Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Magic Knight Rayearth: When Two Worlds Collide ❯ The Hunt ( Chapter 2 )

The Hunt

"Come on, now! Keep your pace. Adam, you said it wasn't much further!" the elder encouraged as he lead the men of the village deep into the forest. His once peaceful eyes were now cold with the determination to find the beast that Adam had spoke of, the same beast that could have killed Adam's playmate, Ally, his granddaughter. "Come, men! Let's go!"

Adam looked around him. He had no idea where he was. Was one supposed to know where they had been while they were running away from a wicked beast and full of terror? When he had been asked by the elder to lead the men, could he have said "no"? He looked at the ground as he walked. He had just made a big mistake. For all he knew, he could be leading them in circles. He looked at a birch tree that looked familiar, but then noticed that all the birch trees looked familiar.

"Adam, my boy, you're falling behind," said a recognizable voice as he picked Adam up and sat him on his strong, muscular shoulder.

"Dad! You came!" Adam shouted gleefully as he did his best to hug his father while sitting on top of him - all he managed was to hug was his head, but it was good enough.

"Of course I did, son," the burly man chuckled. "I wanted to see this monster of yours."

Adam narrowed his cloudy eyes. "There is a monster. It's here… somewhere."

Adam's father stopped walking when he heard the sternness of his son's usually gay voice. He looked him over.

"Well, then, if you say there is a monster, then there's a monster." He smiled soothingly. "I believe you."

Adam tightened his pink lips and nodded in front of him. "Well, you may be one of the few. The other guys have been saying things."

"I know. I heard them."

"Mmmm." Adam shook his head in dismay; he knew he shouldn't have said anything.

"Are we getting closer?" a man in a blue tunic yelled from the front of the group.

"Uhh… yeah," Adam answered unconvincingly.

The man grunted at Adam's response, noticing his uncertainty. "Are you sure there's a monster out here? I mean, isn't it possible that the little girl just got lost? Why are we following the guidance of a child?"

The elder glared at this man and opened his mouth as to speak, but a bolt of lightning striking the ground in front of him interrupting anything he would have said. The ground shook and several men were thrown off their feet. The debris from where the lightning struck quickly cleared and soon everyone could make out an adolescent-looking figure wearing white robes and holding a staff. He had white hair that sort of poofed in the front and blue eyes that shined like crystals. Although, the most peculiar thing about him was the blue horn that he wore on his forehead. This horn, however, was the thing that gave his identity away almost instantly.

"Master Mage Clef!" the elder exclaimed in surprise. "You arrived here so quickly. For a moment there, I thought you were the monster."

The Master Mage nodded at this. "Yes. This monster you speak of… does it have wheels of some variety?"

All eyes turned to Adam. "Y-yes, Master Mage Clef, sir…" he said nervously.

"I see. Well, I happen to know of this monster you are searching for as well as its location."

"All right, men! You heard him-" the elder began.

"Although, I'd much appreciate it if only those who have seen this monster accompany me to where it is."

Everyone looked at each other. "Only Adam, that boy," started the elder pointing toward Adam, "has seen the great beast. Wouldn't it be wise for his father or another adult here to go with him? He can't go unprotected. He's but a mere child."

Master Mage Clef glanced over at Adam. Adam felt very uneasy. He was getting a lot of unwanted attention today. "We'll be fine. Nothing will happen to this young man, you have my word."

"Fine sir!" Adam's father called to Clef. "We trust your judgment, but could you please tell us why only those who have seen the beast may go?"

Master Mage Clef grimaced. He was not expecting so many questions, and he was already having a bad day. This wasn't the only village that was finding "mysterious objects". There was a town on the other side of Cephiro that even had one of them appear inside the local pub. "My good sir, I am a Master Mage, however, I could never protect all of you at the same time if you all were to join me on this small quest. It is wisest only to let those who are familiar with this creature's actions come."

Adam's father sighed, still unsure, "Yes, thank you, Master Mage. I understand now."

"Good," Clef said a bit harshly. He was becoming severely impatient.

The elder waved his staff, not much unlike Clef's. "You heard him! Let's get back to the village. I trust you will bring the lad home?" The last question was directed to Clef.

"Yes, of course."

"Men, let's go!" Without any hesitation, every one got up and began the march home, the elder in front, striding proudly.

"There is a reason I wanted it to be just you and I." Clef's speech was much smoother now and Adam had begun to settle down.
"There is?" Adam looked at him curiously.

Clef smiled warmly. "Indeed." He waved his hand and suddenly the both of them were standing in front of the "beast". "This, my boy, is no beast as you speak of it as. It is, in my opinion, rather harmless. In fact I feel it is merely an object."

The young boy looked at the Master Mage sideways. "An object?"

Clef paused for a moment; unable to decide whether the information he held could be kept secret by the child that stood beside him. "You see I do not believe this object is from this world, but another."

Adam remained silent, in a near shocked stage. Never had he ever heard of a world other than his own except for in the legend of the Magic Knights. "Is that bad?"

Clef turned his gaze toward to object. "I don't know… if one thing could travel to our world from another, then probably so could another."

"Could that be what happened to Ally? Could she have traveled to the world from which this came?" Adam asked in an almost hysterical manor. "Everyone got so caught up in the great monster hunt, that she was just about forgotten."

"It's possible," Clef admitted, "though, I must say, I never considered that particular possibility." He looked at his young companion standing beside him as his eyes began to swell with liquid. He knew he never should have entrusted such information in a little boy.

"That means…" Adam began, struggling desperately to hold back tears, "that she could be in danger… We could be in danger!" He ran to Clef and buried his face in his robes. "If we are in danger, then the Magic Knights will come for us, right?" he pleaded through muffled cries.

"The Magic Knights… Well, my boy, it's far time that you go back to your people. When you return, tell them I have defeated the monster and the girl, Ally, is in my care."

"Isn't that lying?" Adam asked, confused with the sudden tone in Clef's voice.

"For now, please," Clef said quietly.

Adam nodded and within the blink of an eye he found himself standing in the middle of Town Square, safe and unscathed.

Clef had bigger things to worry about though, and this was one of them. "Is it true that if something from another world appeared here, that something from our own world could appear there?" he questioned himself. "And…if this world switching does propose a threat to Cephiro, will the Magic Knights come back to save us? Would I get to see Umi?" He sighed. "Umi…"

So what do you think? This is partially a romance so Umi/Clef or Umi/Ascot? I've been undecided for quite some time….

Yes, I know that makes two cliffhangers… however, I like to go back and forth between Cephiro and Tokyo.

E-Mail me at IceMaiden@Cephiro.com