"Hector!" Lyn hissed vehemently, "put your hood back on!"
"But it makes my head itchy!"
"You won't have a head by the time I'm through with you if you don't put that hood back on!"
"So you're gonna chop my head off now? Dang, woman, I just—"
"Stop it, the both of you!" Eliwood cut in. "We don't need to attract any more attention than we already have!"
It wasn't the fact that they were Lycian Lords that attracted attention (they actually managed to get away with hiding their identities); it was the huge army that clustered behind them.
Hector scowled and lifted his hood up to cover his head. Lyn smiled triumphantly.
"Look," a drunken man said, leaning on his friend's shoulder as the army passed, "they've sent a parade out to celebrate Prince Zephiel's ceremony!" He hiccuped. "Why can't they s-send parades out for my p-parties?" he frowned to his friend, who had to tighten his grip on the drunk to prevent him from falling.
"Because everybody would get drunk," his friend responded with a shake of his head.
"Those two remind me of a certain pair of men," Lyn giggled, glancing back at Kent and Sain. Eliwood and Hector laughed.
"It's incredible that they've even heard of Prince Zephiel's coming-of-age ceremony in such a remote village," Eliwood commented.
"It's only ten days away," Lyn pointed out. "There's no helping the excitement."
"They've no idea what's happening." Hector shook his head. "Carefree fools."
"Very carefree," Lyn added with a giggle, meaning the drunk.
Eliwood sighed.
"Something wrong?" Hector questioned him.
"It's just…this waiting. I feel as if we're wasting time."
"What else can we do? Pent and Louise won't be back for a while. All we can do is lay low."
"If your version of 'lay low' is to crowd around the middle of the road with a small army, then I suppose you're doing a great job."
The three lords turned to see Legault smirking at them.
"Damn it!" Hector growled. "You pop out of thin air just like Matthew always does!"
Legault gave him an amused look.
"Is there something you need, Legault?" Lyn asked.
"Oh, yes, of course. I thought that, since we're just killing time, why don't we try and gather some information on the Black Fang?"
Lyn cocked her head. "Information? Like what?"
"The Black Fang's headquarters are here in Bern. The location was never disclosed to me, though. The Black Fang is so much different than it once was. Any information we could gain would be beneficial."
"That's a good idea. Thanks, Legault," Eliwood smiled and nodded at him.
"Think nothing of it. And, if you plan on laying low, might I suggest splitting up? I do think we're gaining just a little bit of attention."
"Yes," Eliwood said wearily, glancing over his shoulder at his comrades. "Good idea."
"You're just coming up with great ideas today, aren't you?" Hector said. Legault chuckled.
"Anything to please the lordlings." Dramatically, he cast his black cloak black and nodded to him much like a general would to his lord. Hector rolled his eyes as Lyn laughed.
"Where shall we start to gather the information?" she inquired.
"I doubt we'll get any in here," Hector said.
"I agree," Eliwood said before Lyn could retort as usual. "Let's spread out."
"Can we have some food?" Serra whined as she made her way toward the lords. "We've been standing forever!"
"It's barely been an hour," Hector said, pointing up at the sun. Serra scrunched her nose and pouted.
"So what? I'm still hungry!"
"How about everybody gets some food while we head out?" Lyn offered.
"Head out where?" Oswin asked immediately.
"We're going out to gather some information. We'll be fine!" Hector said as Oswin opened his mouth. "Yeesh. We're not kids."
Oswin gave his lord a look as the three made their way toward the village entrance. "That's not how I see it, milord."
"Bah. Stop treating me like a child!"
"You can't blame him," Lyn said. "You act so childishly."
"What?" Hector snapped. "Say that again!"
With a giggle, she dashed off, brown cloak flying behind her. Scowling, he chased after her, shouting all the while.
Eliwood sighed and put a hand to his face. "Those two…I can't tell if they're friends or not." Ninian, who had tagged along, giggled beside him. "What's funny?"
"The way you grumble, Lord Eliwood…you sound as if you're their chaperone!"
"Really? Is that what it sounds like to you?"
She nodded, giggling.
"Great," he grumbled. "Just what I wanted."
Ninian giggled some more, covering her mouth. Eliwood stared at her briefly, a smile fluttering across his lips.
"I like it when you laugh," he murmured.
She stopped laughing and tilted her head curiously. "Excuse me?"
"Err…nothing! C'mon, let's get going!"
Back at the village, an inn was packed with the army. The innkeepers were hastily running about, providing food and drinks.
"Ah, thank you, my sweet!" Sain cried as a hot bowl of soup was laid down on the table in front of him. "Is there anything I can do to thank you for your efforts, sweet maiden?"
The server paused and smiled slightly. She extended her hand expectantly. Sain grinned and nodded.
"Yes, of course!" He ruffled through his pant pocket. "Here you are my dear!" He handed her a few gold coins. "So, I was wondering, after all this, if you'd like to—"
The waitress was already stalking off. Sain frowned and turned back to his boon companion, who looked very amused.
"She's too busy serving others, I suppose."
Kent barely managed to hold his laughter in. "Yes, of course." Matthew, sitting across the table, snickered.
"I think that was rude of her," Rebecca said, somewhat sympathetic to Sain.
Sain turned to her, eyes brightening. "How sweet of you to think so, my wildflower!" He scooted closer to her, grabbing her hands. "Maybe that waitress and I weren't meant to be; rather, you and I are meant to be together!"
She seemed to regret commenting. "Err…that's not what I meant. At all."
Before Kent intervened and Matthew choked on his drink from laughing, Wil placed a hand on Sain's shoulder. The green knight looked up curiously and was surprised to see that, for once, Wil didn't look all too happy. He wasn't angry, no, but something about his expression was…off.
"Hey, Sain," he said, his voiced cheerful, though there was something murky about it, "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Rebecca for a bit. You don't mind, do you?"
He sighed dramatically and nodded. "If you must. We shall see each other again, my darling wildflower!" He waved goodbye as she left with Wil, walking at a rather quick pace. Matthew smirked after the two archers and chuckled as he took a bite of his food.
"Guess it's just you and me," Sain sighed to Kent.
"Just forget the thief," Matthew said.
"Ah! My apologies! You do well at your job, don't you?"
Matthew said nothing, noticing the pair of slender arms that wrapped loosely around Sain's neck.
"Hey, handsome," a woman said to Sain, leaning over and brushing her lips against his ear. "Sorry about Tessa. I can get you your gold back, if you want."
"That's all right, my sweet!" he said, turning around to face her…err, bosom. He looked up at her face. She wasn't as beautiful as many of the women he'd encountered, but something about her smile and aura was enticing. "Who needs gold when they have the company of such a beautiful maiden?"
She laughed, flipping her hair back and batting her eyelashes. "We could use more men like you in this world, honey."
"Alas, it is not men we need, but women. Sweet ones like you!"
She giggled some more. "Aw, you're such a flirt." She playfully slapped his shoulder.
"How can I help it? I'm surrounded by such beautiful women. It's a true curse."
Kent rolled his eyes and shook his head, mumbling something underneath his breath. Matthew gave him an amused look. He had to admit that he was a bit taken aback that a woman was actually flirting back with the green knight, though. The only one he'd ever seen flirt back was Serra.
Priscilla, coming out of nowhere, slipped in the seat beside Sain. She scooted close to him and smiled, even though his attention was on the waitress. "Hi, Sain."
"Hmm…oh, hello, Princess Priscilla!" he answered brightly. "Do you need something?"
"I just wanted your company. Or is now a bad time?"
Sain hastily glanced at the waitress, whose eyebrow was raised.
"Err…well, I—"
"Oh, good! I didn't want to be a bother!"
Sain could only stare at her blankly. Matthew and Kent gave Priscilla the same stare. What in St. Elimine's name was going on here?
The server looked annoyed. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was tapping a foot impatiently.
Kent cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss, may I have some more water?" He held up his empty glass cup. Letting out a little huff, the waitress swiped it from his hand and stomped off.
Sain blinked after her. Priscilla looked after her too, though with a very different expression, and crinkled her nose. "I wonder what bothered her so much," she said innocently. Sain gave her a confused look.
"Err…Princess?"
"Yes?"
He was silent for a moment. Then, with a charming grin, he said, "You look absolutely stunning today. As usual. Only a woman with true beauty can stay gorgeous everyday."
She blushed. "Oh, stop it. You make me blush."
"But it's only the truth! Why, even if I had all day I would never be able to—"
Kent's now full glass of water was slammed against the table. The waitress glared at Sain, who was bewildered at her expression.
"Is something the—"
"Get a life," she snapped at him, and followed her statement with many obscene comments and gestures. Then she flipped her hair and stomped off.
"Wait!" Matthew called out after her. "I wanted a refill of water too!"
Kent chuckled and Priscilla laughed. Sain was too caught up in his confused thoughts to laugh along. He turned to Priscilla with a frown.
"As much as I love having a beauty sit next to me, I can't help but wonder…what was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" she asked, trying to act clueless, though her pink cheeks gave her away.
A mischievous smile crossed his face. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"
Her pink cheeks flushed red. "W-what? No. What is there to tell you?"
"Surely there is a reason for you to come all the way over to me. And as soon as the waitress and I start to speak…If I was guessing correctly, you—"
"Here you all are!"
Lord Hector was standing in the doorway, filling the entire frame, huffing, out of breath. Oswin and Marcus immediately got to their feet.
"There's going to be a battle!" the lord exclaimed. Abruptly, he stumbled to the floor, and out came Lady Lyndis.
"To weapons!" she cried. "We're to battle!"
"I just told them that," Hector grumbled from the floor. She glanced down at him.
"What are you doing down there?"
"You pushed me!"
She hastily extended her hand out to him. "Sorry. I was in such a hurry I didn't even realize."
"It's fine," he sighed, accepting her hand. Then, with a sneaky grin, he pulled her down to him. She shrieked as she fell onto him.
"Everybody! To arms!" Eliwood cried, flying into the tavern. He jumped over Hector and Lyn, and paused; eyebrows furrowed, he looked back the two. "What are you doing?"
"She pushed me to the ground!"
"I didn't see you! You purposely pulled me down here, you big brute!"
"This is not the time to be playing!" Eliwood scolded. "Get up, and let's get prepared for the battle."
He shook his head and sighed as he turned back to his army. Those two. He really had no idea what to make of them.
At least the army was prepared, though. Despite the two arguing lords, they had managed to get their weapons and seemed ready for battle.
"Let's go."
"Why won't this damned fog clear up already?" Dart growled, swatting his hand about in a failed attempt to clear his vision.
"Aw, are you scared of a little fog, pirate boy?" teased Legault as he jumped passed him. He glanced over his shoulder to give Dart a flashy grin. "I thought pirates liked a little danger."
Dart scowled deeply at him. "What are ye tryin' to say, Scar-face?"
He shrugged. "I'm not saying anything."
"Ye sayin' that I've softened up, eh? Think one too many pretty faces 'ave slowed down the brave pirate, Dart? Hah! I laugh in the face of death, and I laugh in the face o' ye!"
Legault simply offered him an amused look before sweeping through the fog. Dart frowned after him, readjusting his grip on his axe. He preferred sailing through fog than fighting through it. Not that he'd ever tell that damned assassin that.
He heard a loud 'swoosh' behind him. Tightening his grip on his axe, he turned and squinted. It had to be a wyvern rider or a Pegasus knight, judging from that swooshing sound it made.
He crouched over and tensed, trying to listen for any noise. It was quiet for a long moment and then he heard movement against grass. Turning, he swung his axe about and heard it collide with something iron.
"D-Dart?"
He looked up at his attacker. It was the shy girl, Florina. He quickly took his axe away and let it fall to his side.
"Whoa, I didn't know that was ye! Ye okay?"
She nodded. "Y-yes."
"Yer gettin' good at stayin' quiet, aren't ye?"
"I-I've b-been practicing…"
"Well it's sure payin' off," Dart grinned. She flushed a deep red. "So, ye need somethin'? Everythin' all right?"
She nodded hastily. "I-I just came down to…to check on…w-where is everybody?" She glanced around.
Dart chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Well…I don't know. 'Tis so foggy that I could barely see…Legault just passed by, though," he added reassuringly. "I think we're fine."
"Okay…" Nervously, she looked down at the ground.
"Ye just came at the perfect time. Nils said that there might be some stores 'round 'ere somewhere. I haven't found any. Ye wanna 'elp me look?"
She nodded. Together, they walked around in silence.
"I-I think I found one!" Florina squeaked moments later.
"Nice job, Florina!" Dart beamed at her, grinning. She flushed red again and looked away, embarrassed. Then, suddenly, she remembered that she still had to thank him for that one time, many battles ago, that he'd saved her.
"I-I s-s-still have to thank you for—"
But Dart was listening no longer. He opened the door to the vendor and made his way in, then paused. "Ye comin'?" he asked Florina. She nodded vigorously and, murmuring Huey to stay put, walked on after Dart.
The shop was dim and cramped. Dart took up most of the space. A woman flipping through pieces of parchment stood by a lamp, not even bothering to look up at her customers.
Dart walked up to the lady in front of the counter, Florina following closely. "You gonna sell somethin' or what, lady?"
She looked up, apparently about to retort, but stopped, eyebrows rising as she caught sight of Dart. She flitted her eyes up and down his body quickly, then smiled. "Anything for you, handsome." She didn't even look at Florina, who felt quite uncomfortable at this point.
He raised an eyebrow, but said, "I'd like two healing staffs and a vulnery."
She raised an eyebrow too. "You're going to use those?"
He snorted. "No, it's for the others."
"I had a feeling you wouldn't. You can't possibly get those muscles from healing, can you?" She gestured to his arms.
"Guess not."
"Hmm. I'll be right back," she breathed, leaning over the counter, giving Dart a little poke in the chest. Something about that little poke bothered Florina greatly. Couldn't that woman just respect private space and leave Dart alone? Obviously he didn't like the attention. Or did he? Florina was quite sure that look of disgust meant that he didn't appreciate it. What kind of women interested him anyway? She wondered if he liked loud girls, or perhaps quiet ones, or maybe—
Wait. Florina's cheeks burned. Why did this even matter? It didn't have anything to do with her, after all!
"So…did ye 'ave a nice sleep?" Dart's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I know ye were pretty damn tired when we arrived to Pherae."
"I-I slept fine," Florina answered quietly.
He chuckled. "Aye, ye slept like a baby ye did. At Pherae, anyways. Ye fell asleep when we got there so I 'ad to give ye a li'l piggyback ride."
She looked up at him, face beet red. "W-what?" she cried.
He laughed. "It was nothin'. Yer as light as a feather."
She was at a loss of words. Mortified, she looked down at the ground.
"Don't be embarrassed! A lot o' others were fallin' asleep too. What's so wrong with fallin' asleep?"
She shook her head. "T-that's not i-it..."
He frowned. "What do ye mean?"
She was silent. Then, when she opened her mouth to explain, the shopkeeper intervened.
"Here are your staffs, darling." She shot Florina a vicious look. She shrunk away to the wall, feeling threatened and uncomfortable.
"Thanks. How much?"
"I'll give you half price if and only if…" Smiling flirtatiously, she leaned in toward the pirate. "You give me a kiss. Only one. Unless you want more, of course."
Florina was horrified. What was wrong with this woman? Nobody with a right mind would ask a stranger for a kiss! Except for Sain, of course...even then, he wouldn't ask for a kiss! Fervently, she glanced at Dart, wondering what he would do. She couldn't help but feel a little...satisfied that he looked repulsed.
"I don't mind payin' full price."
The shopkeeper pursed her lips. "Why? I'm giving you such a bargain. It's only one kiss. Or…are you scared your friend over there is going to say something?" She gestured to Florina, who widened her eyes. How did the shopkeeper think Florina had to do with anything? "I don't think she'll mind."
Dart was irritated now. "Just give us our damned staffs."
"Aw, don't get angry! I'm only trying to be nice."
"Well stop being nice," he snapped. The smile fell off her face.
"Fine. I don't need your damned money." Angrily, she snatched all the staffs off the table.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Dart yelled in protest.
"My shop, my rules! I don't appreciate rude people, no matter how handsome they are. Now take your damn whore and get out of here."
There was a loud crack. Florina shrieked, covering her mouth. Dart had slammed his fist against a shelf, cracking the wood and splintering his hand. Blood dribbled down his knuckles.
"What did you just call her?" His voice was low, fierce, and dangerous. Florina felt her breath catch in her throat. Scary, yes, but somehow, somehow, it made her heart beat faster to think that he was standing up for her.
The shopkeeper looked frightened, but only momentarily. Straightening her back, she leaned over the counter. "You're going to have to pay for that."
"I'm not wasting my money on a bitch."
"What did you call me?" she shrieked, jumping off the counter, marching right up to Dart.
"Ye 'eard me, wench."
The shopkeeper was absolutely furious at this point. She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You don't come into my shop and disrespect me."
"Have a taste of yer own medicine," he snarled at her.
"Oh yeah? How about you have a taste of some medicine too?" And she spat right on his face. He blinked multiple times before slowly wiping the spit off his face. He glared at her.
"Great. I'm gonna get sick now."
She gasped. "Are you calling me dirty?"
"I didn't say nothing."
"How about you learn to use some proper grammar, pirate boy?" she snapped. "Or are you too stupid to understand?"
His jaw tightened. "How about ye learn some proper manners? Yer mother didn't teach 'er daughter well manners, did she?"
Her nostrils flared. "Get out of my shop. Take your girl too. You probably pay her a lot—"
"Say that one more time and I'll—"
The woman shrieked suddenly as a liquid collided with her, drenching her from head to toe. Outraged, she twirled around to face Florina. In the small Pegasus Knight's hands was an empty carton.
"You ruined my dress!" the shopkeeper shrieked, advancing toward her. "You little—" She raised a hand. Florina closed her eyes and looked away.
Dart grabbed onto the shopkeeper's wrist. He twirled her around to face him. She struggled and swore at him, but he ignored her, looking her hard in the eyes.
"Don't touch her."
His voice made the shopkeeper reel away, eyes wide in fright. "Get out," she whispered. "GET OUT!"
"C'mon, Florina," Dart mumbled, extending a hand out to her. Scared and confused, but still knowing she could trust Dart, she took his hand and the two rushed out the door. As soon as they made it out, a lightning bolt struck behind them.
"And stay out!" the shopkeeper shouted, slamming the door on them. She had been the one that cast that spell on them.
"Are you okay?" Dart asked Florina softly. She nodded, looking down at the ground, refusing to look at him. "Florina, please…look at me."
She shook her head. Her shoulders shook.
"Did I scare ye?"
She shook her head again. He scratched his head, uncomfortable. He wasn't very good with girls. A silence followed.
To fill in that silence, an enemy myrmidon jumped through the thick air and between the two. Florina shrieked and backed off, quickly heading toward the neighing Huey. Dart let out a surprised sound as he jumped back, hands gripping in the air, where his axe should've been. He frowned and looked around himself. Where was—oh. He'd left it in the shop with that witch. Damn.
The myrmidon swung his sword quickly, and Dart hastily took a step back. Though he avoided getting his neck sliced, he didn't move fast enough to avoid the entire attack; the sword cut across his cheek. Blood leaked out of the deep cut, splashing dark red onto his shirt and the grass. He swore and tumbled to the ground to avoid the next swing. The myrmidon towered over him, expressionless, sword raised for the final blow.
The expression changed. Eyes widened, mouth opened. He let out a short gasp, scratching away at the sword that protruded out of his chest. With a sickening squelch, the sword was ripped out from his chest, causing blood to spurt about everywhere. The enemy fell to the reddening ground. Florina stood behind the lifeless form, breathing heavily, her eyes watering.
"A-Are you alright?" Her voice quivered.
He nodded slowly. "Aye."
He was suddenly aware of the hot blood trickling down his cheek. He put a hand to it, making the blood smear.
"You're hurt!" Florina cried, abandoning her sword to kneel down in front of him. She looked at him helplessly.
"Only a li'l," he mumbled gruffly.
"I-I think I have a vulnery…Huey!"
The Pegasus ruffled its wings and made its way to Florina. It gave Dart a disdainful look as Florina ruffled through the bag.
"What are ye lookin' at?" Dart grumbled to Huey. Huey let out a snort of angry breath through her nose, shaking her head.
"Huey!" Florina reprimanded. Her Pegasus hung its head and whined, nudging Florina in her side. "Now isn't the time, girl."
Dart noted how very comfortable the lavender-haired girl was with the Pegasus. She never stuttered once.
"Maybe we should go to the store," he said unwillingly. "She has vulneries, yah know…"
Florina frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."
He chuckled. "Right." He looked at his knuckles that had hardened blood. "I still think she's angry 'bout that shelf."
She faced him, looking sad and guilty. "I-I don't have any vulneries." Her eyes watered.
"'Tis not yer fault," Dart said reassuringly. Florina shook her head, covering her face with her hands.
"Y-yes it is," she sobbed. "I-if I'd just g-gathered m-my supplies…a-and if I wasn't there at the shop, you w-would've b-been able to—"
Dart stood up and closed the distance between them. "Listen to me, Florina. It ain't yer fault. It's nobody's fault. Actually, if 'tis anybody's fault, it's that damned shopkeeper's."
"B-but if I-I wasn't there, sh-she would've—"
"Wouldn't have given me anything anyways. None o' this is yer fault, okay? Neither o' us saw that myrmidon. Hell, 'tis thanks to ye that I'm alive. I would've been a goner if it weren't fer ye. Thanks."
She looked up from her hands, tears flowing from her pretty eyes. In her white dress and the way her the tears shined out like little gems in the fog made her seem like a sweet angel sent from St. Elimine. "R-really?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah. Seems like ye saved me life again. C'mon, now, wipe those tears off yer face."
She rubbed her hands against her eyes, ridding the tears. She sniffed.
"Better?"
She nodded.
"Good. Now, let's find that damned assassin, Lego, or whatever his name is."
"I'm surprised you don't know my name! We've been in the same army for how long?"
Dart's surprised shout echoed through the silent fog, making Legault laugh and even Florina giggle.
"Damn you!" Dart growled, twirling to face the assassin.
"For what? Bringing a healer with me to fix that horrible face of yours?"
He scowled and folded his arms across his chest crossly. Florina giggled. Indeed, as Legault had said, Serra emerged from the fog and started to heal the wounds and cuts. The pink-haired girl gave the lavender-haired one a look that Florina didn't quite understand. It was mischievous and seemed to say "I knew it!"
"All right," she said as she put her staff down, returning her attention to Dart. "You'll be fine. That scar on your face"—she indicated to the cut that the myrmidon gave him, now a faint line—"will disappear in a few days. Now, Legault." She twirled to face the ex-Fang member. "Please take me to my next patient. I can't believe this fog hasn't cleared up yet!"
A flicker of annoyance passed his face. "I thought you were with Lowen was your escort."
"Yes, but now that you've taken me away from them; I'm going to have trouble finding my way back! And since I don't have eyes like yours (mine are prettier, though!), you're going to have to take me back."
He sighed. "All right. Anything for my fair lady."
"That's what I want to hear," she said with a flip of a pigtail, marching off into the thick fog. "Oh, and Florina." She paused, glancing back at Florina, unable to stop a smile. "We're going to need to talk later."
Florina frowned. What would they possibly talk about?
Legault shot Dart a look. "You owe me one, loverboy."
Dart was taken aback. "What'd ya call me?"
He smirked. "You heard me. That's what happens when you call me Lego."
"Legault!" Serra shrieked. He sighed and started to stalk off in her direction.
"Oh, and pirate boy," Legault added with a glance over his shoulder, "You were right. Pretty faces haven't softened you up…but a pretty face sure has."
Florina looked confused, tilting her head. Dart, however, understood immediately. His voice flushed a red and he stepped toward the assassin.
"You-!"
With a laugh and a wink, Legault disappeared into the dark, ignoring the curses after him.
~-~-~-x-~-~-~
"And I thought Serra was bad…" Erk grumbled to himself as Raven and Jasmine argued behind him. Erk and Jasmine had split off from their group to close the village gates (they received some sort of Earth seal—he had no idea what it was, and neither did Jasmine) when they discovered that they couldn't find their way back. And then they stumbled along Raven, who'd also broken apart from his group. Voluntary or not, Erk didn't know.
So now the three of them were roaming around the rather dangerous fields in hope of finding others of their army. Erk didn't really mind too much at first, since there was minimal fighting to do (there was the occasional archer or two), but the more and more time he spent with Jasmine and Raven, the more he wanted to get away from them. Wasn't it bad enough that Serra bothered him on a daily basis? Now that he thought about it, though, he didn't hear too much of her. She spent a lot of her time with that monk—Bishop, beg his pardon—so he didn't see her around much. He couldn't quite figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
…
It was most definitely a good thing.
He did spend a lot of time with Lord Pent now, too. That could also contribute to the lack of Serra's annoying voice he heard…the more he thought about it, he realized he could finally hear the leaves fall and rustle along the ground, now that he didn't have to hear the pig-tailed girl's constant chatter.
Erk's thoughts were interrupted with a "Shut up!" and a "Hah!"
Scowling, he stopped walking and faced the two. They abruptly stopped, nearly running into him.
"Will you two please be quiet?" he snapped. "I've had it up to here! Do you have any idea how many enemies you could be attracting right now?"
Raven immediately scowled at Jasmine. "I told you to shut up."
"Hey! You were the one that started everything."
"Me? How?"
"By your unnecessary comment of 'oh, I knew you'd still do horrible in fogs!'" She mocked his voice, flying up her hands in exasperation. He glared at her.
"If that's how you think I sound, then I hope you realize how horrible you sound to my ears—"
Erk sighed, slapping a hand to his face. At this rate, they'd be lost in this cursed fog forever!
"More of these damned killers? Prepare to meet your match!"
Erk barely had time to register where the voice had come from when a hand axe flung passed him. Raven pulled Jasmine back right in time, though a few pieces of her brown curls fluttered to the ground.
Erk lit up his tome, and a fire ignited the dark fog. A huge, bulky figure was marching its way toward them. Erk didn't even see the other figure behind the bulky one.
Murmuring incantations under his breath, Erk allowed a ring of fire to appear around the walking figure. The figure stopped abruptly. Now that the fire illuminated him, Erk could make out the immense form of silver armor that covered the figure from head to toe. He had to be a General, no doubt.
Jasmine seemed to notice too. "Oh, great…" she muttered. Then, straightening up, she said, "Let's make him dance a little, Erk. Raven, you try to take that helmet off him so we can get that neck cut."
Erk couldn't help but smile slightly at her choice of words. Flipping through his tome, he opened up to the page with a big lightning bolt on it. Raising it over his head, he muttered a few words underneath his breath.
Lightning struck inside the ring of fire. The General hopped about in that heavy armor, cursing and shouting as he dodged the attacks. Meanwhile, Raven quickly made his way toward the armored man, trying to figure out which angle would work best.
The General, however, noticed the approaching redhead. Swinging his lance about, he struck it toward the unsuspecting Raven. He immediately dropped to the ground, barely avoiding the attack. Nobody noticed another silent person glide through the thick fog, toss a large stone in his hands a few times, and throw it at Erk's raised tome. It fell out of his hands, and the ring of fire disappeared. Erk immediately stooped down to get his tome, but another pair of hands, a pair of rather worn hands, picked it up before him. Immediately he looked up. A man a decade or so older than him stared back at him, his brown eyes resting unblinkingly on Erk's purple.
"What's going on?" the General shouted. He had one foot rested upon Raven's chest, lance to his throat. He didn't kill him, though, for his eyes rested on the strange green cloaked man.
A skim of a smile passed the cloaked man's lips. Handing Erk his tome, he shouted to the General, "These are not our enemies, dear Wallace."
The man named Wallace frowned, taking off his helmet to reveal his shiny head. Hmm? Erk was sure he'd seen that man before. Wallace peered down at Raven through narrowed eyes.
"You sure? I don't like the looks of this one."
Raven glared at him.
The cloaked man laughed. "Yes, I'm sure." He paused, looking at Erk. "Sorry about the tome, son. It should still work, though, right?"
Erk didn't know no what to say. He was completely confused and bewildered.
"Sweet St. Elimine," Jasmine murmured from behind. She put a hand over her mouth and looked as if she could cry with joy.
The green cloaked man stepped away from Erk and made his way toward her. Raven struggled under Wallace's foot.
"St. Elimine? Where?" The man stopped in front of Jasmine, his cloak swishing. He smiled one of those rare smiles that were hard to come by, ones that illuminated everything around them, ones that earned attention without asking for it. "I don't see St. Elimine anywhere. I only see a young lady by the name of Jasmine."
With a laugh of joy, Jasmine ran up to him and threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. He laughed, hugging her back. Feeling something in him ignite angrily, Raven threw Wallace's foot off of himself and rolled over, ignoring the General's disgruntled shout. "Who's that?" he barked at Jasmine. She finally released the man, and didn't even look over at Raven. Her eyes were on the cloaked man and him only. A variety of emotions covered her face: shock, wonder, and, above all, happiness. Raven was more than certain that he'd never seen her so happy before. Her face was lit up like a young child's and the smile never left her lips.
"This," she said, "is Mark."
Raven had a feeling he would not like this man who went by 'Mark'.
Not one bit.
I finally incorporated more romance between others and made it more obvious about who's with who, huh? At least, I hope I did. I'm pretty positive I did. The scene with Dart and Florina was longer than I expected, but it was also better, so it all plays out in the end. And pardon the language used, if anybody took any offense by it. But a lot of women are flirty in this chapter, huh? o.O I hadn't intended to compile all the flirtatiousness together, but that's how it turned out.
Ooh. I have to admit that I love my little cliffhanger at the end. FINALLY, I get to show off a little of Jasmine's past. The next few chapters should reveal more and more of it, until, hopefully, you get the gist of it.
Oh, and here's a heads up on my updating status: I am not sure how often I will be able to update, but much less than I used to. Hopefully. Haha. By hopefully I mean that hopefully I manage to study my butt off and get good grades. :P So I won't be able to write as often because of that immense studying I need to do *ahem* have been doing for months, of course...ha...ha...
Happy reading!