Legend of Dragoon
Recreation
Chapter 2 : Old Rivals?
Zylup
When the fire started, I went to go get more wood. I walked up to the fire, holding the wood, and threw it all I into it.
"Eh, that should be fine," I stated, "for now."
As I sat down, the girl started asking questions. "So, where'd you live? When were you born? Do you have a mom? A dad? What are their names? How 'bout any siblings?"
Five minutes later, she continued, "What's your favorite color? Do you even have a favorite color?"
Fifteen minutes later, and she was starting to get on my nerves. "What's your favorite food? Are you a virgin-"
"SHUT UP ALREADY!!" I shouted to the top of my lungs. I heard many birds around us fly away. After I tried catching my breath, I grunted and said, "Why are you even asking these questions?"
"Because," I heard her start, her voice a lot softer, "you saved me."
I just laughed and said, "You're the one that saved my ass in the first place."
"But," she replied, "what they could've done to me would be a lot worse than what they'd do to you."
"Yeah," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "I figured."
It was silent for a moment, until she added, "Besides, I only saved you by accident." I just sat on my own spare log. All I heard now was the fire crackling and the girl's finger tapping rapidly on her log.
Oh, yeah! My name," she popped up. "I'm Avrin. What's your name?"
My name. It's been forever since someone ever asked for my name. I just looked at her and slowly answered, "…It's Zylup."
After a moment, Avrin chuckled, "Wow, didn't I have a day? I get saved twice today. One, by you. The other, by that other guy, Enga."
My eyes shot open. I looked right at her and demanded, "Who!?"
Avrin looked at me curiously and recalled, "Enga. Why?"
Suddenly, somewhere behind Avrin, something – or someone – was moving in the woods. Avrin and I shot our focus right at the sound.
Out of nowhere, a figure appeared and demanded, "Who knows my name?"
Oh, God. Didn't I know that voice anywhere?
"Oh," he said, "just you two…"
It was Enga.
Avrin turned completely around and said cheerfully, "Enga!"
My hand clenched tightly on my dagger.
Overlooking the rest of the forestland seven hundred feet below, I stood to the right of Enga. God, that son-of-a-bitch, thinking he's so cool.
"So," I brought out of nowhere, "you met Avrin before?"
Slowly, he replied, "…In a way."
"Heh. Same here."
It was silent again.
I brought up again, "She saved your ass, too?"
He was silent. Probably flushing of embarrassment.
"Heh," I continued, "it's just funny; who would save you?"
He suddenly changed the topic, saying, "I didn't make your brother the way he is now."
I gagged. All the memories came rushing back in.
"Heh," I said, "I'd love to believe that…"
The memories were shown as pictures – pictures I can never forget. My brother treating that freak like he was his own younger brother. How I just eavesdropped and ran off, crying.
I clenched my fist. "You have no idea. It's all your fault!" At that instant, I punched Enga right in the face. He nearly fell to the ground.
Suddenly, a tree ten feet behind us rattled. We both looked at the tree. I walked up to it slowly, only to hear someone chant:
"Please don't catch me, please oh please? Please don't catch me, please-"
"I can hear you from here," I interrupted.
"…Oh…" Slowly, the person climbed down the tree. Already from the feet to the hips, could I tell it was Avrin.
"What are you doing?" I said.
After she landed, Avrin replied, "Watching him." She pointed at Enga.
"Why?" I said.
"So he won't disappear again," she said.
I just laughed and said, "Well, I'd like him to abra-kadabra out of here!" I stormed back to the campsite.
"Z-Zylup!" I heard Avrin call behind me, but I wasn't going to listen. I sat on my log, watching the flames of the fire flicker.
In half a minute later, I saw Avrin (dragging Enga) coming towards me. Slightly freaked out, I said, "What do you want?"
"I understand we have a few problems on our hands," she began, "but we can settle this." She sat Enga to the right of me. I was about to get up to leave, but she pinned me down while sitting between us. I glared. So did Enga.
"Ok," she began, "now let's tell each other what's good and bad about one another." I laughed at the idea. "It's that or campfire songs," she warned. I shutted up, glaring out in the woods. "Ok, I'll start first," she stated. She looked back and forth at me and Enga. "Well… You're both good people, and…" I interrupted with a snort. "Shut up!" she commanded. I did so. "And," she continued, "…you're both cool, yeah…" She looked at me and said, "Your turn!" I just glared at her. "…Ok," Avrin said, "well, you know what? Maybe we all need a good night's rest." She slapped her hands together. She walked over to the other log and sat against it, arms crossed. "Good night!" Avrin said, but she just stared at us.
Feeling either amused or annoyed, I said, "Do you sleep with your eyes open or something?"
"Just making sure you two don't run away," she replied.
"This is going to be a long night," I heard Enga mutter.
I was asleep. I kept on dreaming about my brother. I don't know why, but it was hurting my head. It hurt even worse when something hit my head. I shot myself up, shook my head, and saw that Enga was looking at me from the other log.
"H-Hey!" I shouted.
"She's gone," Enga said.
"Huh?" I scoot myself to a comfortable position.
"The girl. She's gone."
"Avrin?" I asked. "Why would she leave? She stayed up just to make sure we didn't."
"That's what I want to know," Enga said, sniffing the air. He stood up, walked over to my log, and picked up a leaf. As I got up, I noticed that the leaf wasn't only green.
It was dark red.
"Is it…" I began.
"No," Enga said, examining the leaf, "it's not her blood." He lifts his head, sniffing the air. He dropped the leaf. "But that's where she's heading."
Immediately, I walked over to the other log and put on my belt, sliding my dagger into its sheath on the side of the belt. "Let's go," I said.
Enga nodded. Then he ran, chasing the scent. I followed.
Avrin
I walked into the warehouse, being very cautious. I couldn't understand why he left us alive. That's what I wondered at first, until when I found my gem missing and the leaf.
Must've already been full to kill us.
Scanning the area, I walked very slowly. I gripped the handle of my kusari-gama real tight. Suddenly, I heard a faint clank, silently bouncing off all the walls. I stopped walking. There was silence.
"Show yourself, Warven!" I shouted.
After hearing my voice echo, I heard footsteps from above. I shot my head up. There he was; one floor above me.
"Avrin," Warven said, "so glad for you to come." He took a bite of the giant drumstick thing that was in his hand.
"Shut up," I demanded. "Just give me what's mine, now."
"Oh, sure," he announced, "but first, you gotta deliver us lunch."
"Heh," I gave a not-so-nice smirk. I raised my weapon. "No, thanks."
Warven sighed and said, kicking the rail twice, "Well, my mother never said I shouldn't play with my food."
At that moment, his minion friends came out of a door in front of me. They were strong, yes. But I was ready.
At that moment, I threw my kusari-gama like a boomerang behind the first two. I yanked it back, tripping the two guys. I immediately ran over, jumping on the twosomes' backs. I heard them grunt, but I didn't stop there. I swung my kusari-gama around my head, making it hit the other two guys. After they fell back, I swung the kusari-gama to the left and right of me, hitting the two guys on my feet. I jumped off, watching all four of them struggle to get up. Obliviation. Yeah, I know.
I suddenly heard clapping. I looked up, seeing Warven clapping.
"Excellent," he said, amused, "excellent, indeed."
I softly growled in anger.
Suddenly, behind me, I heard someone come in and say, "Avrin!"
Zylup
Enga and I ran in.
"Avrin!" I called. I saw her with her weapon, standing before what looked like was a massacre. Did she kill all these guys by herself? (What do you know? – Not only does she ask too many questions, but also kills like a serial killer.)
She turned and saw us, then said, "Guys?"
I looked up and saw the guy from yesterday, laughing. Then he said with oh-so much joy, "You've even brought the other two meat! Thank you, Avrin!"
Meat? I looked at Avrin and asked, "Avrin? What's he talking about?"
She looked back, first down, then up at the guy. "He's…" she began. I looked at him too, seeing him taking a bite out of his meat. Meat. She turned around, looking at Enga and I, and said, "He's a cannibal."
I gagged. For a second, it was like I couldn't breath.
"Well, thank you for introducing me, Avrin," he said, "'but I must finish up my meal, now." The guy jumped down. Right when he did, the corpses on the ground began to twitch. All so suddenly, the dead bodies' wounds were healing.
"God," I whispered. The things were coming back to life.
"You used the Art of Puppetry," Enga so-suddenly said, "to bring the corpse, that you once ate, leftover to create your own minions."
"You catch on well, my friend," the guy said. "Now…" He looked at Avrin. "It is time to feast."
When I realized what was about to happen, my eyes snapped open. "Av-" I was interrupted when the four zombie men appeared in front of us. "Now," the guy said, licking his lips, "let's dig in."
Avrin
I gulped. I've been in this situation before. This is only a replay.
Enga and Zylup were in a sticky situation as I was. This was because of all but one stupid gem. For some reason, I felt attached to it. Maybe that's why Warven stole it. Like a fish biting the bait.
Immediately, I charged right at him, ready to attack. Before the blade of my kusari-gama got near his face, Warven grabbed it with both of his hands. His hands started bleeding. I kicked his hands out of the way with my right foot. The kick left me spinning halfway. I put my hands in front of me as I fell to the ground. I kicked my left foot to hit Warven, but I missed because he jumped. I rolled out of the way before he could land on me, and – eventually – I rolled up on my feet.
Besides having cannibalism, Warven also has brutal strength. That's why it's hard to kill him.
I threw my kusari-gama, but he jumped and landed on it. He started running towards me. I expected him to just run up and eat my face off. Instead, he grabbed the chain of my kusari-gama and started running around me, around me, around me…
He was tying me up.
Before I even had a chance to react, it was already too late.
Zylup
Slash. Slash. Dodge. Stab. No matter how many times we attacked them, they kept coming back to life. They kept blocking our way.
Suddenly, they stopped. They just looked at us, appearing absent-minded. I looked straight forward, seeing why they stopped.
That guy had Avrin. She was wrapped around her upper body with chain. Her eyes were wide open, filled with fear. They guy's head was next to hers, hands on her shoulders. I gripped my dagger tightly.
"Hmm," the guy began, looking at Avrin's ear, "whaddya say, boys? Rare," – he looked at us – "or well done?" He looked back at Avrin. "As for me, I prefer mine raw."
Suddenly, Avrin jerked out, "Don't listen to him! He's just trying to lure both of you, too!"
Okay, this was really starting to get on my nerves. But I couldn't just expect to grab and pull her away without losing her ear. Maybe I can –
Suddenly, Enga is behind the guy and stabs him in the back. Don't ask how, he just did.
At first, the guy's eyes were wide open from shock. Then he fell to the ground. Avrin scooted to the side so she wouldn't be tumbled on. She looked down at the dead guy, then at Enga, then back, and so forth.
"I could've done that," Avrin blurted out.
After she got the chain off (which I realized was her weapon), she bended down and searched the dead body. While she was doing that, I looked back at the minion guys. They were dead too. Dead-dead.
"Kill the puppeteer," I whispered, "and the show's over."
If I never met Avrin, the same fate would've happened to her.
As we left, I noticed that the last face that the dead guy made on his face was a smirk, as though he had triumphed. Triumphed in what?