Other Fan Fiction ❯ Black Roses ❯ So We Say Hallo ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

“Alright, now that you’ve chosen your title...We’ll just set you up with a quest. How about...um, let’s see...uh, how about...No, that’s not the one...I swear I just saw it here...Maybe I gave it to someone already? But, who would I give it to? Hmm...”
Evange leaned against the wall, studying his nails, as the Guild Master searched for a specific quest for Evange. The boy was happy with the name he had taken, the Guild Master was less pleased but his opinion didn’t matter either way.
“Ah! Thank Avo, I found it. Alright. ‘Pest Problem’. Simple and a fair amount of gold attached.”
“You call 50 gold fair?”
The Guild Master jumped at Evange’s voice.
“Well, it is when you’re only getting rid of a few stray wasps. Heh, there’s not many larger quests these days. Haven’t been since Gladiator gave peace to the land. Unless you want to do some bounty hunting. But that’s all a lot of work for very little.”
“A lovely era of peace for all the peasants.”
Evange was unusually subdued this morning. His usual mocking tone had taken on a softer bitterness. He looked less of a dark, mysterious villain and more of a sickly boy tired of his role in the world.
Despite the heavy robes, the cold ate at Evange’s face. It invaded his lungs and caused him to cough endlessly. The Guild Master had almost felt sorry for the boy this morning.
“Um, yes. Peace is lovely for the, uh, villagers. Nothing to worry about but crops and such. Now, are you ready to take the quest?”
“No, I’m going to...rest for a bit. I’ll be back by tonight.”
“Alright. Just come back soon, if you would. Gladiator will have my head if you don’t get this quest done.”
The Guild Master watched as Evange left the guild. He hadn’t ever known Evange to be so submissive or quiet. It was a change in a better direction in the Guild Master’s mind.
“That boy just needs a bit of direction and he’ll shape up fine...Or Avo have pity on us all.”

~~~

“Hey, girl, wake up. I’m about to open up and I don’t want to have to watch out for you while you’re sleeping. Come on...wake,” Marta seized the blanket and threw it off, “up!”
Leah rolled from her bed, eyes still closed, and attempted to get up. She fell backwards and almost knocked over a chair.
Marta grabbed Leah’s arm and led her downstairs, none too gently.
“Alright, off with you! The guild’s just up there. They’ll be happy to take you in.”
Then, Marta was off, talking with the usual villagers and several ship merchants.
Leah stepped out, into the dim sunlight of Hook Coast and truly woke up. She smiled at the whiteness all around her. She would have been happy to play in it, but she couldn’t.
So Leah turned and walked up the pathway to the Guild.
As she prepared to knock on the heavy wood doors leading into the guild, a young man threw the doors open and stomped out. His face was red with anger and his visible breath looked more like a plume of steam. Leah stepped back a bit as he turned around for a minute and yelled, “Just go back to your plush little house, you bloody freak!”
Leah silently looked the man over, trying to remember his face in case he turned out to be Evange.
Just as she was about to ask him his name, another boy emerged from the Guild. This one was...different than any men Leah had seen before.
His skin seemed to reflect the white purity of the snow laying around him, as his eyes did the opposite and, seemingly, sucked the light from the very air. His hair was light, though it hid some darker quality to it.
His dark robes swished as he walked towards the man who had yelled.
“Stay ‘way from me, heathen!”
A small smile threatened to upturn the pale boy’s lips. The red faced boy’s eyes widened and he ran. Leah watched as he pushed a villager to the ground in his haste to get away.
“Wow...he sure didn’t like you.”
The boy looked Leah over, frowned, and started to retreat into the Guild.
“Um, I was wondering if I could...er, enter the Guild?”
“Of course, we always need more servants. After all, what would target practice be without moving targets?”
Leah was stunned by the boy’s silk voice taunting her.
Maybe that other guy had the right idea?
“Actually, I wanted to train here.”
“Oh?”
The boy turned around and raised a hand to Leah’s face. She nodded dumbly.
“If I wanted, I could kill you right now.”
He had expected some sort of whimpering, or backing away. But Leah stood still under his hand.
“I doubt it.”
His dark eyes grew, absorbing the pale skin around them.
This girl...
He withdrew his hand quickly, prepared to turn and walk back into the Guild. At least, Leah thought he was going to. Instead, he lashed his hand out at her, hitting her on the head with a loud slap.
Please...Fight back.
Leah rubbed her head before glaring at the boy and trying to swing back at him. He dodged it easily, amazed at Leah’s reaction.
Finally, he grew tied of her swinging at him and grabbed her hand.
“Enough. You want to join the Guild? Fine.”
Leah gazed into the dark entrance of the Guild, her hand clenched at her side. The boy stopped mid-way in and raised two fingers. He waved them at her, motioning her to follow.
I guess I found my tour guide...What a weird guy, though.

~~~

The Guild Master jumped as he heard someone walking up the steps. He quickly shoved the book he had been reading back on the shelf and pretended to study the fire in front of him.
This fire is way too hot...
Evange stepped from the top stair, followed by Leah. While Evange looked strangely excited, Leah just looked angry. The Guild Master finally turned from the fire, to see who had come. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw Evange.
“Oh, uh, hello. I had no idea you’d be back so early. Are you ready to take your quest?”
Evange ignored the question, “She wants to join.”
The Guild Master blinked, looked to the girl and back to Evange.
“She wants to join what?”
“She wants to join the Guild.”
“This Guild?”
The Guild Master was getting nervous. He couldn’t just accept anyone who wanted to get into the Guild. But the Guild Master was scared what Evange would do to him if he didn’t allow the girl in.
Evange made an impatient noise before nodding his head.
“Uh, well, I need to see her in combat, first. So, um...”
“Okay,” Evange turned to Leah and hit her on the head, again.
Leah frowned and hit back at Evange, he dodged, she swung again, he paused and stood still. Her hand landed on him, making him stagger back. Leah grinned with satisfaction.
Evange turned to the Guild Master.
“So?”
“Uh, well, I meant a real combat test. With a weapon and such.”
Evange glared at him, “If she were already trained, do you think she’d want to come to this dump?”
The Guild Master was taken back at Evange’s behavior. The boy usually acted stealthier than this. The new attitude was strange and gave Evange an almost rabid appearance.
“I can’t let anyone in unless they’re tested. It’s to see if they have potential. I can set up a test right now, if that pleases you.”
Evange nodded, “I’ll test her.”
“But, uh, I usually set the test up with someone with less experience...”
Evange ignored the Guild Master and set off to the melee ring. Leah looked between the two, shrugged and followed Evange.
This is really weird...
Evange stopped in a small storage room, searched through a few barrels before finding a rusty sword.
“This is for you. Don’t cut yourself, the blade’s rusty.”
He marched out, a gust of wind hit him, throwing cold snow into his face. Leah waited as Evange recovered from the shock. She didn’t know what to do so she didn’t do anything.
When they finally left the shelter of the Guild’s buildings, Leah was amazed at the size of the outside training areas. She looked around with wonder at the snow covering everything.
“Close your mouth.”
Leah glared at Evange before closing her mouth. She noticed a group of children having a snowball fight with some older apprentices.
I want to join!
“I’m going to go easy on you. Make sure you do your best.”
Even as he said the words, Evange wondered why he said them. He had never felt such need to help someone other than himself.
The Guild Master finally came to the ring, opened the gate for them.
“Uh, you’re not using a weapon, Reaper?”
“No,” Evange felt a small bit of pride at his title.
“Oh, well, um, you may begin.”
Leah held out the sword awkwardly, suddenly aware she hadn’t used weapons very much in her life. Evange waited for her to make the first move, his hand raised slightly.
“Okay, I gotta do this.”
Leah ran at Evange, the sword pointed at his face. His left hand glowed a dull blue and he brushed the sword away. Leah lost her hold on it and the sword fell to the ground a few meters away.
She went to get it, turning her back on Evange. There was a light tap on her shoulder.
“You’d be dead right now.”
Leah turned around, forsaking the sword, and started swinging at Evange. She focused her whole self on the task.
“You’re much better without the sword.”
She swung at his face, missing it as he moved.
“You are fierce, aren’t you?”
She tried to kick his feet out from under him.
“You really are lovely.”
Leah stopped in the act of punching Evange’s stomach. She looked at his face, wide-eyed, he smirked and flicked her head.
“Dead.”

~~~

Gladiator collapsed into a bare chair in his home. He was tired. All this work was not boding well for his old body.
Even with the few extra years added on from his donations to Avo, Gladiator was getting old. Soon, he’d have to give up his title as Hero and pass it to Evange.
A shiver ran down the hero’s spine as he thought of the prophecy of Evange’s birth. He never wanted Albion to fall into Evange’s hands.
A light knock sounded on the door. Gladiator rose, slowly, to answer it. There was an apprentice from the Guild standing on the other side, slightly panting from her run to Gladiator’s door.
“Sir? The Guild Master asks your opinion. He’d like you to come and meet with him at the Guild, if you could.”
“Yes, I’ll come back with you, now.”
“Very good, sir.”
If it’s about Evange, again, I’m going to have both their heads...

~~~

Kuyo circled the empty field of snow, preparing to land. His scales caught the light, sending a beacon through the falling snow.
That girl has the strangest ideas. She could have just stolen a weapon from some sleeping bandits.
Kuyo shook his head as he landed, his claws gripping the frozen ground tightly. The purple wings folded smoothly. The dragon started the slow process of digging a shelter for himself. He didn’t really need one, the cold didn’t affect him, it was just that he liked to have something around him. It made him feel safer.
That should do...
Kuyo crawled into the burrow, glad that no one could see him.
I hope Leah gets this done soon. Kuyo laughed in his mind. Ha! That girl gets distracted so easily, I doubt we’ll ever get off this island.
He laid his head down on his forelegs, closing his eyes part way.
It’s so nice to finally rest.
Kuyo fell into a light sleep, his senses still aware to the world around him. He dreamt of days long gone. When his ancestors ruled this world...when humans had been the ones who hid.

~~~

And there we are.
Chapter four is done and over with...Yay!
As you can see, I put a bit more of Kuyo in. I wanted him to have thoughts and such, so, now, he does.
...Evange is still rocking!