Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ The Rage of Ragout ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )
Chocolate gets a new love interest.
Anime/Manga: Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.30.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 594 | Status: Completed
"The Rage of Ragout"Written by Hobie McCombs and Toshi Vantam. Note: Rei Chi is a character created by Toshi Vantam
Carrot Glace fell in love the moment he laid eyes on the buxom, blonde beauty emerging from the foamy white surf. It was early morning in the coastal city of Perdone, tourist haven renowned for its miles of sandy white beaches. For once he was glad to have gotten up early; his finding her would allow them to spend the entire day together! His face contorted with excitement and disbelief. He rubbed his eyes, squinted, then looked again. She moved with a grace he had rarely seen before. Moreover she wasn't wearing any clothes!
Of course he could have turned away, but Carrot was never shy in his pursuit of the opposite sex; he stood his ground. The girl noticed him staring and folded her arms across her chest. She walked to where her clothes lay. Carrot smiled nervously and produced a towel.
"Care to dry off, lovely lady?"
She nodded and let him drape the towel around her bare shoulders. As he did so, he scoped her up and down.
"Had an eyeful?" she asked with a chuckle.
Carrot braced himself. In his usual encounters with girls, he would end up on the seat of his pants. She did not hit him. The girl stood a few inches taller, her long legs seemed to stretch for miles. Carrot ogled her lustfully as she stretched her arms, then dried her hair.
"Is this a nude beach?" he heard himself saying.
"I don't know," she laughed in a soft voice that carried a playful tone. To him it was infectious and sweet. "It was early. I usually don't see many at the beach at this hour."
"The early bird gets the worm in my case," Carrot said with a sly grin.
"Your accent says you're not from around here."
"Correct. My name is Carrot. Carrot Glace." He took her hand in his and gently kissed it. Her skin tantalized him.
"I'm Starr."
She bent over to pick up her disgarded clothing, a small pair of denim shorts and a purple halter top.
"I'm on vacation here, Starr and cannot think of anyone else I'd rather spend it with than you."
"Good," she smiled, squirming into her tight shorts. "Let's she how got of shape you're in!"
With that, she took off running down the beach, her long legs making great strides. Carrot hesitated for a second, looked around and noticed two distant figures watching him. He kicked up a cloud of dust then ran after Starr. She had a decent head start, but his libido would allow him to catch a cheetah at that moment.
"There he goes," Tira Misu said with a sigh.
"Darling wait!" Chocolate Misu called out in vain. She would never be able to catch him, his lead was enormous. She turned back to her younger sister in disgust. "I wanted to show him my new swimsuit." The disappointment in her voice was palpable.
"That pervert had eyes only for her," Tira whined with equal hurt in her voice. She hated to picture Carrot with that shameless hussy.
"He didn't have to sneak out like that. I would've went skinny dipping if he wanted too," complained Chocolate.
"I know, sis."
Chocolate looked once more after Carrot, now a tiny dot moving further up the beach. Her day was ruined. Tira spread a towel on the sand in front of her. "I'm gonna lay out."
Chocolate nodded, got up, then started to walk away in the opposite direction.
"Where are you going?" Tira called after her.
The older sister shook her head, indicating she didn't know or didn't want to tell her. Chocolate moved the opposite direction, creating a greater distance between herself and Carrot. Tira arched an eyebrow in surprise; it wasn't like her sister to give up pursuing Carrot so easily. When he chased other girls, Chocolate usually spent her energy trying to ruin it either by physically restraining Carrot in any number of ways or scaring off the girl by threatening her with bodily harm.
Once she had attained a sizable distance to where Tira's vision of her was limited, Chocolate caved in. She sat on the beach, tears streaming down her cheeks. *It was never going to happen. He didn't care how she felt about him, their relationship, nor had he ever given the slightest indication that he liked her.* She felt anger, jealousy, and mostly grief. She had spent most of her adolescence chasing him, trying to get him to return her affection. It was like trying to chase the wind sometimes.
Soon, she came to the seaport area, several miles of docks and piers. Just beyond that lay Perdone itself. The city did have a romantic charm to it. Too bad, Carrot Glace had ruined that mood for her. She had anxiously been anticipating this vacation for weeks, hoping that they would have the chance to spend quality time together. Her introspection was interrupted by rude catcalls and whistles. A group of six sea men types approached her, hairy, burly, foul smelling, and downright repulsive. They had their names sewed onto their shirts: Scurvey, Scum, Sleaze, Scrub, Slob, and Snott. Chocolate could feel the heat of their lustful gazes and realized her skimpy thong bikini ensemble would have that effect.
"What a nubile little wench we have here, eh lads?" cackled their leader, Scurvey. He smelled of cheap liquor and clearly needed a trip to the dentist. His giant beer belly stuck out from under his shirt and over his pants. His companions were no better. Chocolate wondered if they knew the meaning of the word "hygiene." They had probably been on ship so long they did not. She tried to walk away, igonoring them, but they followed.
"Want a date, sweets?" Scurvey blocked her path. Each of them then took up positions where Chocolate could not escape.
"Stow it, you pig. I'm not in the mood for your crap!"
"Saucy, ain't she, cap?" Scum laughed. He splashed some rum at her.
Chocolate did not want to conjure up her fighting outfit and garrotte. These men weren't sorcerers and she did not fear them. Moreover, they had to keep their presence in Perdone secret. Still, she wasn't going to take anything from these fishermen. Scurvey grabbed her thin bare arm.
"We could use a girl like you aboard our ship," he remarked.
"Take your grimy paws off of me," Chocolate warned, her voice low and threatening.
"This a private affair or is everyone invited?" said a new voice.
The group turned to see a young man standing nearby, arms folded casually across his chest. Chocolate noticed he did not look like he belonged with the fishermen, he was much to handsome to be with them.
"Beat it, boy," Scrub brandished a mean looking knife.
"I believe the young lady asked you to take your hands off of her," the young man stared at Scurvey. "I suggest you do so. Now."
The gang did not respond well to one person talking tough to all of them. They pulled knives and attacked the interlooper. With incredible agility he evaded their swipes, grabbed Sleaze by the arm, twisted it, and broke it. The man howled in pain then felt his face smash into Scum's head. Slob ran at the youth, who sidestepped and used the other's momentum to send his attacker hurtling into the water below. A triad of kicks took out Snott. Scrub panicked and ran up the dock, leaving Scurvey. He pushed Chocolate aside and drew a large scimitar. The young man dodged several sweeping strokes, then leapt sideways into the air, over the slower captain. He landed next to Chocolate.
"Your call, miss."
Chocolate's eyes narrowed. "Teach this fool a lesson."
The raven haired youth went low and shattered Scurvey's knee cap with a well placed kick. Scurvey howled in pain and dropped his weapon.
"Think you can go around molesting helpless girls?" the young man hollered as he held Scurvey in a painful arm lock.
"I'm sorry!" gasped the fat captain.
He was sent headfirst into the water. The rescuer turned to Chocolate. "You okay?"
"Yes. I'm hardly helpless. I coulda handled these clowns by myself. Nonetheless, thanks kind sir."
He smiled. He liked her spunk.
"My name is Rei Chi."
Chocolate regarded her rescuer. He was well built, not the body builder type, like Gateau, but very athletic and toned. He wore his jet black hair short except for a long tail in the back. His skin was nicely tanned and his clothing consisted of a black tank top and loose black pants. He looked good to her.
"I'm Chocolate. Chocolate Misu."
"Are you from Perdone, Chocolate?"
"No, I'm here visiting with my friends."
They walked down the dock, taking in the warm sunshine and cool breeze. "Lady as lovely as you should never frown."
"What?" she asked.
"Before you were accosted by those rude men, I noticed you seemed very upset about something."
"You were following me?" she asked, incredulous. He was good, she hadn't even sensed being watched.
"It's not every day you get to see a rainbow or something equally stunning," he replied with a shy smile.
In spite of herself, she blushed the color of her hair. She started to feel a little better.
"I'm not from Perdone either," he told her. "But it's a great city to explore. Want to? You'll feel better?"
"I guess so."
"Hungry?"
She nodded. If Carrot could wander off with some girl, then turnabout was fairplay.
HE watched from his scrying pool, a look of utter glee on his twisted features. Rag Out had seen his jinn galavanting with the young man. *Let her have her fun for the time being* he mused. The boy didn't interest him, his companions did. He had seen the small group of five enter the city yesterday evening. Something about them told him there was more to them than met the eye. He desired the youngest one with the glasses especially. There was an innocence to her, an innate purity that he sensed. It was something he wanted to possess, to corrupt. He looked at his reflection in the full length mirror by his bed. The grotesque features of a troll stared back, little black beady eyes, cragged puffed face covered with warts and tuffs of facial hair. He stood, hunched over, his body weight grossly disproportional to his five foot stature. Ragout, the bastard son of a troll father who had raped a human female had worked as a cabin boy on Captain Scurvey's fishing vessel. By a stroke of luck, he had found a mystical blue bottle tangled up in one of the fishing nets when the ship had been near the Cuisine Islands. A day after his discovery, the crew thought he disappeared, the victim of being thrown overboard or some other prank. No, finding that bottle had opended up a world of possibilities. Rag Out may have looked like a dumb half wit, but he had a cunning, twisted mind beneath that ugly exterior. He had used all that cunning when he opened the bottle.
Flashback: Ragout secure in his cabin after a 16 hour day of scrubbing the decks and cleaning the nets. He pulled the seven inch bottle from his waistband, wondering how the thing stayed together considering how fragile and delicate it looked and felt. Without second thought he removed the cork, stuck in the nose then held the thing up to examine in the light. His beady eyes widened in suprise as a blueish glow came from the bottle's surface. A second later, Ragout out was not alone; before him stood a six foot plus creature, as beautiful as he was ugly. She wore a white gossamer dress that enhanced the supple curves of her body. For an instant, her deep blue eyes measured the troll/human hybrid.
"Thank you for bringing me here," she smiled pleasantly.
"You're a fairy, a spirit or.." he probed with his raspy voice.
"I'm Starr. Humans have referred to me by many names. I don't mind. Nymph, fairy, spirit, GENIE."
"You were imprisoned in this bottle?" he asked.
"It's just a link to another plane of existence. A more boring one, I'll say."
"You are powerful then." It wasn't a question. She answered nonetheless.
"I suppose. And it's my privilege to grant you three wishes!"
Ragout paused, his mind ablaze with opportunities. Something told him not to choose rashly. "Before I pick, you will answer my questions before granting what I want."
Starr nodded. "I'll go over the main ones. Ask if you need them explained further. One, my power though great is not limitless. You can't ask me to make you Omnipotent or even as powerful as me."
Ragout nodded.
"I also can't make you immortal or totally invincible."
"Can I manipulate it so I can wish for more wishes?"
"Perhaps, but it takes wisdom."
"What happens when I use them up? What about you?"
"You have your entire life to choose your three wishes. You can summon me whenever you'd like to grant them. When you've done so, my obligation to you fullfilled. I plan to stay in this realm and enjoy myself!"
"Time for wish one, then." He smiled. "Within my lifetime, you are bound to me to ensure my protection. I know you cannot make me immortal or impervious, but you will do everything in your power to safeguard my life as well as do as I tell you."
"That sounds like a fulltime position," she frowned.
"But one you will carry out. That is my wish, genie." He had rarely been in a position of authority. Most of the time, he was the one being told what to do.
"Granted," Starr said calmly. "I'll make sure you die of natural causes."
"Another question. What if your ethics conflict with mine?"
"My kind have always granted the wishes of the individual who let them out of the bottle. Some of those wishes were based on 'selfish' or 'evil' intent. Such things exist without our involvement every day. I cannot concern myself with the consequences of your actions even if they are the direct result of having been granted a wish. We are required to carry them out, to renege would prove drastic to us."
Starr eyed her master warily. She had never encountered so cunning a troll, so devious a mind. She shuddered at the thought of being with him till he died.
*Back to the Present* Ragout smiled at the thought of her being around the rest of his life. But it was time to pursue the pink haired cutie who sat all alone by herself at the beach. It was time to take advantage of all the forbidden magic he had attained, his second wish.
Carrot felt like he had run a hundred mile marathon. He leaned against a palm tree, lungs burning, gasping for air. Starr stood nearby, a bemused look on her beautiful face. She hadn't even broken a sweat.
"How bout another swim, you could take off all your clothes like before," suggested Carrot.
"Maybe later, Carrot," Starr replied, rubbing his shoulder. "I'd like to check out this beach some more."
"Okay, but can we do it at a slower pace?"
She nodded. They walked near the water's edge, letting the refreshing surf run over their barefeet. Carrot bent down and picked up an intact conch shell. He presented it like a trophy to her.
"It's very nice."
"If you put your ear next to it, you can hear the ocean."
"Can I?" she asked with a curious grin. She pressed it to her ear and listened. "Wow!"
Everything she did fascinated him, the way she smiled, the unique way in which she looked at things. He wondered if she was human, being that he had encountered extraordinary females before only to find they were much more.
At the Stellar Church, Big Momma watched Carrot and Starr in her magical window, a look of deep concern on her face. Dota, her cherubic companion, noticed her consternation.
"What's wrong, Momma?" she asked in her squeaky cute voice.
"Take a look, Dota. Notice the entity with whom Carrot carouses?"
"Just another pretty girl he's trying to put the moves on," observed the plucky winged girl. Carrot's antics never ceased to amuse her. She had a soft spot for him.
"She's a powerful genie, a wish granter with no regard for the results of her actions. If the wrong person discovered her bottle, who knows what lenghts he'll go to acquire the forbiddden magicks."
"Has that already happened?" Dota asked, having a strong inkling it had.
Big Momma nodded.
"Are you going to assign the Sorcerer Hunters to stop her?"
"For now we will refrain from intervening, Dota. But events are in motion for them to face the one called Rag Out."
"I hope they'll be okay," Dota said meekly.
Tira basked in the sunlight, it shone down from a cloudless sky. She wore a modest yellow one piece bathing suit, a far cry from what her sister had worn. People told her she was just as attractive as Chocolate, that she should show off more. Tira's personality did not allow her to flaunt herself in that manner. Still, she had not gone twenty minutes without some surfer dude or local boy trying to pick her up. She hoped that Marron would come by soon and join her. That way, guys wouldn't hit on her if she was with someone. As usual, her thoughts were centered on Carrot who had run off with yet another girl and Chocolate who simply needed time alone.
"Here's looking at you, kid," said a familar voice.
Carrot knelt beside her, adjusting a white beach towel. She lowered her sunglasses and looked at him, a puzzled look across her pretty face.
"Back so soon, Carrot?"
He stared at her with brown bedroom eyes. "Just went for a quick jog and all."
"What about that girl you were after?"
"What about her? She wasn't my type."
He stretched out on the towel, laying on his side and faced her directly. Tira got goosebumps in spite of herself. His presence was very magnetic. Deep down, she was kind of glad Chocolate was not around.
"Did you go in the water yet?" she asked, trying to think up something to break the tension. They had been looking at each other in silence for several seconds.
"Not yet. I thought I'd work on my tan awile. With you."
"Okay," she replied meekly. Was it her or didn't just just catch his eyes looking her up and down. Usually if Carrot was rebuffed by a girl, he'd simply chase the next available one. It seemed Tira and Chocolate were the last people on the planet he'd hit on.
"Got some suntan lotion?" he asked, taking off his brown tank top.
"Yes." She produced a small tube from her beach bag. He extended a bare arm. She hesitated,squirted a dab on his skin. then rubbed it in. His arm muscles were by no means ripped, but he had a wiry strength in them that belied their appearance.
"Have you been working out or something?" she asked playfully.
Carrot flexed and smiled. "I don't usually sunburn, so there's no need to do my back. But how bout I do you? You've much fairer skin than me."
"I've already put it on," she told him.
"I've got magic hands," he said with a devilish smirk and held them up.
Tira blushed. "Maybe after we come back from swimming."
Carrot stretched out his arms, got on his back and put his hands behind his head. He knew she was watching him. Several scantily clad girls walked by, but he paid them no mind. This would take some getting used to, thought Tira. It felt good, it felt right to have him with her. Tira moved to lie on her stomach and catch some rays.
"There's your brother," Gateau Mocha observed as he and Marron arrived at the beach. Gateau wore a bright green pair of bikini briefs that left nothing to the imagination. Already he had gotten several approving looks from females, even those who had guys with them. He moved in ways where it ended up looking like he was flexing or posing. Marron wore a long pair of shorts and a light purple tank top. Gateau had tried to get him to wear less but failed. He entertained thoughts of picking Marron up and throwing him into the water but thought better of it.
"How odd. My brother is actually enjoying Tira's company instead of chasing the countless female beach goers."
"Wonder where Chocolate is," Gateau commented. He did not see a towel nearby nor any red heads with Chocolate's hairstyle. "Think we should join those two?"
"Not yet. It's not every day that Tira gets to spend quality time with Niisan. Let's leave her be."
"Okay, pick a spot."
Rei Chi and Chocolate strolled leisurely through the bustling marketplace. He had given Chocolate a wraparound matching red skirt to cover her thong. Street vendors of all types peddled their wares as did shop owners and restauranteers. Pleasant aromas of all sorts filled their noses. They stopped at a kiosk and her mouth watered at the sight of fried dough crackling in the vendor's oil filled pan. Other nearby stands sold fresh fruit, the ripest and juiciest available in that region. Someone else walked by and sold succulent six inch sausages on a stick. Chocolate set her mind on the dough, ordering one with powdered sugar and gooey cherries. Rei Chi bought one with cinnamon apples.
"MMMMMMMMMM," she murmurred as soon as she tasted hers."Good!"
"There's so much to choose from down here," he mentioned. "I've been here before, sometimes taking a good hour to decide what I want. You should see this place at dinnertime. The seafood assortment is legendary."
"If I lived here, I'd definitely lose my figure," she informed him with a grin.
"The bakeries offer a great selection: eclairs, danish, donut.."
"Don't tempt me, Rei Chi. I try to stay on a healthful diet."
"Yeah, I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, fish and fowl. But coming here, you tend to indulge."
"Where are you from?"
"The Cuisine Islands. Ramen, to be exact. There are five major ones, eleven smaller. Ramen's the smallest, but it has the richest resources, gemstones galore."
"I've heard of them. Not many people can afford to go there."
"Dangerous, I suppose. A few islands are populated by lizard men and other nonhuman species. The unpopulated one's are said to be cursed or haunted."
"What about yours?"
"Ramen is small, only five miles, but a virtual paradise. It's where I grew up."
"So tell me," she smiled. "Are you here on business or pleasure?"
"Little bit of both," he replied with a crooked grin. They sat at a bench along the sidewalk near the entrance to a park. Rei Chi poured her a cup of fresh milk from the carafe he had carried. She slowly drank, savoring the way it complemented the fried dough. "Now, tell me what you do."
Chocolate swallowed her food, then took a moment to answer. "I'm a Sorcerer Hunter."
"Do tell?" He regarded her with a new respect.
"I don't look like one, do I?"
"Maybe some would think that because of your harmless appearance. But I know different, I saw the way you handled yourself back at the pier."
"Suppose you had not?"
"I don't take anything for granted. Appearances can be deceptive."
"I don't want anyone here in Perdone to know what I do besides you, okay?"
"Your secrets safe with me, Chocolate. So are you here on business or pleasure?"
"Strictly pleasure," she said huskily. If that had any effect, he wasn't letting on.
"So tell me, what was troubling you back at the beach?"
Chocolate looked down. "Unrequited love," she said sadly.
Perdone, tourist attraction it was, boasted about only one landmark, a huge abandoned castle long vacated by a sorcerer vanquished by the legendary sorcerer hunters. There was no sovereign in this city, once the capital of a seafaring nation long dissolved. A mayor and several council members made up the city's ruling body. They consisted of common folk: skilled laborers, fishermen, and merchants. When a mysterious individual offered to purchase the castle, the council had set an enormous price, hoping to dissuade the buyer. But he suprised them by offering a small fortune in gold and precious stones. Where he had accumulated them remained unknown. Such an abundance more than paid for the castle and the thousands of acres of land surrounding it. They would soon live to regret their decision if they knew it was Rag Out the troll. The same Rag Out who had to hide his face when he was off ship for fear of scaring the children. The same Rag Out who suffered humilations from the fishermen and crew he served with. The same Rag Out who had been forced to a virtual slaves life. No one loved him, no one cared. Perdone would pay dearly. It was all coming very soon.
Carrot admired the sunset as he sat with Starr in the medium sized sailboat they had rented. The colors seemed to swirl together, a mixture of hot pink, orange, and bright yellow.
"Picturesque," he remarked. "Just like a postcard."
Starr smiled. She really enjoyed his company, the way He looked at things. Human beings intrigued her.
Carrot turned to her. "Do you want to make out?"
"Is that all you think about, you bad boy?"
"Let's see," he put his hand under his chin. "Yes!"
Starr's eyes met his and she moved her face closer. Their lips touched and Carrot soon saw stars, lights, and hearts.
"Wow," he gasped after they parted.
Starr had lightly scanned Carrot's mind with her magical powers. She wanted to know him on a deeper level. Sure, it was an invasion of privacy, but she did not care. She could tell he had a very high libido, not a twisted one like Ragout's. He would never hurt girls, just pursue them relentlessly until they agreed to a date. Then she sensed something else. He had a great power.
Carrot pulled Starr back into his arms and continued their kiss.
Tira and Carrot swam below the ocean's surface exloring a coral reef. Together they rose to the top to get some air. She took off her diving mask.
"It's so beautiful down there," she remarked, a little out of breath.
"So are you from where I'm swimming," his eyes locked onto hers.
"Carrot.." she looked away, embarrassed.
Carrot put his hand to her chin and tilted her head back so their eyes met again. "What's wrong? Can't I compliment you?"
She smiled nervously.
"You look great with your hair wet," he added.
"Thank you."
"Not that you don't look hot already with it dry."
"What's gotten into you?" she asked playfully.
"Nothing. Maybe what I've been looking for has been right before me and I haven't noticed it until now."
Carrot Glace pressed his mouth to hers.
"Somebody might see us," she gasped.
"Who cares?"
"Marron and Gateau are nearby!"
"So?" Carrot licked her neck. Tira let the sensation run through her. She tried to ignore everything else, just feel.
"You kids okay?" Gateau laughed.
Carrot and Tira saw Marron and Gateau standing above them on some rocks.
"Hi guys," Tira said sheepishly.
Carrot's eyes narrowed, regarding the two intruders.
"Where's Chocolate?" Marron asked Tira.
"I don't know. She's been gone all morning, Marron."
"What are you doing for dinner, brother?"
"I haven't decided yet. Tira and I were going to explore the tourist traps."
"I see," Marron said, looking at his brother funny.
Carrot and Tira climbed on the rocks. Gateau got the impression that they wanted to be alone. Carrot ignored the two as he led Tira by the hand back towards the beach. Tira waved goodbye at least.
Chocolate and Rei Chi strolled down the stone path in admist a botanical haven apltly named Flora Park. Several flower artists maintained the site, shaping plant's natural beauty into their own artwork. One of the nightly summer festivals was taking place, complete with live music, games, dancing, and of course mouth watering food. She wore a lavender sun dress with matching heels. He wore a knaki shorts and a black tank top. Rei Chi picked a pink carnation and presented it to her. Chocolate smelled it and placed it in her hair.
"I've been coming to these nightly festivals," he told her. They're all over the city, here, the waterfront, the marketplace...but there was always something missing."
"What's that?"
"Sharing it in the company of someone like you."
They paused a second to avoid being hit by three little kids running by. Chocolate's eyes followed them, a smirk on her face.
"I rarely get to see celebrations and happiness like this. Most of the cities I visit are oppressed, full of danger, gloom, and doom."
"There's always the danger of a Sorcerer getting the drop on you, huh?" he asked.
"Or some other thing just as bad. Having to save lives from monsters.."
"How did you become a sorcerer hunter?"
"It runs in the family. Carrot and Marron's. Their parents reared Tira and me."
The band finished playing a lively tune and everyone applauded. Almost immediately, they struck up another. Her eyes lit up. "Wanna dance?"
"Sure, why not?"