Howdy, folks! It's Monday! So, yeah. Nothing all that new on my end.
So, ah… About the Sephylon challenge… You guys were just throwing out different languages, some with educated guesses. Two of you got the correct language, but I was hoping for something a bit more precise. I guess I'll leave it up to you guys for a vote. Should I give the prize or wait to see if you guys can get what I'm looking for? Just a simple 'give it' or 'wait for it' in your review would be great :) Also, another rule that I meant to add last chapter, but forgot. If you want to claim the prize, you'll have to sign your review with a name, even if it's still anonymous, okay? All guesses without a name (that haven't been claimed by someone) are considered void. Sorry ^^;
Anyway, we have twenty-four reviews this week! Wowzas! Many thanks to firesarrow, Rose-Aki, AnimeKiwi369, FiringShootingStar, theforgottenpeople96, RobotFish, Mixer 18, RunoandAkizafan, Netiri Vi Britannia, Star-Rose Lover, Darkangel2221, blackbird512, and ProChampionDuelistA. K. A. Pyro for their reviews!
And anons this time are LDC, JC, Fire, LDC (Number two), Seeker Heart coming back as an anon, ChibiX, and four guests, one of which turned out to be Rapis-Razuri! I'm breaking this up into a few paragraphs so it isn't just a massive flood of text. I think it'll be a bit easier to navigate.
LDC: Yeah, I know, you guys have been waiting awhile for them to finally confess, but I can promise there'll be lots of fluff to come! And thanks for sharing my work with your brother! JC: See the note above, thanks. Fire: Thanks! Here's an update! LDC II: Welcome aboard and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :) Thanks for telling me you're someone else ^_^ I would've gotten confused, I think. If you continue to read and review, would it be at all possible to use a different sign-on so I can tell the difference between you guys? Thanks!
Seeker Heart: Hm, I admit, I'm curious as to what Ocarina was going to say right there… I always love to hear theories! Thanks for reading, you guys! ChibiX: Well, I guess we can assume it was a happy dream, then. Thanks for sharing that, by the way. It makes me happy to know my story leaves that great of an impression on people. I like Crow, but I don't really love him like I do Yusei, Z-one, Akiza, Bruno, and Luna. Those five are probably my series favorites. But he is entertaining, though I don't like how they pushed Akiza to the background in the WRGP, either. I've been having this conversation with a few others, too :) I can respect your decision to focus on the happy and not mention what you dislike, though I certainly encourage constructive criticism. Also, you did great with your English ^_^ You know, now that you mention it, Yusei really is kind of rude, isn't he? I've been watching the Japanese version for the first time, and I just realized that he addresses everyone by their given name and doesn't use any honorifics ever. Huh. For some reason, I always had it in my head that he was a respectable person in canon. I guess that makes his attitude in Sunset Horizon a little less out-of-character, doesn't it?
And, as per usual, my thanks go out to RobotFish for his incredible beta work! Thanks!
And, here we have chapter thirteen. Enjoy!
Sunset Horizon
Chapter 13 – Curtain Rising
Yusei felt good when he left the Dragon's Claw that day, finally content for the first time in a long time. He had been terrified of Miss Izinski—Akiza—finding out the truth behind his actions, but now that he'd spilled his heart out to her, he was finding it brought him more peace than harm. He had kissed her and she didn't mind. Not only that, but she reciprocated.
She loved him.
She loved him as much as he loved her. She let him bandage her wounds and hold her as she fell asleep, brush her tears away and run his fingers through her hair. She wanted him to stay beside her while she struggled through a traumatic experience. She wanted to be with him.
The fact made him a deliriously happy man. He had to be patient for a little while longer, though. She had told him of Sayer and how he had attacked her for thinking about him, so they had to pretend they weren't any closer until the man was dead. The last thing they needed was for him to go further off the deep end. The Enforcers were planning an attack on him, knowing now that they didn't have to worry about Akiza getting caught in the middle. She had sworn to stay far away from him.
Two days had passed since then, and Yusei found himself going back to the bar for a drink and a game of cards with his friends. The interactions between himself and Akiza had changed drastically, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling when he saw her or let his touch on her hand linger. He knew they needed to conceal their newfound relationship, but he couldn't help himself.
He had wanted to touch her for so long, and now he had her permission to do so. He pushed the door open and walked up to the bar, leaning on the edge and casting Akiza a flirtatious smile. "Good morning, Miss Izinski."
He caught sight of Bruno raising his eyebrows a little further down the counter, though the blue-haired man wisely chose not to comment. He hadn't gotten there early enough yesterday to see Yusei's arrival, and frankly, the man didn't strike him as the most intuitive. Apparently, he had completely missed the glances they had shot towards each other across the many hours Yusei had spent in her bar.
Akiza looked like she was trying to keep her smile back, fighting to make their relationship appear like it used to be. Her face scrunched adorably as she forced a frown forward and muttered, "The usual?"
He couldn't help but smile wider at the effort behind her actions. "Naturally."
She turned away to get a glass and pour his drink, keeping her back to him so she wouldn't have to look at him. She was so cute, getting flustered so easily. He felt so much better about himself since they had spoken, but he still found it easy to slip into his cover personality. He'd been living that lie for five years now, he could manage for a few more days. She didn't have that sort of practice behind her façade, and he could see her slipping easily.
It didn't matter too much. So long as Sayer or any of his followers didn't see, they would be fine. He knew a few of the townsfolk had become die-hard servants of the psychic, and he wasn't sure if it was natural or not. It kind of scared him, how convicted the town had become to believing in him and how dedicated some of the armed men were in defending him.
It was a problem he hadn't foreseen, and casualties on civilians were not a part of the plan. He just hoped they were doing it by their own will and not as a part of Sayer's powers. His fight was with Sayer, not the townsfolk who got themselves involved in something much deeper than they could ever know.
He took his drink with another wink towards Akiza and headed over to his regular table, shooing Crow out of his seat so he could face the bar and watch her from a distance. To his right, Jack sighed and muttered, "We're not going to get a good game out of him, are we?"
Crow leaned back in his new seat across from Yusei. "Probably not."
Kalin shrugged as he shuffled the deck expertly. "We can give him two days. Or we can fill him with so much liquor that he forgets what he's doing here and loses every hand, anyway."
Jack frowned. "Not much difference either way. One, he's ogling the bartender and not paying attention, or two, he's drunk and not paying attention."
"Yeah," Crow muttered. "But the getting-him-drunk one sounds a lot more fun."
"Agreed," Kalin added.
"I could go for that. Just make sure you order from Bruno, since Akiza's lost like a poodle in the-" Jack said, pausing and glancing down to his side to find Max standing there, tugging on his sleeve.
Yusei snapped his attention away from Akiza and joined his friends in looking at the kid curiously. Max stared at Jack, and though he still wasn't a very talkative kid, he had managed to open up in the month since he'd been freed. He didn't smile much either, but he still gravitated back towards Jack. He and his sister had started helping Akiza as something of waiters, going out on the floor with trays and collecting glasses as needed. He tugged on Jack's sleeve again and spoke in a whisper, saying, "Mr. Atlas?"
The kids always addressed them—and every other patron—by a title and their last names, but Yusei imagined it had something to do with being raised as slaves. Jack grimaced slightly and grumbled, "What?"
He opened his mouth to speak again, but paused as the double doors of the bar crashed open loudly and four men walked inside. Slowly, he shifted to cower behind Jack as one—the apparent leader—walked over to the bar and leaned against it, grinning towards Akiza. "Hey, there."
Yusei stayed seated, but watched carefully with narrowed eyes as the three waited by the door with their hands on their guns. His own hand slipped under the table, reaching for a back-up weapon he'd selected from his stock of smithing results. Crimson knew he had enough guns, but he missed the way Stardust fit in his grip.
He noticed his friends tense beside him, all of them watching to see what this man would do. The air he gave off was exuding evil intent, and Yusei had a feeling he wasn't there for a drink.
The man reached across the counter, snagging Akiza's arm and pulling as if to drag her right over the top, saying, "The boss wants you, girl! There'll be no running for you!"
Yusei jumped to his feet, drawing the gun from his holster and pointing to fire. The man released a grunt of pain and stumbled back, a pale-skinned palm extended where his chin had been moments ago. Bruno stood beside Akiza, gently tugging on her arm to move her to safety before grabbing hold of the bar and curling into a full frontflip, bringing the heels of his boots down on the offending man's shoulders.
He fell to the floor in surprise as the blue-haired man twisted to spin fluidly to his feet. He cracked an axe kick down on the man's chest and turned, ducking as the three by the door drew their pistols and opened fire. Feinting under the bullets, he swept a kick under one's feet, knocking him to the floor before twisting and slamming his shoulder into the middle one's side, knocking him off his balance.
Reaching above him, he grabbed hold of the barrel to his musket and gripped it, throwing it across the room in a strong arc. It spiraled through the air, moving straight towards Yusei. He reached up to catch it, flipped it in his hold, cocked the barrel, and hopped onto the table to get a clear shot. He fired at the man still armed and standing, a direct hit on his upper arm resulting in him dropping his own gun, leaving him unarmed as Bruno slammed his elbow into his chest.
Before a full minute had passed, all four men were left on the floor with bruised ribs or, in the case of the shot one, a bloody arm. Silence rang through the room, not one person daring to speak in the events of what had just transpired. Bruno looked down at the three by his feet and shook his head, walking back to the leader. He gripped his collar and lifted him easily, bringing his nose to his own before saying, "You aren't welcome here. Get out."
Yusei's eyebrows rose as the male bartender tossed the man to the side, letting him stumble towards the door while his friends hastily followed. The raven-haired Enforcer lowered himself back to the floor, shouldering the musket and making his way to the bar. He had no idea Bruno had that sort of skill in him. He thought he was a lanky, imperceptive giant of a man. He should've known better than to judge on appearances, but he couldn't help himself.
When he got to the bar, he nodded to Bruno in a silent way of saying, 'thanks for that,' then continued to vault over the counter. He paused silently in front of Akiza as she stood from her position as a human shield for Annie and grasped her upper arms, pulling her to him in a tight embrace. His lips pressed a kiss to her hair as he mumbled, "Not a chance in hell."
She returned the embrace for a moment before she leaned back and asked, "What?"
"Not a chance in hell are you staying here tonight without me." He brought his hand up, running it through her hair and not caring who saw. "If he's pulling stunts like this, there's no way I'm letting you out of my sight."
She frowned and pulled out of his arms completely. "I don't need you to take care of me, Yusei."
"I'm not playing games! You need someone here to keep you and the kids safe!" he barked in a hushed shout, nodding his towards Annie. "Please. Just let me stay the night. I'll sleep on the floor in the hall if you want."
She shook her head, touching a hand to her forehead. "I'm not playing games, either! I'm capable of protecting myself!"
"You mean the way you protected yourself two nights ago?" he countered, freezing as soon as the words left his mouth. "I'm sorry," he quickly added, "I didn't mean…"
She took a step back and crossed her arms, nodding her head towards the rest of the bar to indicate that everyone was now watching them. "I'm not discussing this here."
"All right, then we won't talk here," he said, reaching out and taking her hand, pulling her off towards the stairs.
She stomped her feet to the ground, fighting with him but quickly realized how futile it was and gave up. He couldn't help but smile to himself as she let him drag her up the stairs, down the hall, and to her bedroom in silence. No doubt he'd be hearing it from the guys later, but all he cared about for now was talking to her in private. But if things escalated enough, he wouldn't argue with that, either.
He pushed her bedroom door open and stalked inside, pulling her with him before turning and demanding, "Show me."
She frowned, unsure of what he was referring to. "Show you?"
"That cut on your leg. I need to know that you've been taking care of yourself."
She shot him a cross look and asked, "It has to be the one on my thigh, eh? It can't be this one on the back of my wrist," she asked, holding up her hand to show. "Or the one on my shoulder?"
He took a few steps closer, reaching out to take her hands. "Akiza, I'm serious. I'm worried about your injuries, and I want to know if you're taking care of yourself. You're the type to ignore your own needs and help others. I ask about that particular injury because it was the worst one. Please, show me."
She sighed heavily and walked out of his hold, moving over to sit on the bed. Slowly, she lifted her skirt to reveal the long gash, but held it down so he couldn't see more than he asked for. "There, happy?"
He walked over and bent down in front of her, lightly pulling her stocking down and gently grazing the scab. He was sure his eyes were deceiving him. A wound like the one she had was deep enough to scar. Two days after it was inflicted, it should still be clotting and a nasty red color.
Her leg was pearly white, a thin mark running along where the scratch was. It was as if it was completely healed and just the pale pink scar was left. The cut was still clearly visible, but it looked as if it had been healing for two weeks, not two days.
He frowned, leaning back slightly before bringing his eyes to hers. "Kak…?"
Her eyebrow rose. "What?"
He shook his head, just realizing he'd slipped into the Sephylon tongue again. He had a knack for doing that now and then. "How…" he corrected. He held her thigh between his hands, gently smoothing his thumbs over the scar. "How is it already healed so well?"
She looked down at her thigh and ran her fingertips along the skin there. "I heal quickly. I always have. My mother was amazed by how quickly my skinned knees would heal."
He kept his eyes on her leg, still unable to believe it. "I've been told I heal quick. It would still take at least a week to get results you got in two days."
She gave a slight shrug. "Well, do you believe in magic?"
"Not until I got thrown across the room by nothing."
"Let me rephrase that. Do you believe in magic healing powers?"
"No."
"Then I heal quickly."
He sighed in frustration, stroking her scab one more time before standing and running a hand through his hair. "I'm not saying I have an explanation, but it still doesn't make sense."
Shrugging, she slid off the bed and smoothed her skirt. "There's nothing I can say."
He nodded once before reaching out and placing his hand along the crook of her neck and tugging her a little closer. He paused when their noses were touching, their lips just a hair apart. "I love you, that's all," he whispered, then moved the rest of the way and closed the space between them with a kiss.
…
Kalin sighed as he walked into the Dragon's Claw the day after Sayer made an indirect public assault on Akiza. He knew that what happened to Yusei two weeks ago was his fault. He shouldn't have let him go off on his own. His childhood friend didn't blame him for what happened, but instead said that his scar was a small price to pay in exchange for knowing about Sayer's abilities. Even so, he couldn't help but feel ashamed for what had happened. It was his fault, no matter what Yusei might say.
Though it had already been long enough to be dismissed by his friend, Kalin still felt the guilt and vowed to make up for it somehow. Until he figured out how, he decided he would get a drink on his own with the hopes of calming his blame and alleviating his stress. He made his way up to the counter, spying their regular table empty, and sat on a stool. The place was nearly empty for sunset, which seemed a little odd to him, but he wouldn't complain. The quieter atmosphere would be nice.
Sitting down, he kept a solid staring contest with the counter and decided to pass up beer in favor of something stronger. "Gin, please."
"Hitting it hard, huh?"
He glanced up, sighing again at the sight of Akiza filling a glass. Shaking his head, he brushed his long hair back to stay behind his ears and muttered, "So, you're our friend now?"
She gave a casual shrug and set the glass in front of him. "I'm not going to stop you, but I won't help you, either."
"Fair enough," he said. He could respect that. The woman had hated them for three years and stood against them, but after one night of whatever happened between her and Yusei—he didn't really want to know details—and she was suddenly docile towards them. He wouldn't complain.
"Admittedly, you're more normal than the rest of your friends," she said, flashing a quick smile.
He nodded once and offered a short smile in return. He sat in silence for bit, nursing his drink for a moment while trying to drown his thoughts. He was to blame, and he knew it.
"Kalin," she toned from somewhere above him.
He glanced up. "Yes?"
"Could I ask you something?" she asked, bending down behind her counter to arrange glasses while they talked.
"Uh, sure," he muttered, wondering what she wanted to talk to him about.
She rose back up, stiff and somewhat unsure. "It's… about Yusei's scar. How did he get a scar like that? It looks like it's intentionally done, and why is it gold?"
Biting back the returning guilt, he took a sip of his drink before saying, "It's an interesting story, really. You're familiar with slaves, right?"
Her brow crinkled, as if she wasn't sure where he was going with the subject. "Of course. They were emancipated over a hundred years ago."
"Officially, yes. However, slaves are still traded and sold among the Underground. You're taking care of two formers yourself, aren't you?"
She nodded once. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't met them."
"I can't blame you. But that's not where I was bringing this. How much do you know of slaves from the old days? Back when they were legal?"
"Not much, I admit. Why?"
"I'm getting there. In those days, slaves were registered with the management guild, and the families who owned them created a symbol, of sorts. This symbol was carved onto the faces of slaves as a form of identification with a tool called a skyte. The process is meant to be painful, and once the cut is made, a type of dye is added to the wound to make it gold. This way, slaves would be marked with the symbol of the family that owned them. If they decided to trade their slaves, the old mark would be scratched out with several cuts, then the new one would be applied. Of course, there was a lot of legal activity behind a slave trade, as well."
Akiza frowned. "But Annie and Max don't have any such marks. Is it given at a certain age?"
"No," Kalin muttered, shaking his head. "In this day and age, slaves are left unmarked to prevent the authorities that care from finding out about the trade. The marks are something of the past."
"Then why was Yusei cut?"
"That…" he paused, taking another drink while trying to decide how to word his next statement. "That was done as an act of power. Yusei told me the one who did it said he was doing it so he would know how low he was. It was a warning, more than anything else."
"So, what you're saying is… That mark belongs to the Sayer family, right?"
He nodded. Apparently, she already knew. "Yusei mentioned that you knew a few things about him, but he didn't say how much. Does it surprise you?"
She frowned and looked away, contemplating her answer. "It did at first. Now, I'd believe he's capable of anything."
Kalin hummed a sound of acknowledgement before she picked up a tray and muttered, "Excuse me. Duty calls."
He nodded as she walked away to make her rounds, sighing as he looked down in his glass. Now he was alone. Left to sit in silence and contemplate his failure as a friend. He didn't deserve such good friends. Jack was right. He never should've left Yusei alone. Now his friend had a permanent marker that would be there, glaring back whenever he looked in a mirror.
"Is this seat taken?"
He turned to his left and blinked, taking in the sight of a slender form shrouded in a black traveler's cloak. Judging by the voice and thinner frame, it was a woman. He shook his head, indicating the seat was all hers and she sat down. Her hands moved from under her cloak, placing a thick, leather-bound book on the counter with several loose pages poking out. It looked old and well-worn, like a diary or something else that would be used on a regular basis.
It wasn't his place to say anything, so he turned away and went back to his drink, leaving the stranger to her own devices. He had come here to think on his own mistakes, after all.
"So, tell me…"
His eyebrow rose as he glanced to his left again. "Hm?"
"What could a handsome man like you possibly be doing alone?"
He flashed a short smile at her flattery, then raised his drink as a visual aid before saying, "Drowning my sorrows in gin. You?"
"Just traveling. I'm on my way west of here and decided to stop for the night."
He nodded. "Well, I wish you a safe journey. This area isn't the safest anymore."
"Thank you, but I can take care of myself." She reached out and touched her book, pausing for a moment and becoming stock-still. A moment passed as she sat like that, then she shook her head and moved to stand. "I should go. It was nice to meet you, Kalin. I hope we can meet again."
"Yeah, nice to meet you… too…" he trailed off, confused. She had never given her name, but had he given his? He played their conversation back in his mind, trying to remember. He didn't think so.
Just who was that woman?
Ooh, enter creepy anonymousness! Ahem. So, yeah. Kind of a bit of a fluffy filler chapter with a touch of creepy at the end :) I hope you enjoyed it!
Please visit my Facebook! I still don't think anyone new is going to show up at this point, but I have hope. www. facebook. c-o-m /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and hyphens)
We'll go with twenty-five reviews for a bonus, okay? You guys have been awesome and met my quota every week so far, so let's see if you can knock me out of my chair with your comments this week, too ;)
Please review!
-Valk