Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ And The Kid Who Just Stands Tonight ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Kloot_chan 
Chapter Two to "And the Kid Who Just Stands Tonight."
Anime/Manga: Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.08.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 360 | Status: Completed
Chapter Two to "And the Kid Who Just Stands Tonight."
Anime/Manga: Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.08.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 360 | Status: Completed
The smells and warmth of the inn's restaurant radiated in all directions, and as she entered, Tira instantly felt better. The delightful colors of the varnished room and the overall sense of home gave a feeling of ease and comfort, which pleased her. Several shiny polished wood tables loomed in a corner of the restaurant, and a familiar couple sat chatting quietly, like old lovers, at the one closest to the window, where blue skies reigned outside. Tira smiled as she saw the two seated there sitting facing each other, while coffee steamed beside them in pretty pastel cups. She wondered sometimes, what they talked about, what their secret world was like, if there even was one. The two were as different as different could be, like night and day sitting together comfortably, as the Sunday morning drifted slowly by. The sleek slender Marron nodded now and again to his companion, the muscled and broad-shouldered Gateau, who was never more content than when in the presence of his dark-haired object of affection.
Tira drew nearer, passing each sleek yet empty table, eager to settle down with her two good friends. It would be nice to get some fresh-brewed coffee. Tira sighed to herself; thinking about all the poor food the group had endured during their travels along the Continent. It will be grand to actually sit back and enjoy myself, Tira thought amiably. Yet there was something tearing at her mind, telling her that there was some deep mystery enveloping the sleepy mountain town, a subtle veil of secrecy that laced its edges.
Marron was now quiet, looking out the window, his eyes lightening as they filled up with the puffy whiteness of the clouds floating. He was so darkly withdrawn; no one could ever graze his very thoughts. Not even Gateau could do this, yet Tira did not know this for sure. Tira often thought about Marron, about how different he was from the rest of them, and how starkly different he was from his own brother. She felt that he also had a secret, perhaps small, or a dark purpose unknown; making him and the very town they were staying in seem devastatingly and quite acutely similar.
"Hi, Marron, Gateau," Tira approached the thick wood table and nodded to the two. Gateau had a far-off look in his eyes, like he had seen something utterly beautiful but would not speak of it. He blinked, and greeted her cheerfully, but he seemed to be fixated on the form sitting leisurely across from him.
Tira did not mind his lazy greeting, for she knew his favorite thing in the world was to watch his beloved, even if it was just in the random act of brushing his hair aside with the back of his palm. She bet Marron never realized how much Gateau cared for him. Tira remembered one night, long ago Gateau had told her that he wished he had a way of softening Marron's reclusive soul so he would fall in love with him. Or, he had whispered; tears shining in his eyes, that he had a way of falling out of love if the latter did not work. He had added, almost jokingly, that there was no way one could fall out of love once they were in it. It was like falling in a deep, lovely trap that one doesn't really want to leave and is too difficult to crawl out of. Tira felt similar pain in her heart, and could relate. Carrot never would notice her, either. She constantly wondered if she should just forget. Perhaps Gateau contemplated those same thoughts, but his loyalty very likely was stronger than hers was.
"Is something bothering you, Tira?" The sleek voice purred in her mind, pushing out her sad thoughts and troubles. Marron was looking at her, his gold eyes glinting for he knew her secret; he could feel her pain radiating out of her like hazy rays from a mellow sun. She sighed. It was so very obvious that she was depressed. Depressed because of something that plagued her all her life.
"Oh, Marron-chan, it's nothing." But this was a lie. She knew that Marron acknowledged its untruthfulness, but he said not a word. He simply turned his raven head around and continued his prolonged peering out the window, staring out into nothingness. Tira saw then that the little blemish Marron had attained earlier still remained, and she turned her head away quickly. How did Marron manage to disregard everything so readily? It was like he merely watched the world, and was not completely a participant himself. This disturbed her in a way she could not speak of, and so she did not say anything. She simply followed Marron's gaze and peered at the lazy clouds that floated lethargically in the bright sky. Her thoughts ran into one another, and soon each person slipped into his and her respective own quiet haze, until quite suddenly, a mysterious figure briskly approached and stopped, looming over them like an ominous cloud.
"Well, I'll be damned," The voice chuckled, and the three lazily seated there peered up to look at their impromptu visitor. The woman was tall and slender, with twin long silver tendrils of hair that were kept neatly swept behind her ears. She looked quite decorative, with her orange and blue dress that was cut quite close up the thigh. Gateau, of course, noticed this, and smiled at her, suppressing his usual suggestive remark, which usually ended with a please "look at me." The woman had a youthful face and large round eyes, and there was a square bit of paper pinned to her dress that had her name written on it. In large katakana read the simply sweet name of "Sierra." Even Gateau could guess that she was most likely a waitress for the inn's restaurant, and she had come obligingly to wait on them. Tira thought it somewhat odd, however, that she seemed so surprised and happy to see them. With a quick glance around, however, Tira noticed that perhaps the reason she was so exhilarated was due to the fact that the three of them were the only customers in the entire restaurant, so they basically stood out like sore thumbs.
"This is incredible!" Sierra slammed her hands on the wood table, slightly upsetting the coffee. She stared at each of the three in them in what resembled amazement. "Don't tell me-you're tourists, right?" Her shiny silver eyes danced, as if her previous question was the front end of a joke.
"Well, you might say that," Gateau mumbled as he peered at her cautiously. He casually looked her over a few times, but said nothing more. Tira didn't want to complicate things further, so she simply shook her head at the silver-headed waitress's question.
"Well, actually, we're really just passing through," Tira said shyly but firmly. She didn't want the strange waitress to get the wrong idea. They weren't looking for anything in particular-yet. There was only one person to verify the thing they sought, and they had not heard from her quite yet. Tira definitely didn't intend for anyone to know their true purpose until she knew for absolute certain she could place her trust in them. In these contemporary times, Tira thought then, you couldn't really trust anyone completely. And that included overly happy waitresses.
"That's great! This has gotta be a record or something!" Sierra laughed, her large chest bouncing amiably. Gateau simply stared at her, an aura of perplexity polished on his face. Marron averted his gold eyes sharply from the window to the waitress, and his very stare seemed to silence her laughter. They exchanged a strange glance, and then Marron spoke.
"Ano, Sierra-san," he began slowly, "Do you have very few visitors? I have noticed myself that there are not very many people staying in the inn. Even now, by looking out the window, not a soul wanders the streets." His silken voice trailed off.
Sierra seemed light-headed for a second, and then regained herself. "Oh, yes. In fact, I'd say you were practically the only visitors to this town in seven years." To this remark Tira and Gateau looked up, a whisper of threat tickling the back of their minds.
"Why is that?" Tira heard herself ask.
Sierra looked dismal, her eyes far-off. "Well, I hate to admit it, but Ayumi never was a real crowd-pleaser, you know, a tourist kinda place. It's really just your simple mountain town, not a sight to see. I remember it always had its industry built on trade, from all the minerals from the nearby ridges. But now it's all illegal." She said this all with a voice rimmed with spite, her eyes clouded as she peered beyond them through the clear window.
"Hn? Trade itself is illegal?" Marron looked back at Sierra, raising a dark eyebrow. "But why?"
"I was just a kid when it happened," Sierra's eyes looked darker, as she glimpsed into her past, "But I know that Ayumi always had a good arsenal of traders and merchants, bringing money into the town. Traders from other provinces brought goods, and people bought them. What happened was all due to Lady Creme."
"Lady Creme?" Gateau narrowed his eyes, for he knew as well as the others that the atmosphere seemed dank and very fishy.
"Yes. She controlled, and still controls, this town and the areas around it. Legend has it she fell in love with a handsome merchant here in Ayumi, some sword expert. But he loved someone else, and moved away from her and this province. This made her so incredibly angry she cursed this town."
"What did she do to 'curse it', as you say?" Marron slowly stood now, and it was humorous for a second to Tira because Marron was a bit shorter than the busty Sierra. The mood darkened, though, as Sierra's general boisterous expression melted, and a sad, remorseful look hung over her delicate face.
"She kills all the traders and merchants. Literally. Any man or woman she discovers who is making a profit here in Ayumi she will slaughter with her power. The few people who live here, including me, can only survive on food we grow, and we must walk miles to find somewhere to buy something we need. We haven't sold anything for years, so that is why your rooms and food were free. I guess we are just hospitable. It really is a wonder Ayumi isn't a ghost town by now, 'cause it would seem easier to just move away. I know I love it too much to leave, but underneath the truth it all isn't fair. She did it to us all out of common jealousy." Sierra wavered slightly, and wiped at her eye. Tira saw the shiny glisten of a tear on her hand as Sierra pulled it away and peered at them, almost embarrassedly.
"Oh God, why am I blabbing all this stuff to you poor people? I'm dreadfully sorry. You're probably much more interested in me getting you some toast," And Sierra began to turn around to fetch their breakfast, but Marron intervened.
"Miss, if I am not mistaken, what you have just said concerns us all, and I do believe we shall help you before you even realize it." Sierra turned slowly, and eyed him warily.
"But," she looked at each of them, "Forgive me for saying so, but-what can YOU do?" The mood broke completely in her single statement.
"We can do a lot more than you think," Marron murmured quietly, raising his lavender mug to his lips. Sierra simply nodded, obviously not convinced, a bored look floating over her face as she sauntered eastward back to the kitchen. "That is, including my brother and Chocolate."
Gateau absently scratched the back of his head, wondering silently at the previous incident. "Speaking of them, where are they? They should have come down by now," And Gateau emitted a mischievous grin, and Tira gulped as she considered THAT possibility, pushing down jealousy and the little food that remained in her stomach. She prayed they weren't doing anything intimate, but a part of her suddenly realized that it shouldn't matter to her anymore. It just wasn't worth it.
She looked up slowly at Marron, who was sipping his hot coffee across the table from her and Gateau. She found herself staring at him, as she usually did, with her usual sense of utmost wonder. He unexpectedly lifted those great pools of gold and gazed at her with a mutual gathered emotion, a faint smile forming at his lips. She could feel his warmth radiating into her heart, and for an instant Carrot was a forgotten page in her life. She could almost taste Marron's smile-at least, in her mind. But was that wrong? Her heart had yet to tell her. Change seemed to accompany Tira now, and she could feel its presence as if it was hanging over her shoulder even then as she smiled back at Marron. Perhaps her destiny had been changed then, for her soul suddenly felt that it had undergone a precious but tiny revolution.
Tira drew nearer, passing each sleek yet empty table, eager to settle down with her two good friends. It would be nice to get some fresh-brewed coffee. Tira sighed to herself; thinking about all the poor food the group had endured during their travels along the Continent. It will be grand to actually sit back and enjoy myself, Tira thought amiably. Yet there was something tearing at her mind, telling her that there was some deep mystery enveloping the sleepy mountain town, a subtle veil of secrecy that laced its edges.
Marron was now quiet, looking out the window, his eyes lightening as they filled up with the puffy whiteness of the clouds floating. He was so darkly withdrawn; no one could ever graze his very thoughts. Not even Gateau could do this, yet Tira did not know this for sure. Tira often thought about Marron, about how different he was from the rest of them, and how starkly different he was from his own brother. She felt that he also had a secret, perhaps small, or a dark purpose unknown; making him and the very town they were staying in seem devastatingly and quite acutely similar.
"Hi, Marron, Gateau," Tira approached the thick wood table and nodded to the two. Gateau had a far-off look in his eyes, like he had seen something utterly beautiful but would not speak of it. He blinked, and greeted her cheerfully, but he seemed to be fixated on the form sitting leisurely across from him.
Tira did not mind his lazy greeting, for she knew his favorite thing in the world was to watch his beloved, even if it was just in the random act of brushing his hair aside with the back of his palm. She bet Marron never realized how much Gateau cared for him. Tira remembered one night, long ago Gateau had told her that he wished he had a way of softening Marron's reclusive soul so he would fall in love with him. Or, he had whispered; tears shining in his eyes, that he had a way of falling out of love if the latter did not work. He had added, almost jokingly, that there was no way one could fall out of love once they were in it. It was like falling in a deep, lovely trap that one doesn't really want to leave and is too difficult to crawl out of. Tira felt similar pain in her heart, and could relate. Carrot never would notice her, either. She constantly wondered if she should just forget. Perhaps Gateau contemplated those same thoughts, but his loyalty very likely was stronger than hers was.
"Is something bothering you, Tira?" The sleek voice purred in her mind, pushing out her sad thoughts and troubles. Marron was looking at her, his gold eyes glinting for he knew her secret; he could feel her pain radiating out of her like hazy rays from a mellow sun. She sighed. It was so very obvious that she was depressed. Depressed because of something that plagued her all her life.
"Oh, Marron-chan, it's nothing." But this was a lie. She knew that Marron acknowledged its untruthfulness, but he said not a word. He simply turned his raven head around and continued his prolonged peering out the window, staring out into nothingness. Tira saw then that the little blemish Marron had attained earlier still remained, and she turned her head away quickly. How did Marron manage to disregard everything so readily? It was like he merely watched the world, and was not completely a participant himself. This disturbed her in a way she could not speak of, and so she did not say anything. She simply followed Marron's gaze and peered at the lazy clouds that floated lethargically in the bright sky. Her thoughts ran into one another, and soon each person slipped into his and her respective own quiet haze, until quite suddenly, a mysterious figure briskly approached and stopped, looming over them like an ominous cloud.
"Well, I'll be damned," The voice chuckled, and the three lazily seated there peered up to look at their impromptu visitor. The woman was tall and slender, with twin long silver tendrils of hair that were kept neatly swept behind her ears. She looked quite decorative, with her orange and blue dress that was cut quite close up the thigh. Gateau, of course, noticed this, and smiled at her, suppressing his usual suggestive remark, which usually ended with a please "look at me." The woman had a youthful face and large round eyes, and there was a square bit of paper pinned to her dress that had her name written on it. In large katakana read the simply sweet name of "Sierra." Even Gateau could guess that she was most likely a waitress for the inn's restaurant, and she had come obligingly to wait on them. Tira thought it somewhat odd, however, that she seemed so surprised and happy to see them. With a quick glance around, however, Tira noticed that perhaps the reason she was so exhilarated was due to the fact that the three of them were the only customers in the entire restaurant, so they basically stood out like sore thumbs.
"This is incredible!" Sierra slammed her hands on the wood table, slightly upsetting the coffee. She stared at each of the three in them in what resembled amazement. "Don't tell me-you're tourists, right?" Her shiny silver eyes danced, as if her previous question was the front end of a joke.
"Well, you might say that," Gateau mumbled as he peered at her cautiously. He casually looked her over a few times, but said nothing more. Tira didn't want to complicate things further, so she simply shook her head at the silver-headed waitress's question.
"Well, actually, we're really just passing through," Tira said shyly but firmly. She didn't want the strange waitress to get the wrong idea. They weren't looking for anything in particular-yet. There was only one person to verify the thing they sought, and they had not heard from her quite yet. Tira definitely didn't intend for anyone to know their true purpose until she knew for absolute certain she could place her trust in them. In these contemporary times, Tira thought then, you couldn't really trust anyone completely. And that included overly happy waitresses.
"That's great! This has gotta be a record or something!" Sierra laughed, her large chest bouncing amiably. Gateau simply stared at her, an aura of perplexity polished on his face. Marron averted his gold eyes sharply from the window to the waitress, and his very stare seemed to silence her laughter. They exchanged a strange glance, and then Marron spoke.
"Ano, Sierra-san," he began slowly, "Do you have very few visitors? I have noticed myself that there are not very many people staying in the inn. Even now, by looking out the window, not a soul wanders the streets." His silken voice trailed off.
Sierra seemed light-headed for a second, and then regained herself. "Oh, yes. In fact, I'd say you were practically the only visitors to this town in seven years." To this remark Tira and Gateau looked up, a whisper of threat tickling the back of their minds.
"Why is that?" Tira heard herself ask.
Sierra looked dismal, her eyes far-off. "Well, I hate to admit it, but Ayumi never was a real crowd-pleaser, you know, a tourist kinda place. It's really just your simple mountain town, not a sight to see. I remember it always had its industry built on trade, from all the minerals from the nearby ridges. But now it's all illegal." She said this all with a voice rimmed with spite, her eyes clouded as she peered beyond them through the clear window.
"Hn? Trade itself is illegal?" Marron looked back at Sierra, raising a dark eyebrow. "But why?"
"I was just a kid when it happened," Sierra's eyes looked darker, as she glimpsed into her past, "But I know that Ayumi always had a good arsenal of traders and merchants, bringing money into the town. Traders from other provinces brought goods, and people bought them. What happened was all due to Lady Creme."
"Lady Creme?" Gateau narrowed his eyes, for he knew as well as the others that the atmosphere seemed dank and very fishy.
"Yes. She controlled, and still controls, this town and the areas around it. Legend has it she fell in love with a handsome merchant here in Ayumi, some sword expert. But he loved someone else, and moved away from her and this province. This made her so incredibly angry she cursed this town."
"What did she do to 'curse it', as you say?" Marron slowly stood now, and it was humorous for a second to Tira because Marron was a bit shorter than the busty Sierra. The mood darkened, though, as Sierra's general boisterous expression melted, and a sad, remorseful look hung over her delicate face.
"She kills all the traders and merchants. Literally. Any man or woman she discovers who is making a profit here in Ayumi she will slaughter with her power. The few people who live here, including me, can only survive on food we grow, and we must walk miles to find somewhere to buy something we need. We haven't sold anything for years, so that is why your rooms and food were free. I guess we are just hospitable. It really is a wonder Ayumi isn't a ghost town by now, 'cause it would seem easier to just move away. I know I love it too much to leave, but underneath the truth it all isn't fair. She did it to us all out of common jealousy." Sierra wavered slightly, and wiped at her eye. Tira saw the shiny glisten of a tear on her hand as Sierra pulled it away and peered at them, almost embarrassedly.
"Oh God, why am I blabbing all this stuff to you poor people? I'm dreadfully sorry. You're probably much more interested in me getting you some toast," And Sierra began to turn around to fetch their breakfast, but Marron intervened.
"Miss, if I am not mistaken, what you have just said concerns us all, and I do believe we shall help you before you even realize it." Sierra turned slowly, and eyed him warily.
"But," she looked at each of them, "Forgive me for saying so, but-what can YOU do?" The mood broke completely in her single statement.
"We can do a lot more than you think," Marron murmured quietly, raising his lavender mug to his lips. Sierra simply nodded, obviously not convinced, a bored look floating over her face as she sauntered eastward back to the kitchen. "That is, including my brother and Chocolate."
Gateau absently scratched the back of his head, wondering silently at the previous incident. "Speaking of them, where are they? They should have come down by now," And Gateau emitted a mischievous grin, and Tira gulped as she considered THAT possibility, pushing down jealousy and the little food that remained in her stomach. She prayed they weren't doing anything intimate, but a part of her suddenly realized that it shouldn't matter to her anymore. It just wasn't worth it.
She looked up slowly at Marron, who was sipping his hot coffee across the table from her and Gateau. She found herself staring at him, as she usually did, with her usual sense of utmost wonder. He unexpectedly lifted those great pools of gold and gazed at her with a mutual gathered emotion, a faint smile forming at his lips. She could feel his warmth radiating into her heart, and for an instant Carrot was a forgotten page in her life. She could almost taste Marron's smile-at least, in her mind. But was that wrong? Her heart had yet to tell her. Change seemed to accompany Tira now, and she could feel its presence as if it was hanging over her shoulder even then as she smiled back at Marron. Perhaps her destiny had been changed then, for her soul suddenly felt that it had undergone a precious but tiny revolution.