(sigh) chapter 2 didn't get any reviews...

I apologize in advance for any difficulty with reading dialogue.

Chapter 3

Raguna rubbed his right arm, not at all pleased with the large gash running down it. "Well, that should do" Edward said as he finished bandaging the wound "That's a nasty bit of bad luck, injuring yourself clearing out the area where your farewell party is being held"

"I'm trying to be optimistic about it" Raguna said "Look at it more like 'thank god that Edward brought his equipment"

Edward laughed "That's a good way of thinking about it. Walking all the way back down the mountain and into town would have certainly ruined things even more, wouldn't they have?" He tied off the bandage and stood up "Well, in the time it took to disinfect and wrap that it looks like Emmett set everything up. Let's go join the others"

Raguna pushed himself off the rock Edward had sat him on to treat his wound and followed the doctor over to the rest of the villagers. Immediately, Mist rushed up to him and poked his arm "It isn't hurt to bad, is it?"

"Well, I won't be able to do much work around the farm for a while, but I'm not really dying either" Raguna told her, grinning at her concern as well as to show that he was just fine.

Mist returned his grin "Great. Come on. Everyone's waiting!"

After explaining to everyone else that he was fine, that his arm would recover, and that he wouldn't die any time in the near future from this injury, a state of semi-normalcy returned. It took a good hour or two for everyone to get over the anxiety that came with being on the mountain and start behaving as if they were at a farewell party, with the exception of Bianca who was simply jumpy and a lot less sardonic the whole time. Clearly, the idea to have a party in an area that had a rep for being dangerous hadn't been of Mist's better streaks of genius. Not that she really had any.

Once everyone returned to their normal level of comfort Raguna found the party to be a lot more enjoyable. Part of this might have been that people now weren't quite as concerned about the possibility of getting drunk and had, well, gotten drunk. Edward had actually been the first, having been claimed by alcohol's influence while trying to convince Lara that she was too tense. He had begun to call the poor girl Lala, and was frequently confusing his own son with Neumann.

Camus was not pleased, but everyone else found it enjoyable. Even Lara had decided to laugh at Edwards inability to say her name.

The only other person who risked reaching this point of intoxication was Lucas, who was quick to disappear after doing so. Raguna made a mental note to check and make sure he hadn't fallen off a cliff after the party was over.

Aside from this everything ran smoothly.

Except for one little hitch.

Okay, one massive hitch.

It seemed a little odd to Raguna, as he swept up after the party, that he had to get rid of the monsters before hand and sweep afterward at his own party. Not to mention he was outdoors. But what Mist said was what went, and mist had said to sweep.

Still… it seemed really weird to be sweeping a mountain.

Almost everyone had left. Once Mist was gone Raguna tossed the broom over a cliff (and, to his utter disbelief, watched it get devoured by who knows what) and got ready to go home.

This was when Lucas approached. It came as a bit of a surprise to Raguna, who often forgot the poet existed. The apparently a prince did his best to keep track of everyone, but there were days when Lucas vanished all together, and he didn't stick out much on the days that he could be found. Not that there was ever a reason to look at him. The only time Raguna had ever interacted with him was when he'd sold him a white rock to get money to expand the house he'd no longer be living in.

Lucas hadn't told Rosetta about that, had he? Probably not, the two boys both still had their heads attached to their shoulders.

Lucas came up to Raguna with a staggering walk that clearly meant he was drunk. Raguna decided that, in this situation, the best thing to do would be make sure the crummy poet didn't fall over the edge of anything and tried to help Lucas in the direction of town.

"I cn wak jus fine" Lucas hiccupped.

Raguna sighed. "Sure you can" The poet was really drunk. This was why, even once he was finally permitted to, he was never going to touch alcohol. Never. Ever.

"Y' know" Lucas said "Ah'm not tha found of Rose-hic-tta" he said.

"No? Decided you prefer Felicity? Let me tell you now, she can be just as bossy if you give her the chance" Not that he'd remember that when he woke up with a hangover.

"Nah… ah don lahk Fericity much eider. She's a gurl, ya know"

"Uh huh. And that's a problem because…?"

"Don lahk gurls…"

Raguna stopped, deciding in and odd spout of malice that if he had to haul Lucas's drunken ass to the inn he may as well get something out of it, and that he would milk this for what it was worth. "So your gay, or you just like to make people think you like to kill time chasing skirts?"

"th' one you said…" Nice and specific

"You're gay?" Raguna guessed

"hic-yeh…"

"But you go on and on about Rosetta"

"I can-t leh people know ahm… ahm-hic-into you"

At this point Raguna decided that it had stopped being amusing and put a good ten yards between him and Lucas, as well as the bridge leading out of the mountains. Lucas hiccupped, stared at him for a second, hiccupped again, then sort of limped toward him "Whas wrong?"

"Um… I forgot my…" Raguna searched for a possible object "sword! I forgot my sword further into the mountains. It really isn't safe to take you back. I mean, you could get hurt. I'll go alone"

"S'okay" Lucas came a little closer. Not comfortable with the idea of being near someone gay, especially if they had their eye on him, Raguna backed up some more. He ran himself up against a cliff. Not good.

"Lucas, shouldn't you get home. You should head back to the inn. I'll just go get my sword and-"

"S'okay" Lucas repeated "I have a sword"

He was unarmed. The only other meaning Raguna could think of was much less pleasant than the idea of a drunk fruitcake wielding a sword. He took another step back. His foot slipped over the edge. He managed to catch himself, but now he was sure he'd twisted his ankle.

"Lucas, I'm serious. Go back to the inn" he ordered.

"Bu we're awl a…arone" Lucas looked around to make sure they were alone.

Looking back at it, the whole thing would have been hilarious if it had just stopped there, but it went further downhill. Raguna tried to shove Lucas away when he got to close, but pain shot through his arm and he almost pushed himself over again. This time when he caught himself his ankle caused him to fall over. Lucas took this as his chance to move in.

Raguna probably could have pushed him off. His right arm and foot were hurt, sure, but his left side was just fine. The only problem was, at the angel they were at, there was a high chance that using his left arm to push Lucas away would send him tumbling over the cliff that Raguna himself was practically halfway off of. Murder was not something he wanted on his conscience.

The following morning, Raguna left Kardia feeling violated and deeply regretting not attempting murder.

OXXXXXO

Rune Caster: Were I to believe in god, I'd pray that I never get more graphic than that. Hopefully, that wasn't even considered graphic by anybody who read it.

I decided that Lucas would be the best father because he was really the easiest to pass as a closet gay. Zavier and Camus both had one girl they seemed stalkerishly devoted too. Lucas was into everyone, he'd say why they were all a good catch if you spoke to him in the inn. I heard that most people who have trouble coming to terms with their sexuality make a big show of liking the opposite sex.

Somebody showed up on my farm in RRF during fall claiming he knew me from before I got amnesia. Now he's trying to sabotage me. He even got Rosetta mad at me by filling my shipping box with rocks. And he called me something other than Raguna too. It was such a geeky name though, I really hope it was an alias. He made it sound like it could have been.
I want to strangle that guy.