MJC: Eh-heh, it's been over a year since I've updated this story. Time really flies, huh? It's kind of funny 'cause I had written around 1k words on time and then... I kinda lost interest?
Elgang: Woooowww.
MJC: I apologize for neglecting this story. Fortunately, I know exactly how it will play out. I imagine two or three more chapters until it's completion ^^;
Aisha: You are despicable.
Elsword: You're worse than Elesis when it comes to neglecting things.
Elesis: Thanks!
MJC: Eeehhh, I don't own Elsword...
Refrigerator Prophecies: Act I
The Wolf Who Fell in Love with Little Red Riding Hood
Part 4
The Wolf Was Confused...
To say the least. First of all, that Elesis woman was attempting to... help him? That was strange, as he had not communicated with any sort of human, let alone woman who wanted to assist him, in quite awhile.
Then, all those memories. Who was that little girl? For some reason, Ran felt rather... ashamed that he had made her cry. Those flames too, they weren't a normal color. They were deep, deep, so very deep.
They called him to join them.
He had been scared that day, whenever, and whatever, it was. He was so conflicted at that moment. He couldn't remember, but did he even want to? And there was something about that woman. Something so... Powerful.
It calmed him, somehow.
Ran blinked. There was something tapping on his conscious. Something he felt as if he never should have forgotten.
Aren.
Little Red Riding Hood attempted to prevent herself from frowning.
"Has the deed not been done?!" The Elder stood quivering in rage like a crooked arrow just released from a bow's string.
"No sir, my hunting skills seem to be... a bit lacking." She explained, managing to not ground her teeth away.
"Well hurry! I'm not going to pay you if it's finished by the end of the week!" Elesis grit her teeth, but did not open her mouth.
"Yes sir. However, I request authorization to your town library's complete collection." A scraggly eyebrow rose on the Elder's dropped features.
"Why?" Elesis turned to leave.
"Just grant it to me, or not." She spat, finally losing ground against her temper. Taken aback, even if just a little, the Elder nodded before replying.
"But only as a part of your payment." Grinning, Elesis strode out, head high. Once she disappeared, the Elder growled. That woman demanded far too much. Just two days ago, she had requested nothing but a few gold coins.
"What is Miss Elesis of the Red Knights planning, eh?" The Elder spoke. However, his voice was distorted. Wavering with tones of darkness, and corruption. He scowled, turning to a trunk located next to a large shelf, which bent a bit under the weight of many books.
Glancing around, he confirmed that no one was around. Creaking emit as the Elder slowly pulled the trunk's lid up. One singular parchment, stained with a single rune in blackened ink.
The Elder grinned, licking his lips in anticipation.
"Maybe this time I'll get to have a bit of fun."
Elesis walked straight through the woods, unsure of where she was going.
"Wol- er, Ran!" She called keeping dignity in mind. The wolf sluggishly walked towards her, a distant look in his slightly fogged eyes.
"I believe the village elder is the culprit to your... Whatever it was that happened to you." She stated, quite proudly, actually.
"How so?" Ran grunted, eyes refocusing on the brilliant crimson girl before him.
"He's a very suspicious man, however, I managed to persuade him into allowing me full access to all records within the library." Cocking where one might consider an eyebrow to be, if wolves' had eyebrows, Ran gave a questioning look. "And through diligent research, I discovered a bit more about what was originally some tall tale."
"How does this involve me?" Still unused to his voice, Ran questioned her with a raspy throat.
"It involves you because apparently, you were almost arrested for illegal use of Dark magic." She stated, disapprovingly. Ran looked at her, something a little more than boredom sparked in his eyes.
"And?" Ran questioned, "We already knew that, didn't we?" This was where Elesis grinned.
"You were almost arrested by a certain Elder of the Village..." Her tone turned insinuating, trying to allow the Wolf to finish that thought. He gave her a blank stare. With a sigh, she finished, "the book where I obtained the information of your curse, and arrest, was published almost a century ago. The Elder in that tale was just as old as the current Elder. How could anyone live that long?"
Ran's jaw cracked open a bit, realization washing over him.
"Not only that, but I have not found any record telling of a different Elder in over three hundred years." Elesis pursed her lips. "I wonder how this village has been able to survive for so long?" The girl said aloud.
"Perhaps the Elder cursed the whole damn town." Ran growled, looking to the forest. Elesis' eyes lit up.
"If that were true, I would get a huge reward for busting this guy!" The knight was practically drooling at the prospect. "I wouldn't have to go on another quest for months!" The girl looked excitedly at Ran, who responded with a rather dead pan face. "You're right, first, I have to uncover the scandal!" She stood up, determination coming off her in an aura.
"I didn't say anything."
"But still! Finally, a chance at bonding with my poor little, helpless brother!" The girl's eyes gleamed.
Somewhere far away, a boy with spiky red hair sneezed. He lost the sparring match he had been participating in.
Ran's expression continued to radiate his ill amusement. This woman was crazy. But still, the smile on her face was quite charming.
"Isn't it great, Ran?" She had turned to him then. He blinked before remembering.
"My name is Aren." Elesis looked bit confused, before her face once again lit p in a smile.
"So you're saying you remembered your true name? That's wonderful!" She grabbed his hand- er, paw. "That'll make research so much easier!" And with that, she dashed off. "I'll start right now!" Aren watched her back as she left. Just before disappearing from his sight, she turned and waved cheerfully.
A light smile touched Aren's grotesque lips. What a strange woman.
The elder had his suspicions. That Elesis woman was almost too easy to read, even without the spells he had stolen. She was obviously stalling, but why? What could she hope to gain from stalling so long.
Unless, perhaps, she had interacted with the blaster wolf!
Anger flashed through the elder's conscious. It coursed straight through his veins, like poison in his bloodstream. That anger remained when the sudden excitement jolted through his body. So close she was to discovering him! Perhaps it would be enjoyable to tear her and that damn wolf apart.
He could hardly wait.
The sun once again set, and another day broke. Elesis was up well before the breaking had occured, searching through book after book, record after record. A whole new world had opened up to her, but the only thing she was searching for was those four little letters. Aren.
After digging through a nearly insufferable mountain of dust and paper, she finally found something. An old record of folklore. Apparently, there was a great fox demon who had taken up residence in the same forest Aren lived in. The fox demon, however, had inadverdantly stolen the home of a resident demon lord.
The demon lord was, naturally very upset, so he confronted the fox. They dueled, but the demon lord managed to seal the fox demon away in a hairpin with dark rune magic (this specific detail was inferenced, as the folklore had referenced "drawing' the magic rather than simply casting a spell). This hairpin was recovered by a Haan from a land of sand, and never seen in this tiny village again.
There was then a list of scrawled names, obviously not there originally, at the bottom of the last page. Some of the names, however, were scratched out. Only two remained.
"Aren and Ara Haan." Elesis whispered to herself. With an owly blink, she decided to consult Aren about it in the morning.
Nonchalantly, she slipped the page into her bag and indiscretely left the small village library. No one would miss the old thing.
MJC: So, if you're reading this, I thank thee for remaining loyal for OVER A FLIPPIN' YEAR. I mean seriously, I feel like a terrible person.
Raven: You are a terrible person.
MJC: Oh shut up!
Rena: Thank you to Desuchi, Palutena, Rosa, and Guest for reviewing last chapter!
MJC: Oh, and I noticed I didn't thank the reviewers of chapter two, so, thank you to Palutena, Kat Winn1, Kami No Tsurugi Kusanagi, and Rosa for reviewing chapter two! Hopefully I'll actually update this story in the near future. But hey, I have a three day weekend, so I'll hopefully get on it.
Goodbye for now,
~My-Joyful-Chaos