I may need more time to complete Chapter 30. I am sorry for the lack of a story chapter this week.
I probably should explain myself.
Chapter 30 is more... unique. It features Roberia using a weapon that Katachi can't easily defend against. It features a weapon specifically made to counter Scholars like Katachi. It features Katachi's difficulty with fighting against an actual weakness, and the limitations of the Words of Power, as godsend as they may sound.
Chapter 30 is where Roberia uses what is considered my favorite weapon series in the entire story - The Indictors.
Now, an Indictor... It is essentially a weapon made to counter a Scholar of ______ said Word of Power. Normally, Words of Power have their own strengths, but their weakness is also very obvious - Anything that isn't within 'strengths' are their weaknesses.
Take, for example, Rekter's, or should I say, Katachi's 解. Rekter has once used 解 to demonstrate how he can dissolve an object, which would include any steel sword and physical weapon. Essentially, if he can pull it off in time, he is practically invulnerable.
However, there are two weaknesses to that. First of all, if he can't pull off the 'Dissolve' in time, the weapon will still hurt him. And 'Dissolve' is a rather slow process. It may take up to 10 seconds for a steel sword to be dissolved completely. If the enemy can wound, maim and even kill Rekter within those 10 seconds, then it would be the enemy's victory. People who specialize in the weaknesses of the Words of Power would include Scholars themselves, Words of Power Hunters, and some specially-trained individuals, like assassins.
The second weakness, is that 'Dissolve' cannot dissolve a liquid base. If one were using a weapon that used both oil and fire, there is no physical body to dissolve, so against a weapon (e.g. Molotov Cocktail) or an enemy (say, a slime) without a permanently solid body, 解 has no effect at all. Weapons designed to work around such weaknesses are Indictors.
Indictors can come in many shapes and forms, but the important thing about an Indictor is that it is designed to render the effects of a Word of Power useless against it.
Oh, by the way, Scholars are people whom wield Words of Power. They are claimed Scholars because using a Word of Power requires one to have extensive knowledge of it, which is reminiscent of a scholar being knowledgeable. So, Rekter uses a Word of Power, or used to, so he at one point can be claimed as a Scholar. Katachi is a Scholar too - Anyone that can use a Word of Power is a Scholar, even if he only knows one meaning the Word can assume.
Katachi's in for a real nasty surprise in Chapter 30 - Please look forward to it!
Regards,
- Cozytw
Sunday 30 June 2013
Wednesday 26 June 2013
I present, SPOILUHS. (Herald Route) :3
(凝望! Stare at the sky - Rond!)
*** ***
A golden word was formed on the back of the head of the man named Rond, with a cloud word next to it dissipating. Without delay, Rond tilted his head back a bit, and faced the sky.
Ron : "... Wha? What?! What's going on? I... I can't turn my eyes!"
Rond desperately tries to turn his head to face down, but even when he did, his eyes are still fixated towards the sky. His body's natural attempt to attain comfort caused his head to look back up after his meaningless struggle.
Katachi slowly walked towards the man, trapped in one of the most ridiculous positions ever.
K : "You are a despicable man, Rond."
Ron : "Wha!?"
Rond's voiced was panicked, but because his face was facing the sky, one would have to be flying to see his expressions.
K : "Did you think that nobody would notice what you did? I've seen you enjoy humiliating your children, your wife, other women, even the officials that visit this village. Since you like humiliation that much, I'll teach you the ultimate humiliation."
Ron : "Ul... Ultimate humiliation...?"
Cold sweat poured down his face to the back of his head. Rond gulped his saliva down. Because the wind passage was shaped awkwardly, when his throat muscles compressed, a loud gulping sound was heard.
Ron : (He, he knows what I did... Crap!)
K : "Yes. The ultimate humiliation."
Katachi's solemn voice only caused the nails securing Rond's sanity to loosen even further.
K : "If you've ever heard of dying face down as a humiliating way to die, then this will be several thousand times worse. You will look up at the sky for the rest of your existence."
Ron : (Look up at the sky...? ... !!! I can't look down!?)
Ron : "What- What sorcery is this!? I... I can't look down! Is this... Is this witchcraft?!"
K : "No, Rond. What you are experiencing is an effect from an absolute power."
Ron : (Absolute power...!)
K : "You can ask a million questions about what happened, but you can't dispel it with normal magic anyway. You might as well give up on trying that."
Rond's nervousness quickly turned to anger.
Ron : "LET ME GO, YOU MANWHORE!!! I'LL KILL YOU AND HANG Y- AGHGACK~!"
Under normal circumstances, that would have been screamed normally. However, Rond's head was still facing the sky, so when he tried to force his breath out the compressed wind passage...
Ron : "BAHUGH, AHUGH, AHUGH!!"
He could only cough with excruciating pain.
K : "It's futile. You should shut up and just listen. Better to fear what is known than fear what is unknown."
Katachi's voice was resolute; It resounded through Rond's head.
Ron : (This... This man... !?)
A string of white cloth, normally used for bandaging, entered his vision, and disappeared.
More appropriately, the white cloth was looped over his head, and forced between his mouth and tied securely at the back of his head to shut him up. Rond had tried to struggle, but for some reason, he could not move his body at all.
K : "You shall look up at the sky forever."
Rond shuddered at that one sentence.
K : "You are not allowed to sleep. The only way for you to rest is by closing one eye, and alternating between the eyes while you stare at the sky. When you wake, your eyes will always look at the sky, so getting up normally or turning your body to get up on your arms will just snap your neck. As a fair warning and an act of mercy, here is my advice - never sleep without facing up."
As Katachi continued speaking, the lucid images were printed into Rond's mind. There was nothing to distract his sight except the moving clouds, which made the imagination that much more vivid and realistic, that he had wished he never imagined it.
K : "When it rains, you are not allowed to take shelter. Because your eyes have to look at the sky, you will not be able to hide under trees, nor enter houses or buildings. Not even walking under a bridge is allowed. Even in your deathbed, you will always look up. If you want to see people, you need to have them look down on you, at you, to speak to you - Just as you have looked down on others."
The images of his wife and children looking down at him to talk to him entered his mind.
Ron : (No... No more...!!!)
Rond tried to move his hands over his ears, but he could not.
Had he been able to look down, he would have been able to see the golden word 定 placed on his clothes, which was responsible for his fixated position.
That was the ultimate inconvenience of not being able to look down.
Rivers and lakes, sharp rocks, tools lying on the floor, and hazards of the like could not be avoided without aid, usually received from the eyes. People often looked at others in the eyes when talking as a form of respect, but it was now not possible unless he's being looked down upon.
Looking at the sky, Rond's mind was cleared, only to have these images burned into his consciousness and consolidating the fear of the unknown within him.
K : "And here is the worst bad news for you - I am leaving in a few hours, Rond. That means that unless you convince me otherwise within these couple of hours, I will leave this place without undoing this effect. It will become permanent - Even if you die."
His fear turned into desperation.
Ron : "No, please... Please!... Let me go..."
Had it been a God like Segus, his prayers would have been answered. But the cries of the sinned are unheard in Katachi's ears, as he walks away from the man with the stolen pouch and sack of food.
*** ***
A golden word was formed on the back of the head of the man named Rond, with a cloud word next to it dissipating. Without delay, Rond tilted his head back a bit, and faced the sky.
Ron : "... Wha? What?! What's going on? I... I can't turn my eyes!"
Rond desperately tries to turn his head to face down, but even when he did, his eyes are still fixated towards the sky. His body's natural attempt to attain comfort caused his head to look back up after his meaningless struggle.
Katachi slowly walked towards the man, trapped in one of the most ridiculous positions ever.
K : "You are a despicable man, Rond."
Ron : "Wha!?"
Rond's voiced was panicked, but because his face was facing the sky, one would have to be flying to see his expressions.
K : "Did you think that nobody would notice what you did? I've seen you enjoy humiliating your children, your wife, other women, even the officials that visit this village. Since you like humiliation that much, I'll teach you the ultimate humiliation."
Ron : "Ul... Ultimate humiliation...?"
Cold sweat poured down his face to the back of his head. Rond gulped his saliva down. Because the wind passage was shaped awkwardly, when his throat muscles compressed, a loud gulping sound was heard.
Ron : (He, he knows what I did... Crap!)
K : "Yes. The ultimate humiliation."
Katachi's solemn voice only caused the nails securing Rond's sanity to loosen even further.
K : "If you've ever heard of dying face down as a humiliating way to die, then this will be several thousand times worse. You will look up at the sky for the rest of your existence."
Ron : (Look up at the sky...? ... !!! I can't look down!?)
Ron : "What- What sorcery is this!? I... I can't look down! Is this... Is this witchcraft?!"
K : "No, Rond. What you are experiencing is an effect from an absolute power."
Ron : (Absolute power...!)
K : "You can ask a million questions about what happened, but you can't dispel it with normal magic anyway. You might as well give up on trying that."
Rond's nervousness quickly turned to anger.
Ron : "LET ME GO, YOU MANWHORE!!! I'LL KILL YOU AND HANG Y- AGHGACK~!"
Under normal circumstances, that would have been screamed normally. However, Rond's head was still facing the sky, so when he tried to force his breath out the compressed wind passage...
Ron : "BAHUGH, AHUGH, AHUGH!!"
He could only cough with excruciating pain.
K : "It's futile. You should shut up and just listen. Better to fear what is known than fear what is unknown."
Katachi's voice was resolute; It resounded through Rond's head.
Ron : (This... This man... !?)
A string of white cloth, normally used for bandaging, entered his vision, and disappeared.
More appropriately, the white cloth was looped over his head, and forced between his mouth and tied securely at the back of his head to shut him up. Rond had tried to struggle, but for some reason, he could not move his body at all.
K : "You shall look up at the sky forever."
Rond shuddered at that one sentence.
K : "You are not allowed to sleep. The only way for you to rest is by closing one eye, and alternating between the eyes while you stare at the sky. When you wake, your eyes will always look at the sky, so getting up normally or turning your body to get up on your arms will just snap your neck. As a fair warning and an act of mercy, here is my advice - never sleep without facing up."
As Katachi continued speaking, the lucid images were printed into Rond's mind. There was nothing to distract his sight except the moving clouds, which made the imagination that much more vivid and realistic, that he had wished he never imagined it.
K : "When it rains, you are not allowed to take shelter. Because your eyes have to look at the sky, you will not be able to hide under trees, nor enter houses or buildings. Not even walking under a bridge is allowed. Even in your deathbed, you will always look up. If you want to see people, you need to have them look down on you, at you, to speak to you - Just as you have looked down on others."
The images of his wife and children looking down at him to talk to him entered his mind.
Ron : (No... No more...!!!)
Rond tried to move his hands over his ears, but he could not.
Had he been able to look down, he would have been able to see the golden word 定 placed on his clothes, which was responsible for his fixated position.
That was the ultimate inconvenience of not being able to look down.
Rivers and lakes, sharp rocks, tools lying on the floor, and hazards of the like could not be avoided without aid, usually received from the eyes. People often looked at others in the eyes when talking as a form of respect, but it was now not possible unless he's being looked down upon.
Looking at the sky, Rond's mind was cleared, only to have these images burned into his consciousness and consolidating the fear of the unknown within him.
K : "And here is the worst bad news for you - I am leaving in a few hours, Rond. That means that unless you convince me otherwise within these couple of hours, I will leave this place without undoing this effect. It will become permanent - Even if you die."
His fear turned into desperation.
Ron : "No, please... Please!... Let me go..."
Had it been a God like Segus, his prayers would have been answered. But the cries of the sinned are unheard in Katachi's ears, as he walks away from the man with the stolen pouch and sack of food.
I present, SPOILUHS. (Messiah Route) :3
K : "Okay. You've had your dinner, so now the only thing you need to do is bathe, right?"
Katachi cleaned the rugged wooden table with a rag torn from his old clothes.
K : "... Bathing, huh... I... I think I'll leave you alone to do that, dear."
Roberia, with confused eyes, looked back at Katachi, her cheeks and ears reddened.
R : "Hey, Katachi? Aren't you, uhm, forgetting something?"
K : "?"
Katachi looked up at his wife, to see her raising her bandaged hands.
... Oh. Oh dear... Katachi seems to have just remembered the reason he had to do everything for Roberia.
*** ***
Scooping his right hand into the river, Katachi closed his eyes.
K : (凝固! Congeal - Water!)
The water flowing through his hands collated around his hand and formed a strange, slime-like jelly mass around his hand. Pulling up the mass of water big enough to fill his whole arm, Katachi walked home, with the same embarrassed expression on his face as before.
K : (... I should have figured it'd come to this... Had I mastered healing water magic early on, this wouldn't have had to happen...)
With a bashful expression, Katachi unconsciously pictured out the scenario that would appear later when he got back, in his head.
Since Roberia's hands were burnt, she could do pretty much nothing with her hands. He would have to remove the clothes on his wife, and use a piece of rag to wipe her whole body for her. Every part of her body had to be kept clean.
The thought of running his fingers against her bare skin excited him too much. Katachi started suffering from a nosebleed.
K : (...)
Wiping the blood off with his free left hand, Katachi smudged his already dirty tunic with more bloodstains.
K : (... Segus guide us...)
Katachi continued the walk back to the hut, with an extremely tense, fearful atmosphere hanging around him like a haunting ghost with a persistent miasma.
*** ***
R : "You're back- Whoa! You can do that?"
K : "Can you please not take this lightly? I... I have to clean you, right?"
Roberia, whose cheeks and ears were still red, pouted.
R : "... I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere..."
K : "... Sorry, Roberia. It's my fault. I... I'm too tensed. I shouldn't react like this."
Holding his now-quivering right hand over the bucket, the golden word 凝 on his palm faded, and with that the blob of water trapped on his hand fell into the bucket.
K : "Be-... Besides, we're marr-... Married. It's not like a husband is not a... A.... Allowed to see his wife's body. Unless, uh, unless... Unless it really is... not... allowed..."
R : "... You're making me nervous, Katachi. Stop it."
K : "! Sorry!... Sorry."
Taking a specific piece from a drape from Roberia's bag, Katachi placed the rugged cloth into the bucket, and walked to Roberia's front.
K : "... Okay... First, the shirt..."
Holding the fabric by its shoulders, Katachi pulled the shirt upwards, slipping it off Roberia smoothly. There was a bit of co-ordination Katachi hadn't noticed - Had he widened the neck hole first, Roberia wouldn't have to look up to help him remove the shirt, but it still came off without much resistance, spare her face.
The shirt was a velvet soft, a true craftsmanship by the best tailors from Rugnud. Even with it being washed and exposed to much physical trauma and the weathering elements of Nature, the fabric imbued with a Swamplurking Axolotl truly was a monster, being able to regenerate the 'broken' and 'torn' parts of the shirt. * Cozy's notes : Search up Axolotl on Google. I love those little buggers almost as much as geckos. <3*
K : (... It's still warm...!)
Katachi quickly put the shirt to one side, picked up and twisted the soaked rag, and prepared to wipe her body.
Looking back up at Roberia, Katachi was stunned.
In her leather brassiere, her slightly tanned skin was smooth and reflective, and betrayed her origin - She had hailed from a queen, so as a princess her skin should be fair as white. Seeing her tanned like this showed the training, pain and combat she personally endured to become a strong warrior, to lead as a strong leader and representative, as a mighty empress for her country.
It was a truly an elegant skin on her nimble, slender figure - To others, it is merely a ravishing sight to behold on a beauty, but to Katachi it was both heart-rending and beautiful.
Her devotion to her country was the one thing Katachi admired the most about her, after all.
R : "Katachi, stop staring! I feel really exposed right now..."
K : "...! Sorry! I'll... I'll start then. If... If you feel any discomfort, just... Just tell me, and don't scream if you can. It's pretty late in the night now."
R : "Okay."
Unclipping her leather brassiere-
____________________
... From this point on, it'd get a bit H. So... Yeah. I'm going to have to put the H parts in an exclusive chapter - If you don't wanna read what happens, don't. I'll tell you what happened - He cleaned her body, wiped her menstrual blood and they both couldn't sleep well that night.
If you wanna go in to the last detail... You'd just have to wait for the actual chapter to come out. :P
I can be so evil and nasty sometimes, I swear. :P It's getting to THAT part of the story already anyway, where the routes start, so yeah, spoilers like this is already foreseen :3 Enjoy reading.
PEACE!!!
- Cozytw. and Tiat Wee.
Katachi cleaned the rugged wooden table with a rag torn from his old clothes.
K : "... Bathing, huh... I... I think I'll leave you alone to do that, dear."
Roberia, with confused eyes, looked back at Katachi, her cheeks and ears reddened.
R : "Hey, Katachi? Aren't you, uhm, forgetting something?"
K : "?"
Katachi looked up at his wife, to see her raising her bandaged hands.
... Oh. Oh dear... Katachi seems to have just remembered the reason he had to do everything for Roberia.
*** ***
Scooping his right hand into the river, Katachi closed his eyes.
K : (凝固! Congeal - Water!)
The water flowing through his hands collated around his hand and formed a strange, slime-like jelly mass around his hand. Pulling up the mass of water big enough to fill his whole arm, Katachi walked home, with the same embarrassed expression on his face as before.
K : (... I should have figured it'd come to this... Had I mastered healing water magic early on, this wouldn't have had to happen...)
With a bashful expression, Katachi unconsciously pictured out the scenario that would appear later when he got back, in his head.
Since Roberia's hands were burnt, she could do pretty much nothing with her hands. He would have to remove the clothes on his wife, and use a piece of rag to wipe her whole body for her. Every part of her body had to be kept clean.
The thought of running his fingers against her bare skin excited him too much. Katachi started suffering from a nosebleed.
K : (...)
Wiping the blood off with his free left hand, Katachi smudged his already dirty tunic with more bloodstains.
K : (... Segus guide us...)
Katachi continued the walk back to the hut, with an extremely tense, fearful atmosphere hanging around him like a haunting ghost with a persistent miasma.
*** ***
R : "You're back- Whoa! You can do that?"
K : "Can you please not take this lightly? I... I have to clean you, right?"
Roberia, whose cheeks and ears were still red, pouted.
R : "... I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere..."
K : "... Sorry, Roberia. It's my fault. I... I'm too tensed. I shouldn't react like this."
Holding his now-quivering right hand over the bucket, the golden word 凝 on his palm faded, and with that the blob of water trapped on his hand fell into the bucket.
K : "Be-... Besides, we're marr-... Married. It's not like a husband is not a... A.... Allowed to see his wife's body. Unless, uh, unless... Unless it really is... not... allowed..."
R : "... You're making me nervous, Katachi. Stop it."
K : "! Sorry!... Sorry."
Taking a specific piece from a drape from Roberia's bag, Katachi placed the rugged cloth into the bucket, and walked to Roberia's front.
K : "... Okay... First, the shirt..."
Holding the fabric by its shoulders, Katachi pulled the shirt upwards, slipping it off Roberia smoothly. There was a bit of co-ordination Katachi hadn't noticed - Had he widened the neck hole first, Roberia wouldn't have to look up to help him remove the shirt, but it still came off without much resistance, spare her face.
The shirt was a velvet soft, a true craftsmanship by the best tailors from Rugnud. Even with it being washed and exposed to much physical trauma and the weathering elements of Nature, the fabric imbued with a Swamplurking Axolotl truly was a monster, being able to regenerate the 'broken' and 'torn' parts of the shirt. * Cozy's notes : Search up Axolotl on Google. I love those little buggers almost as much as geckos. <3*
K : (... It's still warm...!)
Katachi quickly put the shirt to one side, picked up and twisted the soaked rag, and prepared to wipe her body.
Looking back up at Roberia, Katachi was stunned.
In her leather brassiere, her slightly tanned skin was smooth and reflective, and betrayed her origin - She had hailed from a queen, so as a princess her skin should be fair as white. Seeing her tanned like this showed the training, pain and combat she personally endured to become a strong warrior, to lead as a strong leader and representative, as a mighty empress for her country.
It was a truly an elegant skin on her nimble, slender figure - To others, it is merely a ravishing sight to behold on a beauty, but to Katachi it was both heart-rending and beautiful.
Her devotion to her country was the one thing Katachi admired the most about her, after all.
R : "Katachi, stop staring! I feel really exposed right now..."
K : "...! Sorry! I'll... I'll start then. If... If you feel any discomfort, just... Just tell me, and don't scream if you can. It's pretty late in the night now."
R : "Okay."
Unclipping her leather brassiere-
____________________
... From this point on, it'd get a bit H. So... Yeah. I'm going to have to put the H parts in an exclusive chapter - If you don't wanna read what happens, don't. I'll tell you what happened - He cleaned her body, wiped her menstrual blood and they both couldn't sleep well that night.
If you wanna go in to the last detail... You'd just have to wait for the actual chapter to come out. :P
I can be so evil and nasty sometimes, I swear. :P It's getting to THAT part of the story already anyway, where the routes start, so yeah, spoilers like this is already foreseen :3 Enjoy reading.
PEACE!!!
- Cozytw. and Tiat Wee.
Tuesday 25 June 2013
Not sure what I am feeling right now. Also, would you fancy these?
I've so far, planned out and written pretty far for Words of Power Quest. The draft plots for each route (except Endus Reginum) have advanced to a drastic point where Katachi is about to go all-out and start fighting two countries all by himself.
And honestly, I don't know what I feel about this story.
I had the thought of this series being a lovely little piece to relieve stress, but this is actually building stress instead of relieving it well. I have to think and consider the actions, feelings and emotions of every character. A lot. This series is actually far more stressful than V.Vizard! (which is on a hiatus until October. I only write V.Vizard! in October because that's the only time I can build the mood for it.)
I had a load, a huge load of perverse fun typing V.Vizard! and the crazy things people would come up with. It's illogical, it's funny, it's capable of packing that hilarious punch that cracks me up every time I read it. The diverse, wacky cast I gave it is rather small, but they are nonetheless quite pivotal to the story. It's not Steins;Gate level important, but yeah, each and every character are important. (Except Baal' Thu-haad. I still need to work on her and how she's *bleeeeeeeep*.)
I kind-of want to see how Words of Power Quest continues, but I'm not really feeling that hot for the story right now. It's still holding its spot as a good story, but if I lose taste in it too much, I might swap it out for another story. I'm feeling a lot for other story ideas right now.
Granchoid strain 1 - Zilfier Agnes is a floating brain. In the middle of an empty room. Nobody can identify the true power of this brain. But apparently, he can summon anything he wants by using the trigger word "DAMNIT!". Let's say... He watches a couple holding hands. He would go "I WANNA HAVE HANDS SO I CAN HOLD OTHERS TOO, DAMNIT." And mysteriously, he obtains a human body separate from the floating brain, which he can freely control. A rather nonsensical piece like V.Vizard!, it's the piece after V.Vizard! in stress relief.
The Virulent series talks about how cloning is actually a flawed process, and how these special individuals whose mutations allow them to do supernatural feats, these 'Virulent', struggle to survive in a world where the males are inferior to their female superiors. Well, when all the males lose their testosterone generation ability and these clones come at $1600 and a press of the button, it's no surprise. They touch on philosophical views of life - Am I considered human? Am I truly alive? Is technology good or bad? What really defines crossing the border for Science? Can we really meddle with the realm of God? I like this series a lot - And it will probably replace WoP Quest if I lose too much interest, or come right after WoP Quest after I finish it.
Ghost Waltz is more spiritual in nature, in that it touches on the 6 realms in the Desire Realm in Buddhism, and how these 6 have always selected representatives of themselves to help resolve crises the world has once faced - Noah did not guide the animals onto his ark alone, the representatives helped. Now the crisis is to defeat- no, completely eliminate a wayward cult that has come into awareness of the existence of these 6 representatives. Each realm can pair with any other realm for synergy and like, and it's very open and flexible for my tastes. Not sure when this is coming along.
DAN-4K41 is a series that sequels the last series of Virulent. Daniel clone 4041 is the boy that is able to enter the Realm of God - With the technology from Project N.A.N.E., he has perfect control of electrons in any and every matter and object. As for the price to using this power, his body is exposed to the raw radiation from the very technology he uses. A double-edged blade. Love it a lot.
If any of these spark your interest, drop a comment, and I'll see if I can squeeze time for any of these projects. Think of these as a side dish - You can enjoy them leisurely if you simply *like* it, or actively if you aggressively say you *love* it.
And honestly, I don't know what I feel about this story.
I had the thought of this series being a lovely little piece to relieve stress, but this is actually building stress instead of relieving it well. I have to think and consider the actions, feelings and emotions of every character. A lot. This series is actually far more stressful than V.Vizard! (which is on a hiatus until October. I only write V.Vizard! in October because that's the only time I can build the mood for it.)
I had a load, a huge load of perverse fun typing V.Vizard! and the crazy things people would come up with. It's illogical, it's funny, it's capable of packing that hilarious punch that cracks me up every time I read it. The diverse, wacky cast I gave it is rather small, but they are nonetheless quite pivotal to the story. It's not Steins;Gate level important, but yeah, each and every character are important. (Except Baal' Thu-haad. I still need to work on her and how she's *bleeeeeeeep*.)
I kind-of want to see how Words of Power Quest continues, but I'm not really feeling that hot for the story right now. It's still holding its spot as a good story, but if I lose taste in it too much, I might swap it out for another story. I'm feeling a lot for other story ideas right now.
Granchoid strain 1 - Zilfier Agnes is a floating brain. In the middle of an empty room. Nobody can identify the true power of this brain. But apparently, he can summon anything he wants by using the trigger word "DAMNIT!". Let's say... He watches a couple holding hands. He would go "I WANNA HAVE HANDS SO I CAN HOLD OTHERS TOO, DAMNIT." And mysteriously, he obtains a human body separate from the floating brain, which he can freely control. A rather nonsensical piece like V.Vizard!, it's the piece after V.Vizard! in stress relief.
The Virulent series talks about how cloning is actually a flawed process, and how these special individuals whose mutations allow them to do supernatural feats, these 'Virulent', struggle to survive in a world where the males are inferior to their female superiors. Well, when all the males lose their testosterone generation ability and these clones come at $1600 and a press of the button, it's no surprise. They touch on philosophical views of life - Am I considered human? Am I truly alive? Is technology good or bad? What really defines crossing the border for Science? Can we really meddle with the realm of God? I like this series a lot - And it will probably replace WoP Quest if I lose too much interest, or come right after WoP Quest after I finish it.
Ghost Waltz is more spiritual in nature, in that it touches on the 6 realms in the Desire Realm in Buddhism, and how these 6 have always selected representatives of themselves to help resolve crises the world has once faced - Noah did not guide the animals onto his ark alone, the representatives helped. Now the crisis is to defeat- no, completely eliminate a wayward cult that has come into awareness of the existence of these 6 representatives. Each realm can pair with any other realm for synergy and like, and it's very open and flexible for my tastes. Not sure when this is coming along.
DAN-4K41 is a series that sequels the last series of Virulent. Daniel clone 4041 is the boy that is able to enter the Realm of God - With the technology from Project N.A.N.E., he has perfect control of electrons in any and every matter and object. As for the price to using this power, his body is exposed to the raw radiation from the very technology he uses. A double-edged blade. Love it a lot.
If any of these spark your interest, drop a comment, and I'll see if I can squeeze time for any of these projects. Think of these as a side dish - You can enjoy them leisurely if you simply *like* it, or actively if you aggressively say you *love* it.
Sunday 23 June 2013
Deku Up! 2
D : "So, what do you children usually like doing?"
T : "Seiene usually likes loathing around and sleeping. I like lores and stories."
D : "I see. So you like stories, Totta?"
T : "Yes, yes I do, very much. Especially the legend of Diehl and Urdythari."
D : (Well, that's no surprise, their epic tale is, even now, one of the best tragedies. I'm surprised she knows the book at this young an age.) "Okay... So, what would you like to read or hear about?"
Totta looked away towards the window, and swung her feet about while sitting on the stone chair made for her (by Deku). Her eyes widened a bit, and she looked at Deku.
T : "... Well, I've heard Dad talk about it, but I haven't really got the chance to understand something."
D : "Understand what?"
T : "The Words of Power."
D : "!!" (The Words of Power!? Wha- She's already prompting the difficult questions already... As expected of Mister Jiel's children, they sure are difficult to manage...)
Deku retracted his head back a little bit at the request made by Totta.
D : (... Someone help me with this. I can't possibly tell her something I haven't fully understood myself...) "Uhm, Totta, I don't know quite just yet how to explain that to you. Maybe another day, when I'm fully prepared for that question, okay?"
T : "... Okay..."
Totta pouts at the ugly response.
D : (... I made her mad...)
And before the situation got more awkward, a knocking was heard on the door.
D : (? Who could that be?) "Come in!"
The door opened, and a girl of silver hair came in.
"Ex... Excuse me, are you Deku?"
D : "Yes."
T : "He is."
"Then... I have a question I'd like you to help me with, Deku."
D : "Go ahead. Have a seat."
Deku directed the girl to a seat made completely out of crude stone.
D : "Right, what's your name?"
A : "I... I am Aldia."
D : "Aldia, is it... Okay. What did you want to ask about?"
A : "Uhm... Deku, I don't seem to understand the relationship and roles of Segus and Ilpoh."
D : "Ahh, that's a classic. Go ahead, ask away."
T : "Who's Saggus and Ewpoh?"
D : "Totta, it's SEGUS and ILPOH. Not Ew-, Il-. AI EL."
T : "I L?"
D : "Yes. I L. They are an interesting pair, each with their own teachings and religion."
A : "Yes, uhm... Ilpoh is a warmonger, whom believes that fighting and conflict helps people grow and mature. Whereas... Segus is a legend that trusts a path of peace, that tells people to follow their heart. Yet, the titles they are given are sort of... Confusing."
D : "You mean how Ilpoh is associated with order while Segus is often paired with chaos?"
A : "Yes, that's it! Ilpoh fights and destroys, he battles and conquers, yet how is he the Constable of Order? And, and, Segus is a peace lover, whom does practically no harm to about anyone in general, yet he's the Revenant of Chaos? I really don't get why their names are mixed up like that..."
D : "That's because you have the roles and ideals of Ilpoh and Segus wrong."
A : "? What do you mean?"
D : "Ilpoh is regarded as a Constable of Order, because he claims that one ought to live his life under a standard, a code of conduct. One must pay respects to those whom have passed on. One must obtain thy food through rightful means. One ought not to betray thyself. Ilpoh is strict, and orderly in such a fashion. His followers too believe that it is rightful to follow such a code of conduct, to be an exemplary person. Their uniform behavior and orderly fashion gave birth to his title as Constable of Order."
A : "Oh... I, I never thought of it that way..."
D : "As for Segus, he simply tells people to trust their hearts. He tells them that the first thing that comes to their mind is correct, and there is no need to follow anything else because the others are distractions to what one ought to follow. He believes that people are good-natured to begin with. Sadly, what is 'right' isn't clearly defined, and so, because of many variations and lack of proper standing as to what is 'right', followers of Segus have a wide range, which is quite chaotic, to be honest."
A : "... I didn't think it could become like this... So, being too kind and compassionate actually results in this kind of disorder..."
D : "Indeed. Being considerate for the other person could also mean not to meddle with their own way of life, so in a sense, yes, his compassion for others created such chaos."
A : "..."
D : "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
A : "... They aren't really that related to each other, are they?"
D : "No, they're not. Segus and Ilpoh are different altogether. Ilpoh is an actual God, while Segus is a Legend who has the qualifications to be a God. They don't have a conflicting history with each other unlike Croxa and Sha'koth, they don't even fight with each other in the first place. At all. In fact, they and their followers have been seen getting along with each other well, respecting each other as equals."
A : "I... I'd have imagined that they would have quarreled or fought with each other at least once..."
D : "I'd have thought that at first as well, but surprisingly, they don't fight at all. I guess that they are simply two different beings, each with their own approach to what an ideal person is. They don't need to conflict with each other because their end result is still the same."
T : *yawns*
D : (Totta is tired? Well, maybe she handles reading better than simply listening.) "Oh, sorry, Totta. Are you tired?"
T : "I can still manage..."
D : "Don't push yourself. Go sleep. Come on, come along now, this way."
Deku pulled Totta towards the bed in the room, and laid her upon it slowly.
D : "Sleep well."
T : "... Okay."
D : "Right. Sorry, Aldia, could you come by another day? Totta is tired right now."
A : "Okay."
The silver haired girl whispered back and took her leave.
*** ***
B : "Job well done again, mister Deku."
Bertund opened the door and undid the locking seal, indicating the end of the day.
D : "I don't know... I'm not completely used to this yet. Totta's quite easy to handle because she can talk, but I have no idea what Seiene wants. He just loiters around the room and stares blankly at things."
B : "Don't worry too much, mister Deku. Your role as caretaker is to ensure they are safe, and to guide them on a healthy diaeta. Don't worry too much - They may be in their developmental stage, but most of the time children are a lot more capable than they appear to be."
D : "... Okay then. Today's a good day."
B : "Indeed. I'm glad you find the intrusion of Aldia pleasant rather than annoying."
D : "Wha- How did you know?!"
B : "She came into my office this morning to ask me that question, but I had her go to you for the answer."
Deku's face stoned.
D : "You mean to tell me... You're going to have me handle questions like that, just to cover for you and your laziness?"
B : "There are two things incorrect with that statement. First of all, I am pretty busy myself, so pushing aside unimportant work like this is part of my job. And second, you're not going to handle questions alone."
D : "!! What... What do you mean?" (Do... Do I get a partner? A fellow caretaker to pass the time?)
B : "You'd be handling requests to learn magic or lore as well."
Deku's brows slanted steeper.
D : "... You're the worst principal I have ever met."
T : "Seiene usually likes loathing around and sleeping. I like lores and stories."
D : "I see. So you like stories, Totta?"
T : "Yes, yes I do, very much. Especially the legend of Diehl and Urdythari."
D : (Well, that's no surprise, their epic tale is, even now, one of the best tragedies. I'm surprised she knows the book at this young an age.) "Okay... So, what would you like to read or hear about?"
Totta looked away towards the window, and swung her feet about while sitting on the stone chair made for her (by Deku). Her eyes widened a bit, and she looked at Deku.
T : "... Well, I've heard Dad talk about it, but I haven't really got the chance to understand something."
D : "Understand what?"
T : "The Words of Power."
D : "!!" (The Words of Power!? Wha- She's already prompting the difficult questions already... As expected of Mister Jiel's children, they sure are difficult to manage...)
Deku retracted his head back a little bit at the request made by Totta.
D : (... Someone help me with this. I can't possibly tell her something I haven't fully understood myself...) "Uhm, Totta, I don't know quite just yet how to explain that to you. Maybe another day, when I'm fully prepared for that question, okay?"
T : "... Okay..."
Totta pouts at the ugly response.
D : (... I made her mad...)
And before the situation got more awkward, a knocking was heard on the door.
D : (? Who could that be?) "Come in!"
The door opened, and a girl of silver hair came in.
"Ex... Excuse me, are you Deku?"
D : "Yes."
T : "He is."
"Then... I have a question I'd like you to help me with, Deku."
D : "Go ahead. Have a seat."
Deku directed the girl to a seat made completely out of crude stone.
D : "Right, what's your name?"
A : "I... I am Aldia."
D : "Aldia, is it... Okay. What did you want to ask about?"
A : "Uhm... Deku, I don't seem to understand the relationship and roles of Segus and Ilpoh."
D : "Ahh, that's a classic. Go ahead, ask away."
T : "Who's Saggus and Ewpoh?"
D : "Totta, it's SEGUS and ILPOH. Not Ew-, Il-. AI EL."
T : "I L?"
D : "Yes. I L. They are an interesting pair, each with their own teachings and religion."
A : "Yes, uhm... Ilpoh is a warmonger, whom believes that fighting and conflict helps people grow and mature. Whereas... Segus is a legend that trusts a path of peace, that tells people to follow their heart. Yet, the titles they are given are sort of... Confusing."
D : "You mean how Ilpoh is associated with order while Segus is often paired with chaos?"
A : "Yes, that's it! Ilpoh fights and destroys, he battles and conquers, yet how is he the Constable of Order? And, and, Segus is a peace lover, whom does practically no harm to about anyone in general, yet he's the Revenant of Chaos? I really don't get why their names are mixed up like that..."
D : "That's because you have the roles and ideals of Ilpoh and Segus wrong."
A : "? What do you mean?"
D : "Ilpoh is regarded as a Constable of Order, because he claims that one ought to live his life under a standard, a code of conduct. One must pay respects to those whom have passed on. One must obtain thy food through rightful means. One ought not to betray thyself. Ilpoh is strict, and orderly in such a fashion. His followers too believe that it is rightful to follow such a code of conduct, to be an exemplary person. Their uniform behavior and orderly fashion gave birth to his title as Constable of Order."
A : "Oh... I, I never thought of it that way..."
D : "As for Segus, he simply tells people to trust their hearts. He tells them that the first thing that comes to their mind is correct, and there is no need to follow anything else because the others are distractions to what one ought to follow. He believes that people are good-natured to begin with. Sadly, what is 'right' isn't clearly defined, and so, because of many variations and lack of proper standing as to what is 'right', followers of Segus have a wide range, which is quite chaotic, to be honest."
A : "... I didn't think it could become like this... So, being too kind and compassionate actually results in this kind of disorder..."
D : "Indeed. Being considerate for the other person could also mean not to meddle with their own way of life, so in a sense, yes, his compassion for others created such chaos."
A : "..."
D : "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
A : "... They aren't really that related to each other, are they?"
D : "No, they're not. Segus and Ilpoh are different altogether. Ilpoh is an actual God, while Segus is a Legend who has the qualifications to be a God. They don't have a conflicting history with each other unlike Croxa and Sha'koth, they don't even fight with each other in the first place. At all. In fact, they and their followers have been seen getting along with each other well, respecting each other as equals."
A : "I... I'd have imagined that they would have quarreled or fought with each other at least once..."
D : "I'd have thought that at first as well, but surprisingly, they don't fight at all. I guess that they are simply two different beings, each with their own approach to what an ideal person is. They don't need to conflict with each other because their end result is still the same."
T : *yawns*
D : (Totta is tired? Well, maybe she handles reading better than simply listening.) "Oh, sorry, Totta. Are you tired?"
T : "I can still manage..."
D : "Don't push yourself. Go sleep. Come on, come along now, this way."
Deku pulled Totta towards the bed in the room, and laid her upon it slowly.
D : "Sleep well."
T : "... Okay."
D : "Right. Sorry, Aldia, could you come by another day? Totta is tired right now."
A : "Okay."
The silver haired girl whispered back and took her leave.
*** ***
B : "Job well done again, mister Deku."
Bertund opened the door and undid the locking seal, indicating the end of the day.
D : "I don't know... I'm not completely used to this yet. Totta's quite easy to handle because she can talk, but I have no idea what Seiene wants. He just loiters around the room and stares blankly at things."
B : "Don't worry too much, mister Deku. Your role as caretaker is to ensure they are safe, and to guide them on a healthy diaeta. Don't worry too much - They may be in their developmental stage, but most of the time children are a lot more capable than they appear to be."
D : "... Okay then. Today's a good day."
B : "Indeed. I'm glad you find the intrusion of Aldia pleasant rather than annoying."
D : "Wha- How did you know?!"
B : "She came into my office this morning to ask me that question, but I had her go to you for the answer."
Deku's face stoned.
D : "You mean to tell me... You're going to have me handle questions like that, just to cover for you and your laziness?"
B : "There are two things incorrect with that statement. First of all, I am pretty busy myself, so pushing aside unimportant work like this is part of my job. And second, you're not going to handle questions alone."
D : "!! What... What do you mean?" (Do... Do I get a partner? A fellow caretaker to pass the time?)
B : "You'd be handling requests to learn magic or lore as well."
Deku's brows slanted steeper.
D : "... You're the worst principal I have ever met."
Friday 21 June 2013
Chapter 29 : Tolerance
Katachi's head drooped a little as he walked back towards the orange tree.
This morning, he had headed toward the South end of Rulid, to look for healing salves in the district. However, Rulid is a small town which has barely any forms of commerce, therefore the chances of there being an apothecary around is slim to begin with - And Katachi ended up wasting most of his time searching around pointlessly.
K : (... I'm hungry, I'm tired, and low on rations and medicine... Good grief. That girl screwed up my schedule pretty badly. I got this disoriented over a girl whose name I don't even know. At least my shirt isn't that dirty because I rolled backwards with the bag strapped on, so I can wear this for a few more days. As for the bag, dusting the sand off should suffice... ?)
Katachi looked into the house, and nobody was there.
His groundsheet and bag are still there, but the patient sleeping on it has vanished. However, her bag was still inside the house, which suggests that she would probably return to sleep.
K : (She's not here? I should be quite worried, but if she's already awake and okay to the point of being able to walk away, then she should be more than able to make it herself. Maybe she's the type to recover fast like that... ? Oh dear me. Oh my.)
Katachi carefully walked towards his bag, deliberately avoiding something on the floor, and took out a hooked tool and some thin, fine string.
*** ***
Roberia leaned against a bench in central Rulid, with her left hand pressing against the wound on her side.
R : (... Ilpoh... Curse... That bastard...)
As she struggled away, she continuously uttered nothing but spite towards Katachi.
R : (... Being saved by my enemy... This goes far beyond damaging my pride. He doesn't even see me as a threat, let alone an enemy. What kind of powerful leader am I supposed to be, if I can't make a fearful impact on my enemies?... I don't want to rely upon that dirty magic Father's using to reign Rugnud. That is a false rule, built upon the success of our ancestors and reliant on luck. Luck will run out, just as the gold in mines, the water in lakes and the trees in a forest.)
She has nothing but a pouch of gold on her, slowly making her way into the old blacksmith's shop.
R : (I must be strong.)
The wooden chime at the top of the door clacked together melodiously as the door was opened.
"Welcome! What do you need- Oh, hello again, miss, how'd you like the flail?"
Roberia's eyes darted off to a side, in disappointment.
R : "... It's a nice weapon and all. I really like it, but I need something with more power and weight to it."
"Aww, what's wrong with it then?"
Roberia hesitated to speak for a moment, but then decided that the blacksmith is simply doing his job thoroughly.
R : "... I had thought the enemy used a magic that increased the weight of my weapon, which would make the flail that much deadlier with it bring small and pinpoint and all. But, it turns out that the magus uses a magic that can lock a weapon in place, making it completely immovable."
"... I see... And what would you like, then?"
R : "... I want a weapon with many separable parts. One that is heavy, weighs about 29 pounds, that can render his techniques useless. One that can break down and chip off, bit by bit, so even if he tries to seal the weapon, I simply remove the immovable part from the body."
"... A weapon that chips off deliberately, hmm? I've made a weapon like that before, for a magus whom used the stones on it for his spells. Okay then, miss, come back in two days, and look forward to what I've rustled up."
R : "Here's payment."
Roberia emptied the pouch of gold onto the tabletop. What fell out wasn't simple gold pieces or ores of silver that most people would have - What came from it were 15 rare, high-grade Regal coins, which were manufactured a long time ago - Back when Rugnud barely started thriving on ores and minerals. These precious coins, with only 1000 of them in existence, was supposed to be a form of saving grace, to return to her country when she believed she had become strong enough.
"Whoa-ho-ho! That's way too much, even for just the weapon, miss!"
R : "Keep it. Consider it as an advanced pay should I need your services again."
"... In that case, I shall accept only five. There's only a thousand of such coins in existence, is there not? Just a few of these Adamantite and Brusetellian coins like these can grace my grandchildren with unbound wealth. Besides, even if you give me these, there's only so much I can do with these little ores I have anyway."
R : "So be it." Roberia picked up the coins and dropped them back into the pouch.
P : "Good luck defeating that magus, miss." The blacksmith winked at her while picking up a piece of wood, and prepared the furnace. It seems as though the Regal coins were a dead giveaway to her actual identity because his tone of speech changed entirely upon seeing them land on his table.
Roberia exited the house of Pybuit, the retired blacksmith that once held the title of Rugnud's Pride.
*** ***
Katachi had laid out his items over the floor, and began sorting out his inventory.
K : (... First things first, let's clear the bag of any sand and ants that might be trapped within.)
He turned the bag upside down, and a few grains of sand and dust fell from the bag, with a 'puff' sound - And nothing else was inside. The absence of ants within his bag gave Katachi a sense of relief.
K : (... Good. Right then... Clothes in first, the new shoes next, and then the pebble. The shoes are clean, so I can stuff it inside, I guess. After that, this rope- ?)
A rustling came from outside the house. Katachi turned his head and was greeted by the red-haired girl.
R : "... Tch. You're here?"
K : (Oh, it's her.) "... The first sight of me and you're already aggressive? You could at least thank me for letting you use my groundsheet."
For some reason, Katachi didn't feel shy at all while talking to her compared to other girls - But looking back, her monstrous strength probably blew away the illusion of a delicate woman in his eyes, which led him to treat her more casually, as an equal.
R : "... Thank you for the- ! Where's my bag?"
K : "Oh, that? I hung it on the wall there."
Katachi stuck out his thumb and pointed to the general direction behind him. Towards the corner was a medium knapsack hanging from a rather thin net, on a hook above the ground.
K : "There were ants about the floor, and you probably wouldn't like ants inside them, so I kept it off the ground."
R : (He touched my stuff!? Then it's a good thing that I had the Regal coins with me...) "Gh..."
K : "They crawled into mine too! I had to flap out every shirt to make sure they weren't in because I went to hang your bag first-"
R : "Don't touch my bag."
Katachi's eyes widened at the cold, monotonous, malicious response.
R : "..."
K : (... She seems really unhappy... Her bag must be precious to her as much as mine is to me.) "... Okay, fine. I won't."
Katachi had gotten overexcited for a moment there over having a proper conversation with someone in two weeks - So much that he was actually getting friendly with her and neglecting the danger that came with her presence.
K : (... I need to restrain myself better.)
R : "... Hey."
K : "?"
R : "... Have you... Any food?"
K : "... No, I was about to go get something once I repack everything here."
R : "... I see."
Roberia walked towards her pouch, and placed the pouch dangling on her side into the bag. She then undid the net, resaddled the knapsack and walked out of the house.
*** ***
Katachi plucked one more orange to eat from the tree outside.
K : (I should apologize to the tree, if I'm going to take this much.) "I am sorry. Truly, truly sorry. I don't mean to do this, but I really am hungry. This is the absolute last one I shall take. Please bear with me."
He placed a 定 on the orange, and transformed it into an everlasting orange, before peeling off and savoring the tangy flesh within.
*** ***
Roberia went to a watering hole and ordered some food and ale.
R : (God damn it. Ilpoh curse that bastard. He didn't even tense up or fear me being there. Am I not terrifying in the eyes of the strong, just because I have no weapons? Am I just a bully, that picks on the weak and thinks that I would be worthy of ruling Rugnud simply by being the strong among the weak?... I hate him so much...)
Roberia gulped and chugged the ale down to wash away her sorrows.
*** ***
As the two carried out their activities for the day, night had fallen.
After an arduous day of fruitless searching, inventory reorganization and 'fruity' hunting, Katachi tucked himself under the groundsheet once again, and made sure his arms and legs were snugly and warm. Before he could close his eyes, however, something was heard outside the abandoned house.
It sounded like someone was coughing and in suffocating pain.
Katachi looked out through the door, and saw a silhouette of someone with familiar hair vomiting on the orange tree roots.
K : "! Wha- Where have you been?"
R : "I want to forget... I want to forget!!..."
The girl's head raised a bit and her muscles clenched and convulsed. She puked once again, on the previously vomited patch of grass next to the orange tree. Out of instinct, Katachi got up and hurried to her side.
K : (What did she want to forget?) "... Segus bless you..."
Katachi held her by her biceps, and dragged her into the house. Of course, this was not not without resistance.
R : "Get... Away from me!... I hate your guts... I want to drink!!"
Roberia struggled and twisted about, and made Katachi's attempt to help her harder.
K : "Just... Come inside first, please!..." (Good lord, her breath smells like ale! She's been to that watering hole?!)
He laid her across the groundsheet, and checked her face for pain.
K : (Her face is a little red, probably from drinking ale. But, other thasn that, she looks fine. Her temperature's a bit high and feverish, though. An orange should help.) "... Looks quite fine... Here, have an orange."
Katachi held up the everlasting orange, peeled it off and placed a slice into her mouth.
R : "Nnngh... I don't want any..."
Katachi made sure she chewed the flesh and swallowed, took another slice-
R : "I SAID, I DON'T WANT ANY!!!"
Roberia smacked the orange out of his hands, in a burst of annoyed rage. The incomplete everlasting orange Katachi had prepared rolled across the floor in an non-uniform manner, to the center of the room. Katachi frowned a bit, but he heard Roberia's stomach growl just seconds after - She had vomited out her food before it even got a chance to digest, so she must have been hungry even if she insisted not to eat.
Roberia must have heard it herself too, because her face frowned into one of anguish as she clutched her stomach with her forearms.
K : "Don't be so persistent. You're hungry. Even if you don't like me, you should at least take care of yourself."
Roberia groaned a bit out of discomfort. Katachi laid her flat onto the plain ground, and picked up the orange that had rolled off. The everlasting effect of the orange kicked in - With its status set as 'Constant', the removed slices of orange magically grew back and the orange was whole again.
R : "Shut up... I can't... I can't afford to be weak... My family... You bastard... Ilpoh... Curse you..."
Roberia grumbled and mumbled, until she finally passed out due to lethargy.
Katachi rested her head on his lap, and fed her orange slices one by one. The alcohol fumes coming from her mouth were a bit unbearable, but she finally ate 5 slices of orange before Katachi left to fetch a blanket for her. He tucked all her limbs into the blanket, and glanced at her sound, sleeping face for a bit.
K : (Can't afford to be weak... She probably has it tough. Maybe she has a family to feed, being the eldest of her siblings, or just... Something. I, a lonely orphan, am just travelling and hunting these Words of Power, while she, a farmer's daughter or something, has to repeatedly fight people to become strong enough to protect her family from harm, probably. I'm simply doing it for my own, selfish reason, to stop everyone from fighting, whereas she has probably been forced into this out of survival...)
Katachi had, unconsciously, developed newfound sympathy toward Roberia. He carried her in his arms, and gently placed her atop the groundsheet. The blanket was then pulled over her gently, forming a proper bed for her to rest her weary body.
K : "... Good night... Segus bless you..."
Katachi bid the red-haired beauty a good night's rest, with no response at all.
*** ***
K : (... I can't sleep at all...)
Katachi tossed and fumbled about, and turned and looked at Roberia's peaceful, sleeping face, unguarded by her hatred towards Katachi.
K : (... I really can't sleep with her here... I feel so... So uncomfortable, knowing that someone's next to me in this room... I really want to leave now, but she has my blanket and groundsheet...)
It wasn't much of a surprise - Katachi had not slept with anyone beside him before. Naturally, this is a new experience for him, which, frankly speaking, he hasn't prepared for. And so, out of obligation, Katachi hugged his bag for the whole night with his eyes wide open.
This morning, he had headed toward the South end of Rulid, to look for healing salves in the district. However, Rulid is a small town which has barely any forms of commerce, therefore the chances of there being an apothecary around is slim to begin with - And Katachi ended up wasting most of his time searching around pointlessly.
K : (... I'm hungry, I'm tired, and low on rations and medicine... Good grief. That girl screwed up my schedule pretty badly. I got this disoriented over a girl whose name I don't even know. At least my shirt isn't that dirty because I rolled backwards with the bag strapped on, so I can wear this for a few more days. As for the bag, dusting the sand off should suffice... ?)
Katachi looked into the house, and nobody was there.
His groundsheet and bag are still there, but the patient sleeping on it has vanished. However, her bag was still inside the house, which suggests that she would probably return to sleep.
K : (She's not here? I should be quite worried, but if she's already awake and okay to the point of being able to walk away, then she should be more than able to make it herself. Maybe she's the type to recover fast like that... ? Oh dear me. Oh my.)
Katachi carefully walked towards his bag, deliberately avoiding something on the floor, and took out a hooked tool and some thin, fine string.
*** ***
Roberia leaned against a bench in central Rulid, with her left hand pressing against the wound on her side.
R : (... Ilpoh... Curse... That bastard...)
As she struggled away, she continuously uttered nothing but spite towards Katachi.
R : (... Being saved by my enemy... This goes far beyond damaging my pride. He doesn't even see me as a threat, let alone an enemy. What kind of powerful leader am I supposed to be, if I can't make a fearful impact on my enemies?... I don't want to rely upon that dirty magic Father's using to reign Rugnud. That is a false rule, built upon the success of our ancestors and reliant on luck. Luck will run out, just as the gold in mines, the water in lakes and the trees in a forest.)
She has nothing but a pouch of gold on her, slowly making her way into the old blacksmith's shop.
R : (I must be strong.)
The wooden chime at the top of the door clacked together melodiously as the door was opened.
"Welcome! What do you need- Oh, hello again, miss, how'd you like the flail?"
Roberia's eyes darted off to a side, in disappointment.
R : "... It's a nice weapon and all. I really like it, but I need something with more power and weight to it."
"Aww, what's wrong with it then?"
Roberia hesitated to speak for a moment, but then decided that the blacksmith is simply doing his job thoroughly.
R : "... I had thought the enemy used a magic that increased the weight of my weapon, which would make the flail that much deadlier with it bring small and pinpoint and all. But, it turns out that the magus uses a magic that can lock a weapon in place, making it completely immovable."
"... I see... And what would you like, then?"
R : "... I want a weapon with many separable parts. One that is heavy, weighs about 29 pounds, that can render his techniques useless. One that can break down and chip off, bit by bit, so even if he tries to seal the weapon, I simply remove the immovable part from the body."
"... A weapon that chips off deliberately, hmm? I've made a weapon like that before, for a magus whom used the stones on it for his spells. Okay then, miss, come back in two days, and look forward to what I've rustled up."
R : "Here's payment."
Roberia emptied the pouch of gold onto the tabletop. What fell out wasn't simple gold pieces or ores of silver that most people would have - What came from it were 15 rare, high-grade Regal coins, which were manufactured a long time ago - Back when Rugnud barely started thriving on ores and minerals. These precious coins, with only 1000 of them in existence, was supposed to be a form of saving grace, to return to her country when she believed she had become strong enough.
"Whoa-ho-ho! That's way too much, even for just the weapon, miss!"
R : "Keep it. Consider it as an advanced pay should I need your services again."
"... In that case, I shall accept only five. There's only a thousand of such coins in existence, is there not? Just a few of these Adamantite and Brusetellian coins like these can grace my grandchildren with unbound wealth. Besides, even if you give me these, there's only so much I can do with these little ores I have anyway."
R : "So be it." Roberia picked up the coins and dropped them back into the pouch.
P : "Good luck defeating that magus, miss." The blacksmith winked at her while picking up a piece of wood, and prepared the furnace. It seems as though the Regal coins were a dead giveaway to her actual identity because his tone of speech changed entirely upon seeing them land on his table.
Roberia exited the house of Pybuit, the retired blacksmith that once held the title of Rugnud's Pride.
*** ***
Katachi had laid out his items over the floor, and began sorting out his inventory.
K : (... First things first, let's clear the bag of any sand and ants that might be trapped within.)
He turned the bag upside down, and a few grains of sand and dust fell from the bag, with a 'puff' sound - And nothing else was inside. The absence of ants within his bag gave Katachi a sense of relief.
K : (... Good. Right then... Clothes in first, the new shoes next, and then the pebble. The shoes are clean, so I can stuff it inside, I guess. After that, this rope- ?)
A rustling came from outside the house. Katachi turned his head and was greeted by the red-haired girl.
R : "... Tch. You're here?"
K : (Oh, it's her.) "... The first sight of me and you're already aggressive? You could at least thank me for letting you use my groundsheet."
For some reason, Katachi didn't feel shy at all while talking to her compared to other girls - But looking back, her monstrous strength probably blew away the illusion of a delicate woman in his eyes, which led him to treat her more casually, as an equal.
R : "... Thank you for the- ! Where's my bag?"
K : "Oh, that? I hung it on the wall there."
Katachi stuck out his thumb and pointed to the general direction behind him. Towards the corner was a medium knapsack hanging from a rather thin net, on a hook above the ground.
K : "There were ants about the floor, and you probably wouldn't like ants inside them, so I kept it off the ground."
R : (He touched my stuff!? Then it's a good thing that I had the Regal coins with me...) "Gh..."
K : "They crawled into mine too! I had to flap out every shirt to make sure they weren't in because I went to hang your bag first-"
R : "Don't touch my bag."
Katachi's eyes widened at the cold, monotonous, malicious response.
R : "..."
K : (... She seems really unhappy... Her bag must be precious to her as much as mine is to me.) "... Okay, fine. I won't."
Katachi had gotten overexcited for a moment there over having a proper conversation with someone in two weeks - So much that he was actually getting friendly with her and neglecting the danger that came with her presence.
K : (... I need to restrain myself better.)
R : "... Hey."
K : "?"
R : "... Have you... Any food?"
K : "... No, I was about to go get something once I repack everything here."
R : "... I see."
Roberia walked towards her pouch, and placed the pouch dangling on her side into the bag. She then undid the net, resaddled the knapsack and walked out of the house.
*** ***
Katachi plucked one more orange to eat from the tree outside.
K : (I should apologize to the tree, if I'm going to take this much.) "I am sorry. Truly, truly sorry. I don't mean to do this, but I really am hungry. This is the absolute last one I shall take. Please bear with me."
He placed a 定 on the orange, and transformed it into an everlasting orange, before peeling off and savoring the tangy flesh within.
*** ***
Roberia went to a watering hole and ordered some food and ale.
R : (God damn it. Ilpoh curse that bastard. He didn't even tense up or fear me being there. Am I not terrifying in the eyes of the strong, just because I have no weapons? Am I just a bully, that picks on the weak and thinks that I would be worthy of ruling Rugnud simply by being the strong among the weak?... I hate him so much...)
Roberia gulped and chugged the ale down to wash away her sorrows.
*** ***
As the two carried out their activities for the day, night had fallen.
After an arduous day of fruitless searching, inventory reorganization and 'fruity' hunting, Katachi tucked himself under the groundsheet once again, and made sure his arms and legs were snugly and warm. Before he could close his eyes, however, something was heard outside the abandoned house.
It sounded like someone was coughing and in suffocating pain.
Katachi looked out through the door, and saw a silhouette of someone with familiar hair vomiting on the orange tree roots.
K : "! Wha- Where have you been?"
R : "I want to forget... I want to forget!!..."
The girl's head raised a bit and her muscles clenched and convulsed. She puked once again, on the previously vomited patch of grass next to the orange tree. Out of instinct, Katachi got up and hurried to her side.
K : (What did she want to forget?) "... Segus bless you..."
Katachi held her by her biceps, and dragged her into the house. Of course, this was not not without resistance.
R : "Get... Away from me!... I hate your guts... I want to drink!!"
Roberia struggled and twisted about, and made Katachi's attempt to help her harder.
K : "Just... Come inside first, please!..." (Good lord, her breath smells like ale! She's been to that watering hole?!)
He laid her across the groundsheet, and checked her face for pain.
K : (Her face is a little red, probably from drinking ale. But, other thasn that, she looks fine. Her temperature's a bit high and feverish, though. An orange should help.) "... Looks quite fine... Here, have an orange."
Katachi held up the everlasting orange, peeled it off and placed a slice into her mouth.
R : "Nnngh... I don't want any..."
Katachi made sure she chewed the flesh and swallowed, took another slice-
R : "I SAID, I DON'T WANT ANY!!!"
Roberia smacked the orange out of his hands, in a burst of annoyed rage. The incomplete everlasting orange Katachi had prepared rolled across the floor in an non-uniform manner, to the center of the room. Katachi frowned a bit, but he heard Roberia's stomach growl just seconds after - She had vomited out her food before it even got a chance to digest, so she must have been hungry even if she insisted not to eat.
Roberia must have heard it herself too, because her face frowned into one of anguish as she clutched her stomach with her forearms.
K : "Don't be so persistent. You're hungry. Even if you don't like me, you should at least take care of yourself."
Roberia groaned a bit out of discomfort. Katachi laid her flat onto the plain ground, and picked up the orange that had rolled off. The everlasting effect of the orange kicked in - With its status set as 'Constant', the removed slices of orange magically grew back and the orange was whole again.
R : "Shut up... I can't... I can't afford to be weak... My family... You bastard... Ilpoh... Curse you..."
Roberia grumbled and mumbled, until she finally passed out due to lethargy.
Katachi rested her head on his lap, and fed her orange slices one by one. The alcohol fumes coming from her mouth were a bit unbearable, but she finally ate 5 slices of orange before Katachi left to fetch a blanket for her. He tucked all her limbs into the blanket, and glanced at her sound, sleeping face for a bit.
K : (Can't afford to be weak... She probably has it tough. Maybe she has a family to feed, being the eldest of her siblings, or just... Something. I, a lonely orphan, am just travelling and hunting these Words of Power, while she, a farmer's daughter or something, has to repeatedly fight people to become strong enough to protect her family from harm, probably. I'm simply doing it for my own, selfish reason, to stop everyone from fighting, whereas she has probably been forced into this out of survival...)
Katachi had, unconsciously, developed newfound sympathy toward Roberia. He carried her in his arms, and gently placed her atop the groundsheet. The blanket was then pulled over her gently, forming a proper bed for her to rest her weary body.
K : "... Good night... Segus bless you..."
Katachi bid the red-haired beauty a good night's rest, with no response at all.
*** ***
K : (... I can't sleep at all...)
Katachi tossed and fumbled about, and turned and looked at Roberia's peaceful, sleeping face, unguarded by her hatred towards Katachi.
K : (... I really can't sleep with her here... I feel so... So uncomfortable, knowing that someone's next to me in this room... I really want to leave now, but she has my blanket and groundsheet...)
It wasn't much of a surprise - Katachi had not slept with anyone beside him before. Naturally, this is a new experience for him, which, frankly speaking, he hasn't prepared for. And so, out of obligation, Katachi hugged his bag for the whole night with his eyes wide open.
Saturday 15 June 2013
Chapter 28 : She_Is_Persistent
Katachi put on his sabots and rolled up his groundsheet.
K : (...? There's something on the sheet?)
He nipped at it with his thumb and index finger, and raised it up to the grey wall.
K : (... Red hair? There's a strand of red hair on this? It looks... It looks just like that girl's red hair...)
Katachi didn't seem to understand how the strand of red hair got onto his sheet. Had he been awake 15 minutes beforehand, he would have caught sight of the girl's sleeping face on the groundsheet he had been under.
K : (... How did this get here? She couldn't have used my groundsheet, could she? I've fought her for like, 3 minutes only, and it's not like we fought above the groundsheet... Maybe it belongs to the people whom have made this groundsheet? I might have missed it up until now...)
He had been right on the answer, too - If only he had known that the marauder he fought had spent the night right next to him.
K : (... It doesn't really matter. Time is wasting. I ought to start out soon.)
Katachi placed the rolled sheet above his bag, and strapped it on.
*** ***
Before venturing out, however, Katachi climbed the orange tree once more. He reached for a smaller orange on the tree, plucked it down, and cupped it in his hands.
K : (恒定! Constant status - Orange!)
A small, golden 定 surfaced on the orange, and it now held the status of an everlasting orange, should the Word of Power be unremoved. Katachi placed the seemingly delicate everlasting orange into his pocket.
K : (I know that it is bad of me to take another when I've already had one, but I'm just going to give this to Mother Rin when I get there. It's not for me, so I really hope the owner of this tree wouldn't mind too much.)
Katachi made his way to the edge of Rulid, fully set on reaching Mielfeud. But, just to be sure he's walking in the right direction, Katachi approached a sentry.
K : "Excuse me, which way is it to Mielfeud, sir?"
"Oh, that way. Walk straight down here, and the road over yonder splits. Don't take the left - That leads to Fereport. That route is for people going to Eliasbury. Take the right, and you'd reach Mielfeud."
K : "Thanks."
Katachi's wooden sabots clacked loudly against the sandy path, and he's off.
K : (Go down this road, and take the left...)
Katachi glanced at the road ahead briefly to gauge how much distance he had to cover.
But, as he did, a sound was heard.
A metallic sound of something heavy dragging across the ground.
Katachi spun around, to see a blur of red and metal dashing at him quickly, swinging down something!
K : (!!! I have to dodge!)
Out of pure instinct, Katachi leaned his body away from his back, and pressed his hands against the ground before rolling away further in the direction away from the attacker. A heavy, clashing sound was heard. As he looked up, the beautiful girl with a red ponytail and grey-like armor entered his vision.
The girl was holding something new this time; To be specific, it was a flail with a long handle and three weights tethered onto it.
K : "!! It's you again!"
*** ***
R : "Haaah!"
Roberia did not bother with Katachi's unfocused rambling, and simply swung the flail at him hard. The spiked balls of steel attached to the chains swung through the air and missed his face by a few inches - Or, more appropriately, Katachi had continued rolling away and evaded the attack by a few inches.
He sprawled his body out and withdrew that peculiar wooden dagger once more, prepared to fight once again.
K : "..." (I... I can't fight like this...)
Katachi stood defensively, his body leaned backwards a bit, indicating his choice of flight as opposed to the stance he adopted yesterday. He seriously did not want to fight her, it seems - But Roberia didn't take heed at all. In fact, she had become a lot more aggressive than before, now that she was wielding a weapon she could freely manipulate.
She proceeded to draw out ferocious attacks that would maim him on his limbs, slowly and surely forcing Katachi towards the trees by the roadside, pressuring him to a restrictive place where he has to fight back.
Katachi has no choice but to follow suit, being unable to take offensive action.
K : (Gh! I'd normally be able to fight back like this, but I can't risk damaging the bag and the stuff! I need to find an opportunity to get away from her and put my stuff down!)
Roberia mercilessly swung the flail about, disregarding her opponent's handicap completely. The tethered weights made full revolutions around its handle, and crashed against the trunks of the trees, with no signs of restraint on it at all.
K : (I... Can't... Find an opening! 固定! Fixate object - Weight!)
A hoarse whisper rang in the back of his head, and a 定 formed on one of the spiked balls.
Roberia, whom had been freely swinging the flail at Katachi, suddenly felt the limitations of her weapon as the chain between the handle and the fixated weight was stretched to its maximum allowed length.
R : "!! What the-!!" (The weight is... fixed in mid-air?! It's just as immovable as my sword! Then... !!)
Katachi took advantage of the confusion to leap back, and placed his bag down quickly and gently. Gripping the dagger in his hand tightly, he stood firm and steady, finally prepared to fight back.
K : (恒定! Constant status - Self! Constant status - Dagger!)
The golden 定s formed on his chest and the dagger's blade. With the shade of the trees blocking out the sunlight above, Roberia could finally see the Word of Power on the dagger properly for the first time.
R : (That attack... He didn't curse my word so it would be too heavy to move... Rather, he fixated my weapon in that space, that position, so it won't be able to move! And that Word... I recognize that magic anywhere!!!) "You! That's... That's a Word of Power!"
K : (... What... What did she mean? Did she not hunt me because I had the Word of Power in the first place?) "Who are you? Who sent you to attack me?"
Katachi didn't seemed to have noticed that his opponent had entered a wild, frenzied state, though.
R : (This... This is good. Very good...! If I beat him and get his Word of Power for my own, and bring it back to my country, it would definitely be a big boost to my reputation! Fighting this guy is the right decision after all!) "Looks like my choice of targets isn't as bad as I thought!"
Roberia then took out something Katachi had not expected - A tough pair of shears. She wedged the chain close to the fixated weight between the scissor blades, and snipped it off cleanly.
K ; "!!!" (She snipped it off... That is going to be problematic. If the weapon can be broken down and segmented like that, then stopping her won't be as easy as I thought!)
With a combat craze yet unseen, Roberia struck and swiped the weapon at Katachi hard.
*** ***
R : (As expected of a Scholar... He's real tough!)
The girl had repeatedly whipped the boy with the flail, with the weightless chain swinging faster than the other two balls. Yet Katachi had simply stood there, taking all the hits and blows like it didn't hurt. He didn't flinch from the pain, he didn't stagger from the blows, he simply stood there like a training target.
R : (I figured that I can't get him to crack so easily! If I want him to fight me, I have to target something important to him! I need to force a fight out of him if I want a chance at his Word of Power!)
Roberia continually swung the flail at regions where it would hurt badly - At the waist, at the neck and larynx, the calf muscles and even at the genitals, but Katachi just wouldn't budge. Roberia relented on her flurry of attacks for a while, and backed off to think for a bit.
R : (Come to think of it, he didn't defend like this when he had his stuff on. Maybe there's something important in his belongings? Would he start attacking me actively if I aimed for his stuff, then?)
Roberia glanced briefly at his bag, and Katachi, for some reason, seemed to react to that by jumping between her and the bag.
R : (!! Oh? So his bag is valuable to him after all.) "What's so important in that bag that you'd have to guard it?"
K : "... It was given to me for free."
R : (Seriously? That's it?!) "... Really? That's the reason you'd place yourself between me and that?"
K : "Yes. I also have a gift within to deliver, so I cannot let any harm come to it."
R : "Hoho, a gift! Now THAT'S something interesting. What kind of gift could be so valuable that you have to protect it like this?"
Roberia stormed forward, swinging the flail in circles and warming up for a powerful attack. She changed her stride suddenly, and rushed at the bag, swinging the flail down at it. Katachi had, in response, sacrificed his left arm to snag the flail onto his wrist, stopping the attack.
R : "It wouldn't happen to be the money to bring to your family, would it?"
She pulled back, and the two locked eyes with each other fiercely.
R : (I had thought him to be a poor bloke, but if he's been saving his money for a family to feed this whole time, then I don't feel as bad for attacking him!)
*** ***
K : (I can't have her ruining the free stuff blessed to me by Segus... I should just end this quickly. 固定! Fixate objects - Weight!)
The remaining two weights on the flail were fixated in the air, but Roberia snipped them off again. There are now two weights floating next to her, and a third spiked ball to Katachi's left.
R : "I figured you would use that technique again. Did you think I wouldn't have expected this outcome?" (... Truthfully, I didn't expect this outcome at all... I had thought he simply increased the weight of the sword, so I had imagined the flail hurting a lot more if it were heavier as well... But this is good too. It gives my weapon speed, which seems to fare better than power.) "I actually wanted this outcome. Now my weapon hurts even more."
Roberia began spinning the three loose chains at a very high speed. It was not synchronized at first, but she had spun it so, so much that the three chains have come together into a whip-like fashion, a consistent, strong whipping sound could be heard from her right. She ran towards Katachi, and whacked him clean in head, the chains wrapping around his neck from the momentum.
R : "I got you!- ... !!"
But Katachi had grabbed the handle of the flail with his left hand, and raised the wooden dagger against her neck. When he removed his hand, a 定 was engraved on the handle.
K : "... No more. Please."
He then pulled the chains off his neck, turned to pick his stuff up, and continued on his way-
R : "... Don't turn your back on an opponent, you insolent, shameless rogue!!!"
- and Roberia revealed a hidden steel dagger on her back, stabbing it into Katachi's back! Or, so she had thought, but the simple knife simply bounced off his body like stabbing a brick wall with a twig.
K : "... Please don't fight me again. I really don't want to fight you."
R : "... I... I have to beat you! I have to beat you now! I can't afford to spend any more money bluntly! Yesterday night was bad enough!!"
Roberia continued to blindly swipe her blade at Katachi ineffectively as he backed off to avoid her attacks, but as Katachi side-stepped...
R : "!!! Guh!!!"
K : "!!!..."
... Roberia had accidentally brushed her side against a sharp branch.
She held her hand down to her gut, and a shiny, sticky, red liquid, as brilliant as her hair, stuck to her hand.
K : "Good heavens... Lie down!"
R : "Aahhh..."
K : "Lie down, and don't move!"
Katachi ran towards his bag, and returned with a sort of bottle.
R : "... I... You're smaller than me... I should have... Seen that branch..."
K : (What kind of nonsense is she spewing?! Injured people shouldn't exert themselves!) "Stop talking! Don't worsen the wound any more that it shouldn't be!"
He removed the wooden cork, and rubbed the ointment-like substance against the gashing wound. It was not much, but he did the best he could to ease her pain and help her recover. When he was finished with the application, Katachi lay Roberia's body completely flat and cast a Word of Power on her.
K : (固定! Fixate position - Red-haired girl!)
Roberia's body stopped moving completely, and lay stiff as flat as a board. Katachi picked her up carefully, and carried her back to Rulid.
"Wha- Hey, what happened to her?"
K : "Excuse me, sir! She hurt herself by accident and her waist got stabbed by a branch! Please tend to her immediately!"
"Ah- Okay! Leave her to me."
*** ***
Katachi and Roberia lay on the cold floor of the abandoned house which he- Or rather, they had spent the night in.
K : (... Looks like I'm going to spend another day in Rulid after all... I have to tend to her and ensure she's fine before I go. I also need to stock up on this healing salve...) Katachi dropped his blanket on the floor, and laid Roberia on it gently.
K : (... She got a proper treatment from the sentry, so everything should be okay now.)
Or so he thinks, but Katachi can't help but blush and redden at Roberia's belly button and slender waist while the sentry patched her up. To treat her, the greyish armor and her top had to be removed so her injury could be tended to. Katachi, being a young boy, had only seen the body of one woman - Mother Rinnesfeld. As such, it was natural for him to shy away upon the sight of Roberia's navel.
K : (... At least the sentry didn't violate her body or anything...!! What- What was I thinking!? Segus will punish me for this!) Katachi rid his head of the embarrassing emotions, and walked out of the abandoned house's awkward atmosphere - Which he had imagined himself. He took out the bottle of healing salve, and swivelled the fluid within a little to measure how much he had left.
K : (There's not much here, I can only use this for a few small wounds and only once on a medium wound... Here's hoping there's an apothecary nearby. I'll try to run errands and make a few coins for the herbs, but if it's still too expensive, I'll just look for the Mestiel on the go.) Katachi headed towards the south of Rulid, holding high hopes of finding what he was looking for.
K : (...? There's something on the sheet?)
He nipped at it with his thumb and index finger, and raised it up to the grey wall.
K : (... Red hair? There's a strand of red hair on this? It looks... It looks just like that girl's red hair...)
Katachi didn't seem to understand how the strand of red hair got onto his sheet. Had he been awake 15 minutes beforehand, he would have caught sight of the girl's sleeping face on the groundsheet he had been under.
K : (... How did this get here? She couldn't have used my groundsheet, could she? I've fought her for like, 3 minutes only, and it's not like we fought above the groundsheet... Maybe it belongs to the people whom have made this groundsheet? I might have missed it up until now...)
He had been right on the answer, too - If only he had known that the marauder he fought had spent the night right next to him.
K : (... It doesn't really matter. Time is wasting. I ought to start out soon.)
Katachi placed the rolled sheet above his bag, and strapped it on.
*** ***
Before venturing out, however, Katachi climbed the orange tree once more. He reached for a smaller orange on the tree, plucked it down, and cupped it in his hands.
K : (恒定! Constant status - Orange!)
A small, golden 定 surfaced on the orange, and it now held the status of an everlasting orange, should the Word of Power be unremoved. Katachi placed the seemingly delicate everlasting orange into his pocket.
K : (I know that it is bad of me to take another when I've already had one, but I'm just going to give this to Mother Rin when I get there. It's not for me, so I really hope the owner of this tree wouldn't mind too much.)
Katachi made his way to the edge of Rulid, fully set on reaching Mielfeud. But, just to be sure he's walking in the right direction, Katachi approached a sentry.
K : "Excuse me, which way is it to Mielfeud, sir?"
"Oh, that way. Walk straight down here, and the road over yonder splits. Don't take the left - That leads to Fereport. That route is for people going to Eliasbury. Take the right, and you'd reach Mielfeud."
K : "Thanks."
Katachi's wooden sabots clacked loudly against the sandy path, and he's off.
K : (Go down this road, and take the left...)
Katachi glanced at the road ahead briefly to gauge how much distance he had to cover.
But, as he did, a sound was heard.
A metallic sound of something heavy dragging across the ground.
Katachi spun around, to see a blur of red and metal dashing at him quickly, swinging down something!
K : (!!! I have to dodge!)
Out of pure instinct, Katachi leaned his body away from his back, and pressed his hands against the ground before rolling away further in the direction away from the attacker. A heavy, clashing sound was heard. As he looked up, the beautiful girl with a red ponytail and grey-like armor entered his vision.
The girl was holding something new this time; To be specific, it was a flail with a long handle and three weights tethered onto it.
K : "!! It's you again!"
*** ***
R : "Haaah!"
Roberia did not bother with Katachi's unfocused rambling, and simply swung the flail at him hard. The spiked balls of steel attached to the chains swung through the air and missed his face by a few inches - Or, more appropriately, Katachi had continued rolling away and evaded the attack by a few inches.
He sprawled his body out and withdrew that peculiar wooden dagger once more, prepared to fight once again.
K : "..." (I... I can't fight like this...)
Katachi stood defensively, his body leaned backwards a bit, indicating his choice of flight as opposed to the stance he adopted yesterday. He seriously did not want to fight her, it seems - But Roberia didn't take heed at all. In fact, she had become a lot more aggressive than before, now that she was wielding a weapon she could freely manipulate.
She proceeded to draw out ferocious attacks that would maim him on his limbs, slowly and surely forcing Katachi towards the trees by the roadside, pressuring him to a restrictive place where he has to fight back.
Katachi has no choice but to follow suit, being unable to take offensive action.
K : (Gh! I'd normally be able to fight back like this, but I can't risk damaging the bag and the stuff! I need to find an opportunity to get away from her and put my stuff down!)
Roberia mercilessly swung the flail about, disregarding her opponent's handicap completely. The tethered weights made full revolutions around its handle, and crashed against the trunks of the trees, with no signs of restraint on it at all.
K : (I... Can't... Find an opening! 固定! Fixate object - Weight!)
A hoarse whisper rang in the back of his head, and a 定 formed on one of the spiked balls.
Roberia, whom had been freely swinging the flail at Katachi, suddenly felt the limitations of her weapon as the chain between the handle and the fixated weight was stretched to its maximum allowed length.
R : "!! What the-!!" (The weight is... fixed in mid-air?! It's just as immovable as my sword! Then... !!)
Katachi took advantage of the confusion to leap back, and placed his bag down quickly and gently. Gripping the dagger in his hand tightly, he stood firm and steady, finally prepared to fight back.
K : (恒定! Constant status - Self! Constant status - Dagger!)
The golden 定s formed on his chest and the dagger's blade. With the shade of the trees blocking out the sunlight above, Roberia could finally see the Word of Power on the dagger properly for the first time.
R : (That attack... He didn't curse my word so it would be too heavy to move... Rather, he fixated my weapon in that space, that position, so it won't be able to move! And that Word... I recognize that magic anywhere!!!) "You! That's... That's a Word of Power!"
K : (... What... What did she mean? Did she not hunt me because I had the Word of Power in the first place?) "Who are you? Who sent you to attack me?"
Katachi didn't seemed to have noticed that his opponent had entered a wild, frenzied state, though.
R : (This... This is good. Very good...! If I beat him and get his Word of Power for my own, and bring it back to my country, it would definitely be a big boost to my reputation! Fighting this guy is the right decision after all!) "Looks like my choice of targets isn't as bad as I thought!"
Roberia then took out something Katachi had not expected - A tough pair of shears. She wedged the chain close to the fixated weight between the scissor blades, and snipped it off cleanly.
K ; "!!!" (She snipped it off... That is going to be problematic. If the weapon can be broken down and segmented like that, then stopping her won't be as easy as I thought!)
With a combat craze yet unseen, Roberia struck and swiped the weapon at Katachi hard.
*** ***
R : (As expected of a Scholar... He's real tough!)
The girl had repeatedly whipped the boy with the flail, with the weightless chain swinging faster than the other two balls. Yet Katachi had simply stood there, taking all the hits and blows like it didn't hurt. He didn't flinch from the pain, he didn't stagger from the blows, he simply stood there like a training target.
R : (I figured that I can't get him to crack so easily! If I want him to fight me, I have to target something important to him! I need to force a fight out of him if I want a chance at his Word of Power!)
Roberia continually swung the flail at regions where it would hurt badly - At the waist, at the neck and larynx, the calf muscles and even at the genitals, but Katachi just wouldn't budge. Roberia relented on her flurry of attacks for a while, and backed off to think for a bit.
R : (Come to think of it, he didn't defend like this when he had his stuff on. Maybe there's something important in his belongings? Would he start attacking me actively if I aimed for his stuff, then?)
Roberia glanced briefly at his bag, and Katachi, for some reason, seemed to react to that by jumping between her and the bag.
R : (!! Oh? So his bag is valuable to him after all.) "What's so important in that bag that you'd have to guard it?"
K : "... It was given to me for free."
R : (Seriously? That's it?!) "... Really? That's the reason you'd place yourself between me and that?"
K : "Yes. I also have a gift within to deliver, so I cannot let any harm come to it."
R : "Hoho, a gift! Now THAT'S something interesting. What kind of gift could be so valuable that you have to protect it like this?"
Roberia stormed forward, swinging the flail in circles and warming up for a powerful attack. She changed her stride suddenly, and rushed at the bag, swinging the flail down at it. Katachi had, in response, sacrificed his left arm to snag the flail onto his wrist, stopping the attack.
R : "It wouldn't happen to be the money to bring to your family, would it?"
She pulled back, and the two locked eyes with each other fiercely.
R : (I had thought him to be a poor bloke, but if he's been saving his money for a family to feed this whole time, then I don't feel as bad for attacking him!)
*** ***
K : (I can't have her ruining the free stuff blessed to me by Segus... I should just end this quickly. 固定! Fixate objects - Weight!)
The remaining two weights on the flail were fixated in the air, but Roberia snipped them off again. There are now two weights floating next to her, and a third spiked ball to Katachi's left.
R : "I figured you would use that technique again. Did you think I wouldn't have expected this outcome?" (... Truthfully, I didn't expect this outcome at all... I had thought he simply increased the weight of the sword, so I had imagined the flail hurting a lot more if it were heavier as well... But this is good too. It gives my weapon speed, which seems to fare better than power.) "I actually wanted this outcome. Now my weapon hurts even more."
Roberia began spinning the three loose chains at a very high speed. It was not synchronized at first, but she had spun it so, so much that the three chains have come together into a whip-like fashion, a consistent, strong whipping sound could be heard from her right. She ran towards Katachi, and whacked him clean in head, the chains wrapping around his neck from the momentum.
R : "I got you!- ... !!"
But Katachi had grabbed the handle of the flail with his left hand, and raised the wooden dagger against her neck. When he removed his hand, a 定 was engraved on the handle.
K : "... No more. Please."
He then pulled the chains off his neck, turned to pick his stuff up, and continued on his way-
R : "... Don't turn your back on an opponent, you insolent, shameless rogue!!!"
- and Roberia revealed a hidden steel dagger on her back, stabbing it into Katachi's back! Or, so she had thought, but the simple knife simply bounced off his body like stabbing a brick wall with a twig.
K : "... Please don't fight me again. I really don't want to fight you."
R : "... I... I have to beat you! I have to beat you now! I can't afford to spend any more money bluntly! Yesterday night was bad enough!!"
Roberia continued to blindly swipe her blade at Katachi ineffectively as he backed off to avoid her attacks, but as Katachi side-stepped...
R : "!!! Guh!!!"
K : "!!!..."
... Roberia had accidentally brushed her side against a sharp branch.
She held her hand down to her gut, and a shiny, sticky, red liquid, as brilliant as her hair, stuck to her hand.
K : "Good heavens... Lie down!"
R : "Aahhh..."
K : "Lie down, and don't move!"
Katachi ran towards his bag, and returned with a sort of bottle.
R : "... I... You're smaller than me... I should have... Seen that branch..."
K : (What kind of nonsense is she spewing?! Injured people shouldn't exert themselves!) "Stop talking! Don't worsen the wound any more that it shouldn't be!"
He removed the wooden cork, and rubbed the ointment-like substance against the gashing wound. It was not much, but he did the best he could to ease her pain and help her recover. When he was finished with the application, Katachi lay Roberia's body completely flat and cast a Word of Power on her.
K : (固定! Fixate position - Red-haired girl!)
Roberia's body stopped moving completely, and lay stiff as flat as a board. Katachi picked her up carefully, and carried her back to Rulid.
"Wha- Hey, what happened to her?"
K : "Excuse me, sir! She hurt herself by accident and her waist got stabbed by a branch! Please tend to her immediately!"
"Ah- Okay! Leave her to me."
*** ***
Katachi and Roberia lay on the cold floor of the abandoned house which he- Or rather, they had spent the night in.
K : (... Looks like I'm going to spend another day in Rulid after all... I have to tend to her and ensure she's fine before I go. I also need to stock up on this healing salve...) Katachi dropped his blanket on the floor, and laid Roberia on it gently.
K : (... She got a proper treatment from the sentry, so everything should be okay now.)
Or so he thinks, but Katachi can't help but blush and redden at Roberia's belly button and slender waist while the sentry patched her up. To treat her, the greyish armor and her top had to be removed so her injury could be tended to. Katachi, being a young boy, had only seen the body of one woman - Mother Rinnesfeld. As such, it was natural for him to shy away upon the sight of Roberia's navel.
K : (... At least the sentry didn't violate her body or anything...!! What- What was I thinking!? Segus will punish me for this!) Katachi rid his head of the embarrassing emotions, and walked out of the abandoned house's awkward atmosphere - Which he had imagined himself. He took out the bottle of healing salve, and swivelled the fluid within a little to measure how much he had left.
K : (There's not much here, I can only use this for a few small wounds and only once on a medium wound... Here's hoping there's an apothecary nearby. I'll try to run errands and make a few coins for the herbs, but if it's still too expensive, I'll just look for the Mestiel on the go.) Katachi headed towards the south of Rulid, holding high hopes of finding what he was looking for.
Monday 10 June 2013
Chapter 27 : Rulid
Katachi had narrowly escaped a rather dangerous encounter.
A few hours ago, he had been attacked in the shin by a pebble, and a red-haired girl who looks about 16 swung a really large, heavy sword at him. For some reason, it had given Katachi a severe infliction of paranoia.
K : (... What... What in the good woods was that? I could have sworn she wanted me dead with those crazy attacks of hers... Has word of me collecting the Words of Power spread out this quickly, that people are hiring bandits or marauders to attack me now?! I don't even look rich to begin with! Why else would anyone attack a guy wearing such worn-down clothes and noisy sabots?!)
Katachi, bearing a great sense of insecurity in his mind, continued his slow, cautious walk towards Rulid.
*** ***
Rulid is a really small town, about 3/4 of an acre, with some mountainous regions about, so most of the houses are terrace houses surrounded by Melkwood pines, Sugarpelt canes and many beautiful plants. Though they bear great beauty, the plants are mostly cosmetic in nature, and barely profitable. So, it is unfortunate that only small trades come by a rarely visited town like Rulid.
Katachi slowly clacked his noisy sabots on the stone path, and came upon what seems to be a grocer that sells plain vegetables and some caged birds.
"Hello, little boy. What would you like today?"
The old lady behind the stand peered through the sagging flesh on her face, and earnestly looked at the boy.
K : (... Take what one needs, but leave for others. I suppose I don't need all the coin in my pouch, but I do need some food to get through tonight.)
Katachi chose a corn cob that was slightly smaller than the others, dropped three pieces of silver, and prompted a question.
K : (Seeing how she's a grocer, she's bound to know quite a bit about the town's happenings and events. Even if it's hearsay, the slightest hint of a Word of Power is more than enough.) "Lady, are there any interesting rumors about this town?"
The old lady smiled slightly, but her limp cheeks made that unnoticeable. Shaking her head slightly, she answered back.
"Oh, no, no rumors for me, young man. Ho ho, I'm too old for it. Far too old..."
K : (Nothing, huh...) "Thanks, lady. I'll just look around somewhere."
Katachi silently thanked her, and walked deeper into the town.
*** ***
K : (... From what I can gather, there really isn't much happening around here. There're no strange things about, there's nothing major going on, there's really nothing I can do here except rest for the night. Though... I do get a rather creepy feeling somewhere...)
Katachi took out the rope from his bag, and began tying it between both trees. Using it as a makeshift clothesline, he began fanning out his nice, clean clothes that came with the traveler's kit to rid the chances of mildew growing. Katachi also attached his wooden sabots onto a wooden hook he made along his journey, and dangled the pair of wet, muddy sabots onto the clothesline.
Afterwhich, Katachi took out the corn he had bought, and started peeling off the silk on the cob.
K : (... These string things are a little hard to pluck out all in a go... I wonder if I could use the new Word of Power to make my job easier? 解除! Remove exteriors - Corn!)
A dry whisper echoed in the back of his head, as a golden 解 was placed onto the cob.
The silk peeled off cleanly, and fell to the ground. However, the kernels attached to the corn also began falling out, and what remained on his hand was the cob itself, without any corn kernels left on it. The 解 faded off when the whole expunging process was complete.
*Cozy's Notes : Note that he used Remove exteriors, and not Remove silk. Being specific and precise when you use the Words of Power is important, they are like genie wishes - You might not get what you bargained for.*
K : (!!) "Ahh! The corn!..."
Katachi stared pitifully at the corn he had spent three silvers to purchase. The three precious pieces of silver had been used to trade for a cob of corn to keep him satiated through the night. Corn kernels of three silver's worth lay on the ground.
K : (Aww... Hmm, I think I can still eat those, though.)
Beggars can't be choosers.
Picking up the small pieces of corn kernels, Katachi cupped them in his hands, and placed them onto a stone counter left outside one of the terrace houses.
Katachi took out the pebble with Urdythari's rune engraved onto it, and recited.
K : "An unending stream flowed."
The pebble became damp, and water started to form on the pores of the pebble, dripping and gradually pouring gently into Katachi's mouth. Filling his thirst with a water pebble and its thankfully infinite supply of water, Katachi swung it about his wrist, shaking off the excessive water on the surface. He then placed the pebble beside the corn kernels on the stone counter to dry in the sun.
K : (... Okay. My throat's feeling better now. I can't exactly stop here to do jobs for some coin, since there're no Words of Power about worthy of spending a while in this town. I guess I'll have to get my own food the old-fashioned way.)
Katachi looked about, and saw only Melkwood pines and Sugarpelt canes about the town. He couldn't find any fruit-bearing trees anywhere, and was starting to get a bit nervous. He began walking around town to search for a fruit tree to climb. Just as he turned the corner of the terrace house's wall, the vibrant orange patch in the corner of his eyes caught his attention immediately.
K : (... An orange?... I've never seen one in real life before, but that's an orange, isn't it? Quite literal to the name, I see... As far as I know, those take at least 10 years to mature and bear fully ripened fruits. It's probably going to be sour, but it's better than nothing, I guess.)
Katachi walked toward the orange tree, and rested his foot onto the soft, smooth bark. One bare foot upon its trunk and anyone could tell the significant difference from most trees with a coarse, blistering bark - This is most definitely not a tree that grows commonly. It was the bark of a tree none would be able to afford as a form of commerce, because of its ridiculous ripening time of 4 or 5 years.
Katachi slowly extended his arms, and grabbed at the trunk. Shifting his body weight and limbs about, it wasn't long before he reached the fruits of the tree. Katachi plucked one off, and sat on the branch of the tree, to relax himself for the meal.
He dug his thumbs into the soft, fragrant skin of the fruit, and peeled it open, revealing the mysterious insides of the orange for the first time in his life. The orange was a fruit he certainly did not expect - It seems as if the fruit's flesh had been divided into 8 separate segments, that can detach individually into bite-sized chunks. It's a big change from sweet fruits like the papayas or mangoes he used to eat.
Katachi placed a small slice of orange into his mouth, and chewed slowly. The fruit had a tangy taste to it - A sweetness tinged with a hint of sour, its juices flooded his entire mouth, and the fragrance seeped into his nostrils more concentrated than ever.
It took a single slice to have Katachi nod his head happily, in solid approval of the fruit's wondrous taste and thirst-quenching capabilities. He chewed on the delicious fruit for a couple of minutes, completely indulged in the exotic taste.
K : (This... Is this really an orange? It feels like a mellow mango mixed with a bit of lemon, but it's so good...! I can't believe an orange actually tastes this great! The book often says that it is very, very sour when it isn't ripe, but this only bars a hint of sour!... Wait, then... Are these oranges fully ripe?!)
Katachi, upon realizing that the tree was mature, started to tense up a little.
K : (... For at least 10 years counting the maturity rate and the ripening process, this tree has stood, and most probably been tended to frequently... And now that its fruits have become ripe, I'm just taking one to eat... Taking the unripe oranges to eat is one thing, but this... I feel kind-of bad for taking the hard work and efforts of the person who planted this tree...)
Katachi glanced around the tree, and saw an abandoned, demolished house behind the thicket of leaves.
K : (...! The house is abandoned... This tree, growing outside this house, is perfectly fine, though. There seems to be quite a bit of neglect for this house, since I can see cobwebs from the windows themselves, but... Finding the fruit outside of an abandoned house does not pardon me from the sin of theft. Forgive me, Segus. I was unaware of my wrongdoings.)
Katachi leapt down, securely wrapping his arm around the tasty fruit, and walked back to where the stone counter is.
K : (It's still a waste leaving the orange behind though, since I already plucked it - Might as well eat the one that has already came off.)
With that excuse, Katachi continued to savor on the orange.
*** ***
As the sky started to redden, Roberia had arrived at Rulid as well. It would normally have been night by the time she reached, but Roberia had lost her sword to a peculiar curse - Which so happens to comprise the majority of her luggage's weight. Without the heavy sword weighing her down, she was able to reach just as the sun started to set.
R : (... Wow, I made it. I didn't think I'd be able to make it this quickly, but I did... That's great.)
Roberia walked toward a certain part of the town, her hands on the sword strap, almost as if she was ready to put the load down - Like the place was her home.
She set the leather belt with a sword holder strap down, and reached her hands out toward a tree, climbing up quickly. Sitting on a comfortable branch, she reached her hand out, plucked an orange from the tree, pried it open, and slowly enjoyed the flesh within. When the flesh was gone, she tore out a piece of the orange's skin and tossed it into her mouth, suckling on it.
R : (... Mmm. Good to the last bit. Right, after this, I'll go to the blacksmith for a good weapon, and then sleep. I can't afford an inn tonight though, because that bastard made me lose money. I guess I'll sleep out in the open. There's an abandoned house right here, so if anybody comes near and tries to attack me, I'd know.)
Roberia landed on the soft ground with a thud, and walked towards a specific part of Rulid.
*** ***
Katachi had originally wanted to sleep out near a bench outside a watering hole, but as the sun set more and more, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to impose on Katachi, almost taunting him.
K : (... It's about to rain. I have to look for shelter... But I have no money to afford shelter of any sort. What do I do?)
... Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, a familiar location surfaced.
The abandoned house at where the orange tree was.
K : (... There's an abandoned house near that orange tree. I guess I can sleep in it if it's abandoned. It's okay if there's a lot of dust and dirt, but I'm more worried about spiders crawling on me in my sleep... I guess I can use the groundsheet to cover my body for protection, and use the blanket only when the night becomes too cold and harsh.)
Katachi kept his clothesline, and packed his stuff. He advanced onward on his next destination.
*** ***
R : "Yes, just like that. It shouldn't be too hard, just attach these onto an existing one with a slightly more durable handle, please."
"Okay. It's just cutting and welding, so it should be ready in a few hours. Why don't you come and pick it up tomorrow morning, little missy?"
R : "Yes. That would be great. Thank you."
Roberia left the blacksmith's house, and walked towards the old, abandoned house.
R : (... That Katachi guy is probably sleeping comfortably inside one of these inns... That may be the reason why I haven't seen him yet. But now, it's far too dark for me to see even my own hands clearly. I'll just rest the night away and worry tomorrow.)
The night wouldn't normally be this dark, but a storm was brewing in, and the moon had been blocked by the rolling clouds. Roberia hurriedly ran into the abandoned house.
R : (... It's raining... That makes the night air harsher, but it gives away any thieves that may come and attack me in the middle of the night, I guess. It's not primarily a bad thing.)
Roberia dropped her belongings, walked to a corner of the room farther away from the rain and lay down, curling her body up to preserve what little warmth was available in her body.
R : (... The ground is more comfortable than I had thought... Or maybe that's just me. Ahh, I'm too stressed from today's events to care...)
Roberia rested quietly on the floor, and slept the night away.
*** ***
R : "... Mmmmmhh..."
Roberia slowly opened her eyes to the cries of the birds outside the abandoned house.
R : (... !!!)
And to her shock, was the serene face of Katachi, sleeping peacefully right beside her. Roberia gasped, and retracted her head a little.
R : (No, wait! I shouldn't make any noise at all! I don't want to wake him up!)
Holding her hand over her mouth, she slowly and steadily rolled off the groundsheet and backed away from Katachi. However...
R : (!! He's underneath the groundsheet? I... I slept on his groundsheet... So he didn't make any moves on me. That... That's good.)
Roberia shook her head a little bit, to energize herself more.
R : (... The storm last night made the room so dark, I didn't even notice him right there, so sleeping next to him was actually my mistake... Not to mention, I actually thought he was enjoying himself in one of the inns, when his situation is not that far off from mine... At least I've established the fact that he is poor to the point that he sleeps out here.)
She picked her stuff up, and slowly made her way towards the doorway, looking back at Katachi one last time before leaving.
R : (... He's not a rich target. But he's definitely strong - Stronger than any other I've met thus far, maybe... Maybe even stronger than Father. That's far more important than simply attacking the rich for money just to survive. If I beat him, that shows my physical and mental growth, and deter any enemy who stands in my way, so he's now my most active target. I'll defeat him later, when I collect my order.)
A few hours ago, he had been attacked in the shin by a pebble, and a red-haired girl who looks about 16 swung a really large, heavy sword at him. For some reason, it had given Katachi a severe infliction of paranoia.
K : (... What... What in the good woods was that? I could have sworn she wanted me dead with those crazy attacks of hers... Has word of me collecting the Words of Power spread out this quickly, that people are hiring bandits or marauders to attack me now?! I don't even look rich to begin with! Why else would anyone attack a guy wearing such worn-down clothes and noisy sabots?!)
Katachi, bearing a great sense of insecurity in his mind, continued his slow, cautious walk towards Rulid.
*** ***
Rulid is a really small town, about 3/4 of an acre, with some mountainous regions about, so most of the houses are terrace houses surrounded by Melkwood pines, Sugarpelt canes and many beautiful plants. Though they bear great beauty, the plants are mostly cosmetic in nature, and barely profitable. So, it is unfortunate that only small trades come by a rarely visited town like Rulid.
Katachi slowly clacked his noisy sabots on the stone path, and came upon what seems to be a grocer that sells plain vegetables and some caged birds.
"Hello, little boy. What would you like today?"
The old lady behind the stand peered through the sagging flesh on her face, and earnestly looked at the boy.
K : (... Take what one needs, but leave for others. I suppose I don't need all the coin in my pouch, but I do need some food to get through tonight.)
Katachi chose a corn cob that was slightly smaller than the others, dropped three pieces of silver, and prompted a question.
K : (Seeing how she's a grocer, she's bound to know quite a bit about the town's happenings and events. Even if it's hearsay, the slightest hint of a Word of Power is more than enough.) "Lady, are there any interesting rumors about this town?"
The old lady smiled slightly, but her limp cheeks made that unnoticeable. Shaking her head slightly, she answered back.
"Oh, no, no rumors for me, young man. Ho ho, I'm too old for it. Far too old..."
K : (Nothing, huh...) "Thanks, lady. I'll just look around somewhere."
Katachi silently thanked her, and walked deeper into the town.
*** ***
K : (... From what I can gather, there really isn't much happening around here. There're no strange things about, there's nothing major going on, there's really nothing I can do here except rest for the night. Though... I do get a rather creepy feeling somewhere...)
Katachi took out the rope from his bag, and began tying it between both trees. Using it as a makeshift clothesline, he began fanning out his nice, clean clothes that came with the traveler's kit to rid the chances of mildew growing. Katachi also attached his wooden sabots onto a wooden hook he made along his journey, and dangled the pair of wet, muddy sabots onto the clothesline.
Afterwhich, Katachi took out the corn he had bought, and started peeling off the silk on the cob.
K : (... These string things are a little hard to pluck out all in a go... I wonder if I could use the new Word of Power to make my job easier? 解除! Remove exteriors - Corn!)
A dry whisper echoed in the back of his head, as a golden 解 was placed onto the cob.
The silk peeled off cleanly, and fell to the ground. However, the kernels attached to the corn also began falling out, and what remained on his hand was the cob itself, without any corn kernels left on it. The 解 faded off when the whole expunging process was complete.
*Cozy's Notes : Note that he used Remove exteriors, and not Remove silk. Being specific and precise when you use the Words of Power is important, they are like genie wishes - You might not get what you bargained for.*
K : (!!) "Ahh! The corn!..."
Katachi stared pitifully at the corn he had spent three silvers to purchase. The three precious pieces of silver had been used to trade for a cob of corn to keep him satiated through the night. Corn kernels of three silver's worth lay on the ground.
K : (Aww... Hmm, I think I can still eat those, though.)
Beggars can't be choosers.
Picking up the small pieces of corn kernels, Katachi cupped them in his hands, and placed them onto a stone counter left outside one of the terrace houses.
Katachi took out the pebble with Urdythari's rune engraved onto it, and recited.
K : "An unending stream flowed."
The pebble became damp, and water started to form on the pores of the pebble, dripping and gradually pouring gently into Katachi's mouth. Filling his thirst with a water pebble and its thankfully infinite supply of water, Katachi swung it about his wrist, shaking off the excessive water on the surface. He then placed the pebble beside the corn kernels on the stone counter to dry in the sun.
K : (... Okay. My throat's feeling better now. I can't exactly stop here to do jobs for some coin, since there're no Words of Power about worthy of spending a while in this town. I guess I'll have to get my own food the old-fashioned way.)
Katachi looked about, and saw only Melkwood pines and Sugarpelt canes about the town. He couldn't find any fruit-bearing trees anywhere, and was starting to get a bit nervous. He began walking around town to search for a fruit tree to climb. Just as he turned the corner of the terrace house's wall, the vibrant orange patch in the corner of his eyes caught his attention immediately.
K : (... An orange?... I've never seen one in real life before, but that's an orange, isn't it? Quite literal to the name, I see... As far as I know, those take at least 10 years to mature and bear fully ripened fruits. It's probably going to be sour, but it's better than nothing, I guess.)
Katachi walked toward the orange tree, and rested his foot onto the soft, smooth bark. One bare foot upon its trunk and anyone could tell the significant difference from most trees with a coarse, blistering bark - This is most definitely not a tree that grows commonly. It was the bark of a tree none would be able to afford as a form of commerce, because of its ridiculous ripening time of 4 or 5 years.
Katachi slowly extended his arms, and grabbed at the trunk. Shifting his body weight and limbs about, it wasn't long before he reached the fruits of the tree. Katachi plucked one off, and sat on the branch of the tree, to relax himself for the meal.
He dug his thumbs into the soft, fragrant skin of the fruit, and peeled it open, revealing the mysterious insides of the orange for the first time in his life. The orange was a fruit he certainly did not expect - It seems as if the fruit's flesh had been divided into 8 separate segments, that can detach individually into bite-sized chunks. It's a big change from sweet fruits like the papayas or mangoes he used to eat.
Katachi placed a small slice of orange into his mouth, and chewed slowly. The fruit had a tangy taste to it - A sweetness tinged with a hint of sour, its juices flooded his entire mouth, and the fragrance seeped into his nostrils more concentrated than ever.
It took a single slice to have Katachi nod his head happily, in solid approval of the fruit's wondrous taste and thirst-quenching capabilities. He chewed on the delicious fruit for a couple of minutes, completely indulged in the exotic taste.
K : (This... Is this really an orange? It feels like a mellow mango mixed with a bit of lemon, but it's so good...! I can't believe an orange actually tastes this great! The book often says that it is very, very sour when it isn't ripe, but this only bars a hint of sour!... Wait, then... Are these oranges fully ripe?!)
Katachi, upon realizing that the tree was mature, started to tense up a little.
K : (... For at least 10 years counting the maturity rate and the ripening process, this tree has stood, and most probably been tended to frequently... And now that its fruits have become ripe, I'm just taking one to eat... Taking the unripe oranges to eat is one thing, but this... I feel kind-of bad for taking the hard work and efforts of the person who planted this tree...)
Katachi glanced around the tree, and saw an abandoned, demolished house behind the thicket of leaves.
K : (...! The house is abandoned... This tree, growing outside this house, is perfectly fine, though. There seems to be quite a bit of neglect for this house, since I can see cobwebs from the windows themselves, but... Finding the fruit outside of an abandoned house does not pardon me from the sin of theft. Forgive me, Segus. I was unaware of my wrongdoings.)
Katachi leapt down, securely wrapping his arm around the tasty fruit, and walked back to where the stone counter is.
K : (It's still a waste leaving the orange behind though, since I already plucked it - Might as well eat the one that has already came off.)
With that excuse, Katachi continued to savor on the orange.
*** ***
As the sky started to redden, Roberia had arrived at Rulid as well. It would normally have been night by the time she reached, but Roberia had lost her sword to a peculiar curse - Which so happens to comprise the majority of her luggage's weight. Without the heavy sword weighing her down, she was able to reach just as the sun started to set.
R : (... Wow, I made it. I didn't think I'd be able to make it this quickly, but I did... That's great.)
Roberia walked toward a certain part of the town, her hands on the sword strap, almost as if she was ready to put the load down - Like the place was her home.
She set the leather belt with a sword holder strap down, and reached her hands out toward a tree, climbing up quickly. Sitting on a comfortable branch, she reached her hand out, plucked an orange from the tree, pried it open, and slowly enjoyed the flesh within. When the flesh was gone, she tore out a piece of the orange's skin and tossed it into her mouth, suckling on it.
R : (... Mmm. Good to the last bit. Right, after this, I'll go to the blacksmith for a good weapon, and then sleep. I can't afford an inn tonight though, because that bastard made me lose money. I guess I'll sleep out in the open. There's an abandoned house right here, so if anybody comes near and tries to attack me, I'd know.)
Roberia landed on the soft ground with a thud, and walked towards a specific part of Rulid.
*** ***
Katachi had originally wanted to sleep out near a bench outside a watering hole, but as the sun set more and more, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to impose on Katachi, almost taunting him.
K : (... It's about to rain. I have to look for shelter... But I have no money to afford shelter of any sort. What do I do?)
... Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, a familiar location surfaced.
The abandoned house at where the orange tree was.
K : (... There's an abandoned house near that orange tree. I guess I can sleep in it if it's abandoned. It's okay if there's a lot of dust and dirt, but I'm more worried about spiders crawling on me in my sleep... I guess I can use the groundsheet to cover my body for protection, and use the blanket only when the night becomes too cold and harsh.)
Katachi kept his clothesline, and packed his stuff. He advanced onward on his next destination.
*** ***
R : "Yes, just like that. It shouldn't be too hard, just attach these onto an existing one with a slightly more durable handle, please."
"Okay. It's just cutting and welding, so it should be ready in a few hours. Why don't you come and pick it up tomorrow morning, little missy?"
R : "Yes. That would be great. Thank you."
Roberia left the blacksmith's house, and walked towards the old, abandoned house.
R : (... That Katachi guy is probably sleeping comfortably inside one of these inns... That may be the reason why I haven't seen him yet. But now, it's far too dark for me to see even my own hands clearly. I'll just rest the night away and worry tomorrow.)
The night wouldn't normally be this dark, but a storm was brewing in, and the moon had been blocked by the rolling clouds. Roberia hurriedly ran into the abandoned house.
R : (... It's raining... That makes the night air harsher, but it gives away any thieves that may come and attack me in the middle of the night, I guess. It's not primarily a bad thing.)
Roberia dropped her belongings, walked to a corner of the room farther away from the rain and lay down, curling her body up to preserve what little warmth was available in her body.
R : (... The ground is more comfortable than I had thought... Or maybe that's just me. Ahh, I'm too stressed from today's events to care...)
Roberia rested quietly on the floor, and slept the night away.
*** ***
R : "... Mmmmmhh..."
Roberia slowly opened her eyes to the cries of the birds outside the abandoned house.
R : (... !!!)
And to her shock, was the serene face of Katachi, sleeping peacefully right beside her. Roberia gasped, and retracted her head a little.
R : (No, wait! I shouldn't make any noise at all! I don't want to wake him up!)
Holding her hand over her mouth, she slowly and steadily rolled off the groundsheet and backed away from Katachi. However...
R : (!! He's underneath the groundsheet? I... I slept on his groundsheet... So he didn't make any moves on me. That... That's good.)
Roberia shook her head a little bit, to energize herself more.
R : (... The storm last night made the room so dark, I didn't even notice him right there, so sleeping next to him was actually my mistake... Not to mention, I actually thought he was enjoying himself in one of the inns, when his situation is not that far off from mine... At least I've established the fact that he is poor to the point that he sleeps out here.)
She picked her stuff up, and slowly made her way towards the doorway, looking back at Katachi one last time before leaving.
R : (... He's not a rich target. But he's definitely strong - Stronger than any other I've met thus far, maybe... Maybe even stronger than Father. That's far more important than simply attacking the rich for money just to survive. If I beat him, that shows my physical and mental growth, and deter any enemy who stands in my way, so he's now my most active target. I'll defeat him later, when I collect my order.)
Sunday 2 June 2013
Chapter 26 : Fate Twines
Roberia sat in a relaxed position.
R : (... Right... Who shall be my target today?)
*Cozy's Notes : Reference for Roberia's hair. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dc6c7iZ3KfQ/T9TL20eJHSI/AAAAAAAAAQU/m5m6VHSzcM8/s1600/sakura_kyoko_by_mai14009-d3bilfl.png
I love Sakura Kyoko. I love her story, her tragedy and sadness, I prefer her and Madoka over the others. So yeah. I used her design as a springboard for Roberia. Kannagi Ayano also has a part to play in my love for red hair, but Roberia takes the cake. Great story, great animation, great detail. She seals it!*
Her green irises matched the slightly-mouldy rock she was leaning against. Her brilliant red hair tied into a ponytail, Roberia waited patiently for her next target, her huge sword securely clasped in her hands.
It's not usual for a person to be waiting on a path like that. Rulid wasn't a very well-known town, and there really isn't much in Rulid for merchants and sightseers to stop by for. Rulid is better known as a pit stop, a place to simply spend the night for travelers who wish to travel from Bellpot and Eliasbury.
The mountainous regions in Findel makes it hard for people to travel about, resulting in a reliance of the roads provided by their ancestors. Normally, one would go from Yhorfe to Eliasbury or Bellpot, but because of the mountains, they have to decide between taking a left or right at a specific crossroad from Dermesten, the town next to Yhorfe.
As such, only travelers or merchants whom have stocked up enough for both Eliasbury and Bellpot would use Rulid's route.
*Cozy's Notes : I'll see if I can provide a rough sketch of the map. Don't worry, it'll be up if I manage to do it well.*
Roberia, however, waited on this route, knowing exactly that.
*** ***
Katachi stopped in front of a small straw doll left on the roadside. On the small doll was a rather peculiar sigil tagged onto it.
K : (A straw doll... One with a strange symbol. Where did this one come from? Is this from Ohde or Anik? Or Auser? Qari?...)
Katachi couldn't understand the symbol at all. It was simply in a language he could not understand : حظ. Without the knowledge of foreign languages, Katachi could only scratch his head at the confusing sigil.
K : (... Best not to worry about it. I still have quite a way to go before I reach Rulid... I should hurry.)
Katachi continued walking...
*** ***
R : (... That's it... Keep walking. You're almost there...)
Roberia picked up a small pebble on the ground and was prepared to toss it over the road to the bush on the other side. She held it between two fingers and her thumb, and positioned it such that she could fling it as fast as she could.
The loud, clacking footsteps slowly and gradually got closer and closer...
R : (Now!)
Roberia sent the pebble zipping across the road, but it didn't hit the bush on the other side of the road. Rather, the legs of the traveler had intercepted its trajectory.
R : (Oh-! Oh boy, that's not good! I didn't think the person was still there!)
*** ***
Katachi took a pebble to his shin.
K : "Ow! What-"
Someone had thrown a pebble at his legs. It wasn't just a light throw neither - The pebble slammed its entirety against Katachi's calf impactfully, sending goosebumps up his legs and right half of his body. Katachi placed his hands over the shin, applying pressure over the injured area to numb the stinging pain. He glanced at the ground, only to find a small pebble that wasn't there at first.
K : (What the- A pebble!? Who threw this?) "Who's there?"
Katachi turned to look at the huge rock to his right, and withdrew his wooden dagger out of instinct.
R : (Waah, I attacked a poor, beggar-like traveler... Well, it's better than waiting around pointlessly. I'll take the chance to refine my skills.) "... It doesn't matter. I was hoping for a surprise attack, but I guess I have days where I misguide my throws, too."
From behind the rock, came forth a beautiful girl with red hair and a slender figure, holding a giant sword in her hands. Her eyes reflected a ferocity of a hunter, one whom kills to survive. Her walking stance shows a calm warrior, prepared to intercept any tricks that may be imployed against her.
K : (I'm guessing she threw that pebble... She was hoping for a surprise attack, but she hit my leg instead, so she probably was trying to toss the pebble to distract me instead of actually hitting me...)
The young girl walked towards Katachi slowly, pacing herself, and held the handle with both hands, raising the sword skyward.
R : "I wonder how much money you have on you?"
With a powerful force, she swung the blade down on Katachi hard.
K : (Direct attack when she fails a sneak attack? 恒定! Constant status - Self! Constant status - Dagger!)
A golden 定 formed underneath Katachi's tattered shirt and on the dagger's engraving. Using the dagger, Katachi withstood the full impact of the blow with his body.
R : (! Blocking it head-on?! That strategy should only be for people who can withstand a force like this! Is he a warrior from Rugnud too? He has black hair, though, and his wooden dagger feels a bit weird, like it's way tougher than it looks...) "I'm sorry, are you from Rugnud?"
The girl pulled back her sword, and distanced herself from Katachi. Still in a prepared stance, she held the sword upward, in a striking/stabbing stance. Katachi, too, dropped his belongings spare the 1000-paged book, raised his arms to cover his vitals, and stood in a battle stance, fearing that she might use the sword to impale him.
K : (What? Me, from Rugnud?) "Uh... No, I'm from Mielfeud. I'm Findeli."
R : (Findeli? He's from this country?! That's probably a lie to throw me off, isn't it?! I've never seen a Findeli warrior, let alone one that blocks my blows like this! It's more believable if he were from Ohde, no matter how you look at it!) "That can't be right, you have black hair! That's a hair color exclusively from Ohde, isn't it?"
K : "Well, yeah, I guess, but I don't even know if I'm really from Ohde or not. All I know is that I grew up in Mielfeud."
R : "If that is indeed the case, then state your name!"
K : (? My name? How would knowing my name help anything?... I better say it before she attacks out of suspicion.) "... Kotsuba Katachi."
R : (! His eyes didn't waver at all, his shoulders didn't shake. It's either the truth, or a severely gambled lie. But it doesn't make sense...!) "If you really are from Mielfeud, why is your name of an Ohdean descent?!"
K : "How am I supposed to explain that!? Rather, why should I explain that?!"
*** ***
R : "If you will not answer me, then peacefully fall by my sword, like a warrior should!!"
Roberia increased the grip strength on the blade, and primed the tip of the great sword at the scrawny boy holding a wooden dagger in a purely stabbing stance. With celerity, she kicked off the ground, and plunged the sword downwards, vaulting over the sword-
K : "Wha- !!"
-and in turn letting the sword vault over her in an overhead cleave, holding a momentum far more powerful than her first swing.
Yet the boy took it head-on, without even flinching one bit. He grinded the wooden blade of his tiny dagger against the greatsword's blunt fuller, its durability betraying its wooden appearance.
R : (... He definitely blinked a bit there, but his stance is firm. This is weird... He can block my attacks head-on without having to move or compromise any excessive strength at all. He's got enough strength to overpower me easily, yet he's afraid of taking a hit like that when he could? Is this his way of mocking me?!)
Roberia's motivation fueled from her anger and dignity, and right now both of them are at their highest peak from being physically challenged by the black-haired boy.
R : (So be it then! I've so far forced him downwards, but let's see how he does with an attack from the side!) "Rrrrraaaarrrrgh!!"
Pulling the great sword back slightly, Roberia dug her shoes into the sandy path and threw her body's weight with the sword in a twist, creating a huge, horizontal arc swinging towards Katachi. Even when the sword's unbladed sides was swung, even with the great air resistance similar to fanning a huge fan, it was done quickly - Fast enough for the boy to not react in time. The sword's fuller clapped into Katachi's side, and he was sent flying and tumbling toward a tree toward the roadside.
R : (... That should do it- !!!)
But, after two seconds, Katachi stood back up, as if the attack was nothing.
R : "No way..."
K : "... I don't want to fight you..."
R : "Don't want to fight me?! That is not what an honorable warrior ought to say! Are you a rogue warrior on the loose!?"
Roberia, angered even further by his words, lifted up her sword and vaulted over her sword again, before swinging it overhead to cleave him once more. The swing this time was one used for cleaving, so the bladed edge was used instead of the sword's fuller.
R : (His stance is broken! His dagger will break in half this time, even if he manages to block the attack!)
But, something unthinkable happened.
Katachi cushioned and caught the blade with his bare left hand.
R : "!!!!!" (He... Caught my blade?! At my fullest swing?!)
*** ***
K : "Whoa, that is really dangerous! Be careful how you swing that!"
The girl withdrew herself, and held the sword in a different, lowered position this time - Bending her body down a little, slinging the huge hunk of metal behind her right, and holding it with both hands as if to horizontally cut the person in half with the next attack.
K : (... Her physique is slender, but her attacks are ferocious. Even with Constant Status applied onto me, I felt its true, hammering impact on my palm. She's not using strength to wield that sword - Rather, she's using the momentum of both her body and the sword to swing it about. That explains why she can wield that large cumbersome sword without using much strength - A rather smart strategy for saving stamina, actually. But knowing that alone won't stop her attacks...)
Katachi changed his stance a little, to one that was more assertive. His arms were more relaxed and wider apart, and he was more 'open' - The stance was one that was more focused, one more suitable for intercepting attacks instead of simply blocking and cushioning blows.
The red-haired girl responded exactly the way he wanted her to - A frontal attack.
R : "HAAAAAH!!!!"
She attacked with the pommel first, as Katachi raised his left arm to block it. Withdrawing the attack instantly, the red-haired girl planted the tip of her great sword, now soiled with sand grains, into the road and vaulted backwards. But this time, her grip wasn't as strong on her sword, and her positioning and the way she vaulted over changed - Deliberately causing the blade to claw and dig into the path, sliding its bladed portion to the area between Katachi's legs.
With an immense strength that betrays her slender figure, she forcefully lifted the sword off the ground, hoping to halve the boy, or throw her opponent off balance at least.
Katachi took the opportunity of that perfect window.
K : (固定! Fixate object - Sword!)
As the brunette landed and lowered the sword to ground level for easier lifting, Katachi placed a Word of Power on the sword's underside, effectively sealing the sword low on the ground.
R : (-!! My sword's suddenly way heavier than it should be!? What happened?- What did he do?!)
K : "... I'll take my leave then."
R : "What!?"
Before she could even look up to get a good look at where Katachi went, he had already snagged his items and sprinted off quickly, his wooden sabots clacking loudly as he ran away.
*** ***
Twenty minutes have passed since their little scuffle. Roberia is still trying to move her sword, in utter vain.
R : "... Ilpoh curse that guy!"
Roberia kicked her comfortable boots against the sword's grip, and placed her knuckles on her hips in frustration.
R : (Today's attack is an utter failure! Instead of earning more coin, I'm stuck with this unmoving sword! What did he do, curse my sword or something?! Why is it just floating and suspended on the ground like that?!)
She had been surprisingly close to the answer, even when she didn't realize it - There was indeed a Curse Word, better known as a Word of Power, applied onto the sword which had sealed it in place, completely fixating the sword in that space.
R : (Maybe he's not just a warrior, but a magus as well? In which case, assuming that he somehow made the sword heavier magically... I'm going to have to get a new weapon that renders the magic ineffective... One more powerful than this. One that can use the increased weight against him. One that guy can't defend against.)
She turned around and picked up the medium knapsack she had hidden under a hollow rock.
R : (Cheh... I wasted money instead of earning some today, having to spend it on a new weapon while not even snagging a single coin off him. Still, if he's that powerful, then I just have to beat him, as proof of my increasing strength. His defeat also makes a great gift for my coming-of-age. In the least, now I have a target to work towards rather than wandering about and fighting weak opponents.)
Roberia, now pumped with motivation over a 'tough' opponent, stomped off toward Rulid, in pursuit of the black-haired boy named Kotsuba Katachi.
R : (... Right... Who shall be my target today?)
*Cozy's Notes : Reference for Roberia's hair. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dc6c7iZ3KfQ/T9TL20eJHSI/AAAAAAAAAQU/m5m6VHSzcM8/s1600/sakura_kyoko_by_mai14009-d3bilfl.png
I love Sakura Kyoko. I love her story, her tragedy and sadness, I prefer her and Madoka over the others. So yeah. I used her design as a springboard for Roberia. Kannagi Ayano also has a part to play in my love for red hair, but Roberia takes the cake. Great story, great animation, great detail. She seals it!*
Her green irises matched the slightly-mouldy rock she was leaning against. Her brilliant red hair tied into a ponytail, Roberia waited patiently for her next target, her huge sword securely clasped in her hands.
It's not usual for a person to be waiting on a path like that. Rulid wasn't a very well-known town, and there really isn't much in Rulid for merchants and sightseers to stop by for. Rulid is better known as a pit stop, a place to simply spend the night for travelers who wish to travel from Bellpot and Eliasbury.
The mountainous regions in Findel makes it hard for people to travel about, resulting in a reliance of the roads provided by their ancestors. Normally, one would go from Yhorfe to Eliasbury or Bellpot, but because of the mountains, they have to decide between taking a left or right at a specific crossroad from Dermesten, the town next to Yhorfe.
As such, only travelers or merchants whom have stocked up enough for both Eliasbury and Bellpot would use Rulid's route.
*Cozy's Notes : I'll see if I can provide a rough sketch of the map. Don't worry, it'll be up if I manage to do it well.*
Roberia, however, waited on this route, knowing exactly that.
*** ***
Katachi stopped in front of a small straw doll left on the roadside. On the small doll was a rather peculiar sigil tagged onto it.
K : (A straw doll... One with a strange symbol. Where did this one come from? Is this from Ohde or Anik? Or Auser? Qari?...)
Katachi couldn't understand the symbol at all. It was simply in a language he could not understand : حظ. Without the knowledge of foreign languages, Katachi could only scratch his head at the confusing sigil.
K : (... Best not to worry about it. I still have quite a way to go before I reach Rulid... I should hurry.)
Katachi continued walking...
*** ***
R : (... That's it... Keep walking. You're almost there...)
Roberia picked up a small pebble on the ground and was prepared to toss it over the road to the bush on the other side. She held it between two fingers and her thumb, and positioned it such that she could fling it as fast as she could.
The loud, clacking footsteps slowly and gradually got closer and closer...
R : (Now!)
Roberia sent the pebble zipping across the road, but it didn't hit the bush on the other side of the road. Rather, the legs of the traveler had intercepted its trajectory.
R : (Oh-! Oh boy, that's not good! I didn't think the person was still there!)
*** ***
Katachi took a pebble to his shin.
K : "Ow! What-"
Someone had thrown a pebble at his legs. It wasn't just a light throw neither - The pebble slammed its entirety against Katachi's calf impactfully, sending goosebumps up his legs and right half of his body. Katachi placed his hands over the shin, applying pressure over the injured area to numb the stinging pain. He glanced at the ground, only to find a small pebble that wasn't there at first.
K : (What the- A pebble!? Who threw this?) "Who's there?"
Katachi turned to look at the huge rock to his right, and withdrew his wooden dagger out of instinct.
R : (Waah, I attacked a poor, beggar-like traveler... Well, it's better than waiting around pointlessly. I'll take the chance to refine my skills.) "... It doesn't matter. I was hoping for a surprise attack, but I guess I have days where I misguide my throws, too."
From behind the rock, came forth a beautiful girl with red hair and a slender figure, holding a giant sword in her hands. Her eyes reflected a ferocity of a hunter, one whom kills to survive. Her walking stance shows a calm warrior, prepared to intercept any tricks that may be imployed against her.
K : (I'm guessing she threw that pebble... She was hoping for a surprise attack, but she hit my leg instead, so she probably was trying to toss the pebble to distract me instead of actually hitting me...)
The young girl walked towards Katachi slowly, pacing herself, and held the handle with both hands, raising the sword skyward.
R : "I wonder how much money you have on you?"
With a powerful force, she swung the blade down on Katachi hard.
K : (Direct attack when she fails a sneak attack? 恒定! Constant status - Self! Constant status - Dagger!)
A golden 定 formed underneath Katachi's tattered shirt and on the dagger's engraving. Using the dagger, Katachi withstood the full impact of the blow with his body.
R : (! Blocking it head-on?! That strategy should only be for people who can withstand a force like this! Is he a warrior from Rugnud too? He has black hair, though, and his wooden dagger feels a bit weird, like it's way tougher than it looks...) "I'm sorry, are you from Rugnud?"
The girl pulled back her sword, and distanced herself from Katachi. Still in a prepared stance, she held the sword upward, in a striking/stabbing stance. Katachi, too, dropped his belongings spare the 1000-paged book, raised his arms to cover his vitals, and stood in a battle stance, fearing that she might use the sword to impale him.
K : (What? Me, from Rugnud?) "Uh... No, I'm from Mielfeud. I'm Findeli."
R : (Findeli? He's from this country?! That's probably a lie to throw me off, isn't it?! I've never seen a Findeli warrior, let alone one that blocks my blows like this! It's more believable if he were from Ohde, no matter how you look at it!) "That can't be right, you have black hair! That's a hair color exclusively from Ohde, isn't it?"
K : "Well, yeah, I guess, but I don't even know if I'm really from Ohde or not. All I know is that I grew up in Mielfeud."
R : "If that is indeed the case, then state your name!"
K : (? My name? How would knowing my name help anything?... I better say it before she attacks out of suspicion.) "... Kotsuba Katachi."
R : (! His eyes didn't waver at all, his shoulders didn't shake. It's either the truth, or a severely gambled lie. But it doesn't make sense...!) "If you really are from Mielfeud, why is your name of an Ohdean descent?!"
K : "How am I supposed to explain that!? Rather, why should I explain that?!"
*** ***
R : "If you will not answer me, then peacefully fall by my sword, like a warrior should!!"
Roberia increased the grip strength on the blade, and primed the tip of the great sword at the scrawny boy holding a wooden dagger in a purely stabbing stance. With celerity, she kicked off the ground, and plunged the sword downwards, vaulting over the sword-
K : "Wha- !!"
-and in turn letting the sword vault over her in an overhead cleave, holding a momentum far more powerful than her first swing.
Yet the boy took it head-on, without even flinching one bit. He grinded the wooden blade of his tiny dagger against the greatsword's blunt fuller, its durability betraying its wooden appearance.
R : (... He definitely blinked a bit there, but his stance is firm. This is weird... He can block my attacks head-on without having to move or compromise any excessive strength at all. He's got enough strength to overpower me easily, yet he's afraid of taking a hit like that when he could? Is this his way of mocking me?!)
Roberia's motivation fueled from her anger and dignity, and right now both of them are at their highest peak from being physically challenged by the black-haired boy.
R : (So be it then! I've so far forced him downwards, but let's see how he does with an attack from the side!) "Rrrrraaaarrrrgh!!"
Pulling the great sword back slightly, Roberia dug her shoes into the sandy path and threw her body's weight with the sword in a twist, creating a huge, horizontal arc swinging towards Katachi. Even when the sword's unbladed sides was swung, even with the great air resistance similar to fanning a huge fan, it was done quickly - Fast enough for the boy to not react in time. The sword's fuller clapped into Katachi's side, and he was sent flying and tumbling toward a tree toward the roadside.
R : (... That should do it- !!!)
But, after two seconds, Katachi stood back up, as if the attack was nothing.
R : "No way..."
K : "... I don't want to fight you..."
R : "Don't want to fight me?! That is not what an honorable warrior ought to say! Are you a rogue warrior on the loose!?"
Roberia, angered even further by his words, lifted up her sword and vaulted over her sword again, before swinging it overhead to cleave him once more. The swing this time was one used for cleaving, so the bladed edge was used instead of the sword's fuller.
R : (His stance is broken! His dagger will break in half this time, even if he manages to block the attack!)
But, something unthinkable happened.
Katachi cushioned and caught the blade with his bare left hand.
R : "!!!!!" (He... Caught my blade?! At my fullest swing?!)
*** ***
K : "Whoa, that is really dangerous! Be careful how you swing that!"
The girl withdrew herself, and held the sword in a different, lowered position this time - Bending her body down a little, slinging the huge hunk of metal behind her right, and holding it with both hands as if to horizontally cut the person in half with the next attack.
K : (... Her physique is slender, but her attacks are ferocious. Even with Constant Status applied onto me, I felt its true, hammering impact on my palm. She's not using strength to wield that sword - Rather, she's using the momentum of both her body and the sword to swing it about. That explains why she can wield that large cumbersome sword without using much strength - A rather smart strategy for saving stamina, actually. But knowing that alone won't stop her attacks...)
Katachi changed his stance a little, to one that was more assertive. His arms were more relaxed and wider apart, and he was more 'open' - The stance was one that was more focused, one more suitable for intercepting attacks instead of simply blocking and cushioning blows.
The red-haired girl responded exactly the way he wanted her to - A frontal attack.
R : "HAAAAAH!!!!"
She attacked with the pommel first, as Katachi raised his left arm to block it. Withdrawing the attack instantly, the red-haired girl planted the tip of her great sword, now soiled with sand grains, into the road and vaulted backwards. But this time, her grip wasn't as strong on her sword, and her positioning and the way she vaulted over changed - Deliberately causing the blade to claw and dig into the path, sliding its bladed portion to the area between Katachi's legs.
With an immense strength that betrays her slender figure, she forcefully lifted the sword off the ground, hoping to halve the boy, or throw her opponent off balance at least.
Katachi took the opportunity of that perfect window.
K : (固定! Fixate object - Sword!)
As the brunette landed and lowered the sword to ground level for easier lifting, Katachi placed a Word of Power on the sword's underside, effectively sealing the sword low on the ground.
R : (-!! My sword's suddenly way heavier than it should be!? What happened?- What did he do?!)
K : "... I'll take my leave then."
R : "What!?"
Before she could even look up to get a good look at where Katachi went, he had already snagged his items and sprinted off quickly, his wooden sabots clacking loudly as he ran away.
*** ***
Twenty minutes have passed since their little scuffle. Roberia is still trying to move her sword, in utter vain.
R : "... Ilpoh curse that guy!"
Roberia kicked her comfortable boots against the sword's grip, and placed her knuckles on her hips in frustration.
R : (Today's attack is an utter failure! Instead of earning more coin, I'm stuck with this unmoving sword! What did he do, curse my sword or something?! Why is it just floating and suspended on the ground like that?!)
She had been surprisingly close to the answer, even when she didn't realize it - There was indeed a Curse Word, better known as a Word of Power, applied onto the sword which had sealed it in place, completely fixating the sword in that space.
R : (Maybe he's not just a warrior, but a magus as well? In which case, assuming that he somehow made the sword heavier magically... I'm going to have to get a new weapon that renders the magic ineffective... One more powerful than this. One that can use the increased weight against him. One that guy can't defend against.)
She turned around and picked up the medium knapsack she had hidden under a hollow rock.
R : (Cheh... I wasted money instead of earning some today, having to spend it on a new weapon while not even snagging a single coin off him. Still, if he's that powerful, then I just have to beat him, as proof of my increasing strength. His defeat also makes a great gift for my coming-of-age. In the least, now I have a target to work towards rather than wandering about and fighting weak opponents.)
Roberia, now pumped with motivation over a 'tough' opponent, stomped off toward Rulid, in pursuit of the black-haired boy named Kotsuba Katachi.
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