; its style a strange form of bikini with pointed metal skirt covering her rear like bird feathers. A large white shield dropped a moment afterwards, followed by deep sultry laughter from the ledge above.
"Vuylay…I will KILL you..." Narlafayn groaned, curling into a ball as she winced.
"Go ahead and try." A husky voice giggled, peering down at them. In the dimming light, Sharmin could make out violet hair and pale skin. The voice obviously belonged to a dark elf.
"Sorry to interrupt your tender reunion." Narlafayn apologized, pushing herself to her feet. "SOME people can't mind their own business and not cause trouble." She cast a glare above her, and Vuylay ducked back from view, grinning wickedly.
"No need to apologize." Leon responded, rubbing his forehead.
"Hey!" Narlafayn suddenly exclaimed, standing close to Leon and peering into his face. Sharmin's temper gauge went up a notch at the friendliness she displayed towards Leon.
"What…" Leon said uncertainly, leaning away from her a bit. Narlafayn glared at him for a few moments before turning towards Sharmin and leaning an elbow on Leon's armored shoulder.
"Has this guy always been so serious? I mean really. I've been traveling with him on and off for close to two years now and all he does is BROOD." Narlafayn stated more than asked, not noticing the bewildered look that returned to Sharmin's face.
"Do you have to go over this with Sharmin too?" Leon winced, clearly familiar with Narlafayn's speech and dreading it.
"Suck it up you ninny." She commanded, sticking her tongue out at him. She turned back to Sharmin. "I keep telling him, he needs himself a good woman to get his stick out of the mud." Narlafayn paused in annoyance as giggles erupted from the ledge once more. "Anyway. You interested?" she finished, staring directly into Sharmin's eyes.
"Interested..?" Sharmin asked, uncertain. Narlafayn nodded enthusiastically and patted Leon on the top of his head.
"Yeah! To become his wife! I think that's the best thing he needs right now." She said happily. Both Sharmin and Leon's souls seemed to explode at that moment, both of their faces turned identical shades of maroon.
"He's already got a good woman." Vuylay stated matter-of-fact, jumping gracefully from her perch.
"And who pray tell, would that be?" Narlafayn asked, lowering her eyes in annoyance.
"Me of course." Vuylay responded, placing one hand on her hip, inspecting the fingernails of the other and jutting her chest out in a similar manner that Koyori had done. Sharmin's head whipped around quickly and she gave Vuylay the look of burning daggers. Leon's face turned an even darker shade of red (it was a wonder that there was a darker shade for him to turn to). Vuylay met Sharmin's glare with a smirk, and a new rivalry was born.
A bit later Sharmin led the group towards the Orphan's Home. Gatz had long since gone on ahead, leaving her to lead the group back alone. Leon trailed along behind the girls, the distance putting Sharmin's tense mind at ease and giving her a chance to mull over the events that had just occurred. Her cheeks grew pink as she realized she'd had her first kiss, finally. Vuylay, walking a few steps behind her, noticed her flushed face, even in the dark. Unable to resist an opening in her new subject of teasing, a smile pulled at her plump lips and she matched her pace with Sharmin's.
"So he kissed you, hmm?" she began, enjoying how Sharmin's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. Vuylay's grin turned a little wicked at how Sharmin attempted to hide the embarrassment in her voice.
"It's ok to talk about it; all of us saw you guys." Vuylay urged, trying not to giggle. Sharmin's face had gone pale at this comment and she halted in their trek. Narlafayn, not paying attention, smacked into her back and stumbled.
"Why are we stopping?" she asked, flicking off bits of Sharmin's splintering wood armor from her breastplate. Sharmin stiffly turned her head to glance over her shoulder at Leon, who gazed back at her with an innocent questioning look. She turned back quickly and started walking towards the house again at a brisker pace.
"What's the hurry? Why don't you tell us about the island as we go?" Vuylay called after her, her voice wavering with suppressed laughter. Sharmin didn't answer her, and instead sped up, her shoulders hunching as she swung her arms to keep up with her pace. The house was in sight, and Sharmin lowered her head, squinting her eyes shut as humiliated tears stung them.
"Welcome back, Sharmin." Komugi said from the picnic table in the front yard. She was cuddled against an attractive boy on top of it, reclined slightly from watching the stars. The boy was one of the few older ones living in the house, and had pined for Komugi for weeks. The miraculous recovery Koyori helped her through seemed to have put her back on track in the dating world as well. Sharmin didn't say a word to her and rushed into the house, slamming the door behind her. Confused, Komugi pushed herself up and stared at the door.
"It's not my fault she's so sensitive." Vuylay stated airily, tossing the end of her high ponytail over her shoulder. Komugi turned her head towards the direction their voices carried from. As they came into view she scooted herself off of the table to greet them.
"That's not the point, Vuylay. You just met the girl and you're already giving her a hard time. Can't you have some sort of good behavior period so people can get used to you before you start ripping into them?" Narlafayn shot back, angry.
"What good is that? I don't get the reaction I'm looking for that way." Vuylay answered honestly, her token wicked smile returning. Narlafayn sighed and rubbed her head.
"Do you think Sharmin is ok?" Leon asked suddenly. Narlafayn twitched and looked at him.
"Leon…. are you that dense?" Narlafayn asked, lowering her eyelids in annoyance. Leon blinked and scratched his head in thought.
"I don't think so…that must've been some fierce stomachache Sharmin had though to make her run off so quickly. You think it was something she ate? We'd better tell someone to make sure no one else ate it either." He stated. Both Narlafayn and Vuylay stared at him with wide eyes.
"You really are in your own little world there, aren't you?" Narlafayn stated, bewildered.
"Welcome back Leon, good to see you're as clueless as you've always been." Komugi said, interrupting Vuylay and Narlafayn's dumbfounded ness.
"Good eve, Komugi. I'm not sure what you meant by that, but it's good to see you again too." Leon responded, smiling nervously. Komugi sighed and shook her head.
"Don't think about it too hard, you might break something important. Anyway, come on in, and introduce us to your friends. Dinner's almost ready, so you got here just in time." Komugi said maturely, leading the way into the house. The boy on the table watched her go with a sad expression; obviously unhappy their cuddling session got interrupted.
Leon was well received by the children of the house, as he often times played with them during Darksday while studying at Cedric's. Several girls around Komugi's age suddenly grew shy in his presence and fidgeted in the background, their cheeks pink. Narlafayn proved to be a new playmate, and was soon giving the smaller children spinning aerial rides or letting girls play with her hair. The girls seemed to be awed by the silvery-ness of her hair, and spent more time brushing it to get it shinier than actually doing anything with it. Vuylay was stuck in a chair staring uncertainly at a toddler who was staring wide-eyed at her chest. Several boys gathered around her to stare at her speechless, some with mouths agape and Vuylay smiled nervously. She was used to grown men giving her this kind of reaction, but she didn't know how to deal with it coming from kids.
"Yes, yes. That's enough." Komugi stated, rounding up the boys and pushing them away. "Why don't you just ignore the old woman in the corner and go play with Leon?" she offered, casting a cynical grin towards Vuylay. Vuylay caught it instantly and stiffened.
"I can't say that I blame them." Vuylay began, lifting the toddler and looking him in the face. "Boys do know a good thing when they see it. I daresay they aren't looking at YOU, now are they?" she finished, her own barbed smile forming.
"Oh I like her." Koyori said, leaning on the wall near the stairwell. Komugi's hair prickled and stood out for a second time that night, and she began to resemble an angry cat.
"Yeah right Vuylay, your boobs are about the only thing that leaves people speechless." Narlafayn put in, sitting up from tickling a giggling girl on the floor. Her hair was full of static from the multiple brushings the girls had given her, and flew out in all directions. "I mean c'mon, has a guy ever gone for your intelligence or charming personality?" Komugi's hair flattened again and she turned a beaming smile towards Narlafayn.
"So sayeth the elf that can't get a man." Vuylay shot back. "Really, you've said yourself you find Dark Elf men attractive, and Shilien knows Dark Elves aren't that picky when it comes to lovers, explain to me again why you can't seem to get one?" Narlafayn's face turned crimson, and she stood up, her shoulders tense.
"Don't you dare bring that up here you big breasted bi-"
"Oh hey! Are you feeling better Sharmin?" Leon suddenly asked loudly as Sharmin wandered down the stairs. She had removed her armor and wore a blue leather skirt with a white sleeveless cotton shirt. This had been her armor at one time, but now she wore it as her at-home clothes. Sharmin paused at the sound of his voice and her eyes went wide. She had fallen asleep after making a beeline for her room and had forgotten that Leon was there. Vuylay turned away from the seething Narlafayn to cast a beaming smile in Sharmin's direction. Sharmin stiffened under it, but wandered to the table to munch on a leftover roll from dinner, pretending she didn't notice.
"Aren't you the lucky one? Now you have another chance to tell him." Komugi murmured to her, leaning down near her ear. Sharmin's cheeks turned pink again and she paused mid bite. "Why don't you start things off by asking him what he's been up to? It's a grand way to flirt without being obvious." She suggested. Sharmin promptly shut her eyes and finished biting through the roll and chewed. Komugi glared at her, familiar with Sharmin's method of ignoring.
"So Leon, Sharmin wants to know what you've been up to since you left." Komugi said loudly over the giggles and chattering of the children. Sharmin's eyes shot open and she dropped her roll.
"Komugi, don't!" Sharmin hissed, pulling on the sleeve of her tunic. Leon looked up at Komugi, his eyebrows raised, as children climbed over him. A girl had latched onto his shoulders and giggled as he moved, pleased with herself. Behind him, Vuylay made her way into the kitchen, still holding the toddler, followed by a train of dumbstruck boys watching her walk. Komugi's new boyfriend was among them, and she shot him an acidic glare, which he never noticed.
"Well, I haven't really done much…" Leon started, pulling himself to a chair and unhooking the girl from his shoulders. He launched into an average tale about life on the mainland. Sharmin was surprised to find out that he hadn't stayed with Narlafayn as much as it appeared. They'd paid the Gatekeeper to use her displacement magic on them to send them back to the Elven Forest once they reached Gludin. Narlafayn stayed with him for a bit after that, helping him train, before leaving him by himself to travel to Gludio.
The most prominent parts of his tale seemed to be that he was invited into a clan of lower status, and that he'd met a young dwarf by the name of Junk Pixie, who helped him get the armor and weaponry he needed. Narlafayn interjected an opinion or her own addition to the tale here and there, and by the time Leon had rounded back to the present, the room erupted with questions from the children. Sharmin smiled at an embarrassed answer he gave to a boy who asked if the Lireins of the Elven Forest were really naked as the tales said, and glanced towards the window as a passing figure caught her eye. She quietly excused herself and pushed away from the table to make her way towards the door. Komugi watched her go with a questioning tilt to her head, then shrugged and turned back to listen to Leon.
Sharmin stepped outside and took a breath of air. It was getting stuffy in the house with all the occupants gathered in one room; the coolness of the evening was a welcoming change. Her eyes widened as she saw Gatz come around from the back of the house, a bag slung over his shoulder. He glanced at her without expression, and plopped his bag on the picnic table, which he began to rummage through, making room for the daggers he'd grabbed from the back shed. It came to dawn on Sharmin that he was packing to leave, and she rushed towards him.
"Where are you going?" she said, her eyes large. Gatz paused for a moment, and then shrugged, not looking at her. "Gatz, what's the matter? Are you angry about earlier?" Sharmin tried again, her voice taking a desperate edge. Gatz shut his bag with force, his hands hitting the table with the movement.
"Yes and no." he finally said. He sighed in frustration and went over to a cellar door to gather some food stored there. "But don't worry about it. I'm sure DiValmont can do a better job than I ever could."
"What are you talking about? Leon's just is visiting! He'll be gone in a few days if not sooner!" Sharmin said incredulously. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; Gatz was leaving because of Leon? "You and Leon are completely different, right down to your profession, what could he possibly have that is making you act this way?" she demanded, putting a hand on his arm as he descended into the cellar. He turned his head slowly, first to glance at her hand, and then gazed directly into her eyes. Sharmin stared back for a moment before her cheeks turned pink and she turned away, clutching the hand she'd used to hold him back to her chest. She kept her back turned to him as he returned from the cellar and added what he'd grabbed to his bag. She quietly gasped in surprise as his arms suddenly circled her shoulders as he embraced her from behind.
"This is probably for the best anyway. I need to get back out there and train myself to become stronger. Please understand, it's not like I haven't enjoyed myself here, with you, but Leon returning is just the fates saying it's time for me to move on." He said quietly, his breath blowing the tiny hairs by her ear. Goosebumps rose up over Sharmin's arms at the sensation, and she placed a hand on his forearm, acknowledging the hug. "You can come with me." Gatz offered, hugging her a bit firmer. Sharmin squinted her eyes and sighed. This was the first time someone had ever shown an interest in her, but it distressed her with the object of a many-year crush being in such close proximity to where they were then that she didn't know how to react. Her heart began a conflict over how she felt for both men. Even though one was interested, she still stubbornly stayed rooted in her affection towards Leon, as oblivious as he was to it.
"I…can't. I can't leave Komugi here…" she said quietly. This was only a half-truth, as the real reason was she didn't feel she were strong or brave enough to leave the island. This was also coupled with the fact that she wanted to stay within range of Leon after not seeing him for so long. Gatz sighed heavily, another action that sent tingles down Sharmin's neck and arms and he released her slowly. Before she pulled away completely, he gently cupped a hand to her cheek and turned her head to face him and kissed her again. This kiss, unlike before, was softer, gentler. A goodbye kiss. He pulled away, almost reluctantly, and took his bag from the table. Without a word or backwards glance he made his way down the path from the house, leaving Sharmin to watch him with a forlorn expression, hugging herself as the air around her suddenly felt cold.
"That was quite the dramatic exit." A voice came as Gatz passed a tree. He glanced sidelong as Koyori pushed herself from her lean against it. Gatz shut his eyes in annoyance as she came to walk beside him.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop." Gatz stated deadpan, not looking at her. Koyori batted her eyes sweetly at him, causing him to roll his own.
"Oh don't be such a puissant. You should be glad that I've decided to come with you." Koyori stated, very proud of herself. Gatz paused to stare at her, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He silently began his trek up again, at a faster pace. "Hey!" Koyori shouted, trying to keep up with his pace. "What kind of reaction is that?"
"Nobody asked you." Gatz mumbled.
"Oh sure you didn't, but could Sharmin have kept you healed like I can? We all know how you like rushing into battle. You should feel honored that I'm even willing to go with you after the daily trauma you put me through." She snapped. "Heck, don't enjoy my company, I just need someone to travel with for awhile. If I get that annoying, then we'll part ways after three months, got it?"
"Fine." Gatz gave in wearily. Koyori made a victory motion with one of her arms before taking up a comfortable pace behind him, her hands folded in front of her as she hummed happily to herself. The only one, who would end up missing Koyori surprisingly, would be Komugi, as she came to realize the absence of her rival several days later.