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Untitled Story: Chapter Two |
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"K...Kara!!" Fenryk screamed, almost falling backwards into the house.
Kara stood there with a huge grin on her face, laughing as Fen stumbled in fear.
She leaned over to help him up, her face so close to his that he could hear her steady breathing.
Kara giggled, "Jumpy today, huh Fen? You ready to go?"
"G…Go? Go where?"
"We're going to the pub, silly! Didn't you hear? A mercenary drifted into town today, we're going to go ask Barnes if he knows anything about him...and maybe he'll know something about your family!"
“Let’s hope so, it’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything about them at all...”
Fenryk got a sad look on his face, almost like he was going to cry. Kara hugged him and assured him that it’d be alright. Then he paused for a moment, sorting through everything he had to do... He remembered talking to Kara about the rumor, but that's all he thought it was... He also promised Mrs. Lloyd that he’d help out at her house, weeding in her garden.
"You ready??" she leaned close and gave him a smile, the kind she did when she tried to cheer people up. She would turn her head to the side and smile with her eyes closed; it was almost too irresistible for Fenryk. He laughed and hugged her again, sighing in her warm embrace. She broke the hug and looked at him; he was staring into nothingness and sighing. Kara laughed and poked him in the chest. He instantly gave her his full attention again, nervously laughing along with her.
Fen grabbed the knapsack he kept by the door, it held just a few pieces of meat and clothes, just in case. He nodded and she clasped his hand, tugging him along the path.
The town’s roads weren’t hard to figure out. The town had three entrances, one in the North, South, and East. To the far east of the town was Owl Forest, which used to be a Thieves Hideout, until the Myobu built a fort to the North and scared them all away. To the South was the Oran Carp Bay, where the town got most of their fish and trading goods. Right in the center was the town square, where shopkeepers lined up and sold many things in the afternoons. Few shops were open at night, but it was a popular place at any time. Festivals were even held there from time to time, and lots of old customs were preformed along with a lot of dancing. The Myobu’s Fort to the North was made from abandoned ruins; Fenryk hoped to never go there again. His stay there was less than pleasant, but he did meet a nice kitsune named Arbiter, who had saved him and helped him escape.
Kara and Fenryk reached Barnes’ pub, a little house built into the ground, so you had to walk down stone steps into the doorway. Kara pushed the door open and the smell was so heavy it made them both gag. The usual liquor smell was heavy today; Barnes must have forgotten to open the windows, Fen thought. He and Kara walked over to the counter and the broad figure of a Cougar whirled around to greet them.
A bit about Barnes, he is a broad and burly Cougar. The most recognizable feature about him is the scar over his left cheek. The story he tells, of how he got it, is that he got it from a swordsman who betrayed him. Barnes tried to fight back but was overpowered by the man’s minions. Barnes was held down as his friend stood over him and gloated, and in the end Barnes had to kill him…he left the battle with a bloody arm and the cut on his cheek. He is very hearty and past his prime, around 30 or 35 years old. He always was a very serious soul, but he enjoys a good laugh most of the time. Fenryk worked part-time for him awhile back, but had to quit because the smell was too much and it made him faint. Mr. Barnes gets along with everyone he meets…but he is cautious about who he trusts, mostly because a lot of traders and thieves pass through the town.
“Fenryk, my lad! And the charming Kara too, what a surprise!” he roared.
Kara blushed and giggled, “Hey Barnes, you head anything about a mercenary who drifted in earlier today?”
“Aye, I have. He’s in the corner there, a bit too much to drink, I think.”
Kara thanked him and Fenryk started walking towards the swordsman, but Barnes held him back by his shoulder.
“Do be careful, boy. You never know with these types. I’ll be watching to make sure you’re safe.”
Fen nodded and walked over to the table. The wolf was wearing brown leather, like the Myobu archers did, but this was patterned in a weird way. His sword was set against the table in its sheath, not a long sword…but it looked nothing like the ones he’d seen before.
Kara was still talking to Barnes, joking about something or other, probably talking about how she was doing and if they’d learned anything new yet.
Fenryk cleared his throat, “M...Mister Swordsman? Are you awake? I’d like to ask you a question…”
The mercenary sleepily rose from his seat and mumbled, his hat falling off of his face, revealing golden eyes and a scar on his muzzle. He mumbled louder this time, something that sounded like “worthless” and fell down.
Kara was right next to Fenryk now, “He...He’s drunk! We’ll never learn anything from him!” she sobbed.
Fenryk nudged the mercenary with his foot a few times, “Looks like it…Just my luck…”
“Augh, this is so unfair! I’m going to see if Barnes knows anything else, okay?”
“Okay, don’t worry about it…He’ll have to wake up soon.”
Kara laughed and turned back to Barnes, who laughed heartily and started chatting with her.
He kicked the mercenary a few more times, “Hey! Wake up!”
The mercenary struggled to stand again, laughing in his stupor and almost falling over again. He placed an arm around Fenryk to keep his balance.
“Uhn…I….Hehehe…” he wheezed, trying not to laugh again.
“Hey! C’mon! At least tell me your name!”
The mercenary stood straight up, almost like he had instantly sobered up. He glared straight ahead and acted like he was under someone’s control.
“I am a mercenary from the Western Peninsula; my name is Lucas E…”
Just then, he toppled onto the wooden table and grunted out loud. Barnes looked over just as table shattered underneath him and gasped as it threw the mercenary to the floor with pieces of wood landing on his back. Barnes’ face twisted up slightly, and he stormed over to the man.
”What in the hell? Why’d you do that?”
Lucas mumbled and pushed the broken table off of him, “I didn’t…I didn’t mean to. I was fired yesterday after I failed a mission and I’m feeling rather down right now.”
“So you go an’ smash one of my tables? That’s no way to be acting, no matter what you’ve done before now. You’ll pay me back for smashin’ it, you hear?”
The man nodded groggily, then forced himself back into a chair and lay back in it.
“By the way,” Barnes added, “What be your name again? It was Lucas, right? These children want to ask you some questions…They’re trying to find this boy’s family.”
Lucas stared over at Fenryk with a glint in his eyes. Something sparked in his mind, but he just couldn’t place what it was. “You do, do you? I’ll try to help, but as you see I’m not exactly in a helpful state.”
Kara mumbled something about a “drunkard” and smiled with a grimace.
Fenryk cleared his throat, “We were wondering if you’ve been to that Myobu fort in the North…”
Lucas grinned, “I have, I was raised near there…and I know the fort up and down. Why?”
“Well, my family was captured when I was young, they were sent to Myobu forts in the province…”
Kara chimed in, “And we were wondering if you’d heard anything about Fenryk’s past…”
Lucas’ eyes glinted again at the sound of the name Fenryk. Where have I heard that name before?? Lucas sat up and patted Fen on the head, “I know nothing about them, I’m sorry.”
“B...But you have to know something, anything!!” Kara sputtered.
Lucas shook his head. “I’m sorry, I know nothing about it.”
Kara fumed and stormed off, “Like a drunkard could help anyways…”
Fenryk watched her leave the bar and turned back to Lucas.
”At least tell me your full name? Just so I can ask other people about you and such.”
Lucas grinned, “It’s Lucas Ele…”
Kara’s scream pierced the air and sent shivers down Fenryk’s spine. He ran outside in a mad dash and found Kara standing there, screaming and pointing at one of the roofs in the town. Fenryk smelled smoke and looked to see a few of the houses on fire. People were running around in frenzy; armor-clad soldiers walking from house to house, searching for something or someone. People had gathered in the square, making a circle in the center around a kitsune wearing silver armor, covered in blue banners and symbols.
He’s a Kitsune General…Fenryk thought. I saw many of them at the Myobu fort...but what do they want here?
A crash in the distance brought Barnes out of the pub, which grabbed a panicking raccoon and questioned him.
”What’s going on over there? Why are there fires and soldiers about? An’ why are the people gathered in the square?”
The hysterical raccoon panted and choked, “I...They...Myobu from the fort came down…Searching for a Black Wolf…General talking to people in the square, threatening their lives!” He squeezed out of Barnes’ hands and fled.
Kitsunes... Kitsune is the japanese word for "fox". They were long believed to have magical abilities, such as Illusion magic. They were also said to be able to grow up to nine tails, each one granting them more wisdom and power as they aged...When a kitsune gains its ninth tail, its fur becomes white or gold and it becomes immortal. They also carry an item known as Hoshi no Tama, which is believed to be their soul, if apart from it for too long...they would die. There are two types of Kitsune: Myobu and Nogitsune. Myobu are a benevolent celestial race, and Nogitsune is "field fox", a wild relative to Myobu.
“Kara, you and Fenryk try to escape with Lucas. They must be after him, and he’s too drunk to go alone. I’ll head to the square and figure everything out. There’s a trapdoor in the back of the pub, it’s under some barrels…go to my storeroom and take what you need, then flee to the Owl Forest. I’ll seek you out when the heat dies down.”
Fenryk coughed on smoggy air...the scent and thickness of the smoke was enough to choke someone. He nodded and walked over to the trapdoor. Lucas was already in the basement, holding up a lantern he found to illuminate the room. Kara walked over and Fenryk helped her down into the lighted room. He took a last look at Barnes, who was barring the door shut and piling things against the door. "Boy, ye better go now!" he scolded as the sound of footfall outside got louder. Fenryk gasped and nodded sternly, falling slightly into the hole. The door was too high to shut, so he left it open behind him. Kara tapped him on the shoulder, "Is Barnes okay, what's going on up there??" Fenryk sighed and stared at the floor, "I'm sure he'll be just fine. We have to get out of here though, so let's worry about him later, okay?" Kara sighed, "Yeah, let's go."
The illuminated stone hallway was a bit bigger than Fenryk would have expected. There were two doors on the sides and a door straight away from him. Lucas came out of the first room on the left. “I got some cheese and bread, and the doors over there had nothing but alcohol.” He laughed and held up a few bottles of wine. Kara giggled and told him that he’d had enough for one day. Fen walked over to the door that was next to Lucas’, it was locked… Kara tried the door at the end of the hall, it squeaked open and let light flood in the room. Kara climbed the stone steps into the room and gasped, and, curious, Fenryk and Lucas followed her into the light. The room was built like Barnes’ pub, but a lot smaller. On the shelves were photos of Barnes’ family and little trinkets he had collected. In the corner was a jar of dried meats, and the opposite corner had a huge bed.
“This is Barnes’ house?” Kara chuckled, “I always thought of something more burlier.”
She giggled and Fenryk closed the trapdoor behind him, moving boxes onto it with a sigh.
 Fenryk Elensar · Wed Nov 07, 2007 @ 05:24pm · 6 Comments |
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