|
Post by Chani {♥} on Dec 31, 2009 19:12:47 GMT -5
Yasakazu couldn't help but allow his face to light up incredibly at Amaya's request.
"Certainly," he said. "Don't be silly, of course you can." He stood, wondering whether he should sit and argue with her for a bit about how she hadn't touched her food yet. He knew it wouldn't make a difference, but he still felt he ought to. They all needed to keep their strength up. He eventually decided against it and stood, holding Blaine, and walked with her in the direction Zale had went earlier.
In fact, they met Zale on their way. He didn't meet their eyes. Even through his tanned cheeks one could see that they were flushed.
Finally, Yasakazu caught a glimpse of Jagger's arm from around a cart and rounded it.
"What did you say to Zale?" he had started before he was even fully around the cart. "And don't say you didn't say anything, because..." He stopped in midsentence and stared, bewildered, at the vampire, as if seeing him for the first time. The clothes he was wearing were... Well, they weren't meant for vampires, that was certain. "What are you wearing?" The vampire glared.
"Clothes," he responded. "They're quite the handy invention. The shirt keeps me warm at night and the pants keep men like me from making men like you feel inadequate." He smiled coldly. Despite Kevin's snappy comments, Yasakazu could tell he didn't really have his heart in it, almost as if he didn't honestly care if he won their argument or not. What was his problem, anyway? He had been expecting the vampire to be at least a little triumphant. Hadn't he swept Amaya off her feet last night? Even if she hated him now... He hadn't taken Kevin as the type not to gloat about something like that.
"What are you staring at, Sasaki?" Kevin barked, his voice bringing Yasakazu back into the present. "Well, are you going to stand there and undress me with your eyes or help me pack the horse?"
"The gypsies gave us a spare horse then?" Yasakazu said, his hopes dying a little.
"No," Kevin said shortly. "But they've given us ample supplies. I've sorted out what we need and what we don't, but the horses still won't be able to carry us and the supplies. I'll be walking."
"Don't be stupid," Yasakazu said. "We can just make do with..."
"I can keep up with the horses fine," Kevin snapped, though there was a certain tiredness in his eyes. "The more supplies, the better." He grabbed a scroll of parchment off the top of a cloth bag and shook it at the slayer-mage. "According to this, we can make it to Idaitokai by tomorrow night if we are swift. Don't expect the trip to be easy, though. There are bound to be tens of vampires circling the city, just waiting." The certainty in Kevin's voice made Yasakazu's spine tingle. "Come on, then, help me pack these things on to the horse. Or do I have to do everything for you?" Yasakazu sighed and walked forward to comply.
"Amaya," Yasakazu called over his shoulder. "Would you mind saddling up the other horse while we do this? We can be off quicker." Kevin pointed to a tree where the other horse was tied up without meeting her eyes before turning back to his work.
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 12:44:32 GMT -5
Arguing with Amaya about anything right now wouldn't have been a good idea. Even the slightest comment could spark a full blown arguement with the mood that she was in. If he mentioned that she hadn't eaten then it would have ended up with them fighting, and Amaya honestly didn't have the energy for it. If she ended up arguing with Yasakazu then it would be likely that she would take off on her own. It didn't sound like a bad idea, not really. She may end up on her own, but at least no-one else would get hurt because of her, and it would be easier to hide if she were on her own. It was actually a tempting idea, she would have to think more on that. It almost made sense, really. She was practically on her own now, two less people around wouldn't make a different, but Yasakazu would never forgive her.
She put the apple back down on the table as she rose to her feet to follow after the slayer-mage, too distracted to even notice Zale walking back them. She was careful to avoid looking in Jagger's direction once they found him and the horses, acting as though he weren't even there. She left the pair of them to argue as she moved to the other horse, speaking to the creature in a quiet, soft, soothing tone as she ran her hand over its nose, patting its shoulder. They would need to swap horses in Idaitokai, find ones which were much better suited to travelling like they were. Oh, she wished that she had her own horse, but he could be anywhere by now. The vampires would have slaughtered the horses to stop anyone escaping, her horse had probably suffered the same fate.
An annoyed scowl flickered over her features as they bickered, the slayer shaking her head as she glanced around for her swords, locating them on top of a set of crates. She felt better now that she had those back, strapping her swords to her back and a dagger to each thigh and a small one to her arm. She didn't want to appear to be too heavily armed, she wouldn't pass for a gypsy if she were too heavily armed.
"Sure." She murmured to Yasakazu, finishing with her weapons before moving to grab the horse's saddle, saddling it up quickly enough, checking that all the straps were tight enough before finally turning to face the others. She still refused to acknowledge Jagger's presence, her gaze instead focusing on Yasakazu. "Are we ready? I want to get going. The sooner we get to Idaitokai the sooner we can assess the situation."
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 14:54:34 GMT -5
Yasakazu and Kevin packed things onto the horse in silence. Kevin lifted the first heavy bag onto the horse's back and the slayer-mage began to tie it. He stole glances at the vampire when he thought he could chance it. He couldn't help but notice that Kevin kept finding an excuse to turn, shifting his stance or stretching, so that he could look at Amaya, who never returned his gaze. After the first bag was tied down, the vampire seemed to give up. He walked over and grabbed a smaller bag, tossing it to Yaskazu before turning to grab the last.
Yasakazu was entirely stunned by the way Kevin was acting. He was quiet, for one, and didn't make a snide remark when Yasakazu almost dropped the bag a couple times when he balanced it so he could focus on attaching it to the horse with leather straps. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice. Though his eyes and hands were on his work, his mind was completely elsewhere. He was distraught by his own thoughts, that much was obvious. What those thoughts were, Yaskazu could only guess. What had happened last night, anyway? Or had it been this morning?
The faraway look in Kevin's eyes vanished when Amaya spoke, but he didn't turn around. It took every ounce of will in his body not to. He only paused for a second before he went back to tying the last bag. When he finished, he shook his head at Amaya, signaling for Yasakazu to speak to her. The slayer-mage felt a little awkward. Was he middle-man now? A person he loved on one end and a person he hated on the other? Not fun.
"Yes, we're ready to leave," Yasakazu said, hurrying over to the other horse, as if Kevin had planned to race him to riding with Amaya. The vampire led the horse to the other, avoiding looking at Amaya just as she had him, so that he could connect the two beasts of burden with a rope. After that was done, he started running forward without a word, as if expecting the others to follow. He gained speed in no time. The wind flew through his hair. It felt good to be exerting himself; he could keep his mind off of everything else.
While Kevin had been tying the horses, Yasakazu had mounted the horse, offering his hand to Amaya. When Kevin took off, he glared.
"Self-servicng ass," he grumbled.
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 15:11:42 GMT -5
The atmosphere was tense. Amaya and Jagger were putting so much energy into ignoring each other that it seemed forced, Amaya was even more aware of Jagger's presence because she was trying so hard to pretend that he didn't exist. She turned back to the horse as soon as she could, fussing over checking that the saddle was tight enough just so that she had something to do.
She accepted Yasakazu's hand as he offered it to her, easily moving to mount the horse, settling herself in the saddle infront of the slayer-mage. "Don't get any idea's. I'm getting myself a horse as soon as we reach Idaitokai." She warned in a low voice, reaching to take the reigns and spur the horse into action without a warning.
Unlike Jagger, Amaya was going to have far too much time to think as they rode. She didn't really have much else to concentrate on, nothing to distract her mind with. It was going to be a long ride, she was tempted to carry on through the day and let Jagger catch up with them later.
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 19:08:15 GMT -5
Yasakazu held his hands in front of Amaya, cautiously so she wouldn't throw him from the horse, as she unexpectedly spurred the horse forward. He managed to stay on. As Kevin allowed them to catch up to him, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with both of them. Amaya was touchier now and Kevin was impermeable. He had to be more cautious what he said and did around his closest friend, yet he could say anything to the vampire and it wouldn't make a difference. He'd be lucky to get a response.
"Amaya, I have something to tell you," Yasakazu said over the horse's trampling, but not so loud that Kevin could hear it where he ran ahead of them. He ran too fast now and then, when he was caught up in thought, and went too far ahead, at which point he'd have to slow down again. "Last night, after I left the tent and went out into the forest, a vampire girl spoke to me. She knew Jagger."
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 19:18:47 GMT -5
Amaya turned her head ever so slightly as Yasakazu spoke to her, though her frown would be hidden from him. "You spoke with a vampire, she didn't attack?" She questioned, suspicion clear in her voice. "What did she say?" She questioned, her gaze flickering to Jagger now. What kind of a game was the vampire playing? What, was he trying to get close to her to lead her into a trap? Why else would another vampire be looking for him? Then again, why would the woman have made herself known to Yasakazu if she was plotting with Jagger? This puzzle just got more and more complicated, there were too many pieces and none of them fit together.
"I think we're going to have to be careful of him, Zu." She whispered, shaking her head. "He's hiding something. I don't think that he's leading us into a trap, but it is possible. We will have to watch our backs."
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 19:23:23 GMT -5
"No, she tried... helping us," Yasakazu said, as if he didn't quite understand it himself. "She told me that there are men within the guard, day and night, that are vampires, whether real ones or honorary. They will know you even dressed as a gypsy." He shook his head. "Her name was Kassara. Her voice was... old. I mean, she didn't sound like an elderly woman or anything, but you could tell... Anyway, she told me to say hi to Jagger for her." He sighed, deciding he might as well be honest with Amaya. "She could have killed me. I fell asleep outside the camp... There was no one to even witness it. She waited for me to wake up."
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 19:30:13 GMT -5
Another piece that made no sense, that didn't fit in with what she already knew. This puzzle was growing bigger and she couldn't connect any of it. "It has to be part of some sort of a plot." She murmured, though her eyes narrowed as he told her that the female vampire had asked him to say hello to Jagger for her. She couldn't understand the spark of jealousy that caused. "A vampire asking you to pass messages? They dare play with you like that?" Her tone was harsh, fire in her eyes. The flames only flickered brighter as he told her that he had fallen to sleep outside of the cap, now fanned by panic as well as jealousy. "You idiot, Zu! You know better than that! You're not a child!" She exclaimed, not even bothering to hush her voice so that Jagger didn't hear. "If you have such a disregard for your safety, if you are so incapable of looking fter yourself, then you have to go home. I will not be responsable for your death!"
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 19:44:53 GMT -5
Yasakazu felt as if he'd shrunken to the size of a gnome when Amaya yelled at him. He winced visibly. Kevin didn't turn to look at them, but he was listening now. Some part of him wanted to assist Amaya in yelling at Yasakazu, but the bigger half told him he was not allowed to participate in conversations that Amaya was in.
"I didn't have anywhere else to...!," he stopped short, hoping he hadn't wounded Amaya. She was so good at acting so strong all the time, he had forgotten that she was actually fragile right now. He clamped his mouth shut. "I'm sorry." Guilt settled in his stomach immediately.
Then Kevin winced, though they couldn't see it as his back was to them. If Yasakazu had been killed last night, that would have been his fault. His fault for announcing his love for Amaya, his fault for allowing last night to even take place. He balled his fists up, feeling very much like tearing someone apart. He would have, but the only 'someone' he honestly felt like tearing apart was himself. When he had thought last night that everything he'd said would sound corny, he was right. Had that unadulterated love nonsense actually came out of his mouth? Disgusting. What had he been thinking? He knew the answer, but refused to accept it. Vampires didn't love, didn't care, didn't share lives with slayers. After this quest was done, he'd be gone, riding on the next wind back to his smithy. He would leave Amaya to go back to her slayer lifestyle, an existence much closer to normal than this one with him was. She wouldn't even bat an eyelash, would she? She had been drunk last night, he should have saw that. Nothing she had said or done meant anything today.
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 19:53:33 GMT -5
The flash of pain in her eyes was obvious as she turned away from Yasakazu; he hadn't had anywhere else to go last night, had he? If anything had happened to him then it would be her fault. He had to leave the tent because of her, because of her and, ugh, dare she even think it? Because of her and Jagger. "Don't do it again." She growled to him to cover up her own guilt.
A sick feeling had settled in her stomach now, her grip on the reigns tightening until her knuckles were white. The problem was that last night had meant something, everything that she had said and done meant something, no matter how much she tried to deny it. He repulsed her! Everything that he was replused her, so why on earth did she feel like this? She was so conflicted. Being around Jagger was dangerous for her, she would have to do everything in her power to avoid him.
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 20:15:32 GMT -5
Kevin felt the guilt coming off of Amaya, even if she had done well in covering it up to Yasakazu. The slayer-mage had known her longer, he should have seen it, too, but he didn't. Amaya had more practice fooling Yasakazu, or maybe it was just because Kevin had lived longer and knew how to read people better. Then again, maybe Kevin was just too close to her for his own damn good.
Maybe it was twisted and selfish, but he felt a little better knowing that Amaya was guilty, too. She should feel at least some of his pain. He should have been able to read her true feelings for him, too, but he didn't look for those. He had just accepted that they didn't exist and, even if he had read them, he would think it was his imagination playing tricks on him to keep him from going entirely insane. He wouldn't give himself false hope again. Doing so would just make him sadistic, wouldn't it? He ran on.
"I should tell him," Yasakazu decided after they were silent for a few minutes. "See what his reaction is, maybe that will tell us something." The slayer-mage lifted his head over Amaya's shoulder, so his voice would carry. "Jagger! I have something I need to say to you." Kevin rolled his eyes, but slowed down his pace so he was striding alongside the horse. He didn't look up. No, there was a chance that, if he did, Amaya would look back at him, or worse... she wouldn't. He had to stop himself from cringing. "I spoke to a vampire last night that says she knows you." Jagger looked at him, unbelieving, as if this was the beginning to some sort of bad joke. "Kassara. Do you know her?"
Jagger's eyes glimmered in recognition, but his face betrayed nothing else, except perhaps a hint of surprise.
"Yes," he responded. "You do, too." Yaskazu stared blankly at him.
"Pardon?"
"Kassara Winter from Avalas," Kevin said. "The Winter slayer family." Yasakazu gasped.
"No, she was burnt at the stake," he said, shaking his head. "That is impossible."
"She wasn't burnt at the stake, Sasaki." The vampire sounded a little annoyed at Yasakazu's slowness. "She was a slayer her whole life. She knew how fake her own death. She bought a magic scroll and used it to make another vampire look exactly like her, then put her to sleep with a draught. Dressed as someone else, she took the vampire up to her own family's doorstep and claimed the reward." He waited a moment for that to sink in, then continued: "I've seen her back. Her family crest is burned into her skin there. If you read up on your slaying history, Sasaki, you will know that..."
"Yes, I know," Yasakazu snapped, though he still couldn't hide how impressed he was from his tone completely. "The Avalan slayer families of old would burn their crests onto the backs of their heirs on the night of their coming-of-age parties." He looked at the vampire and, for once, there was no disgust or distaste in his eyes. They were almost equals. "How has she stayed alive this long?"
"Who better to avoid slayers than an ex-slayer?" Kevin responded. Yasakazu nodded, deciding that made since.
"So, when the slayer society of Avalas decided to throw her family to the vampires and that mysterious fighter showed up and slayed them all..."
"That was Kassara, yes. But her family was slaughtered by vampires eventually. She couldn't protect them forever, especially since they hated her due to the fact that she was turned. They never knew she was their lost Kassara, but I don't think it would have made a difference if they had. She was a vampire and they were slayers and that... was that." He felt a twinge of pain at the telling of this tale and decided their chat had gone on far too long. 'She was a vampire and they were slayers and that... was that.'
"What is she to you, then?" Yasakazu asked. "Did you guys have a... thing, of sorts, or what?" He grinned coyly, using a brotherly tone. "You can tell me, you know. We're men." Kevin looked irritated and ended the conversation then and there by speeding up his pace.
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 20:36:26 GMT -5
Amaya feigned disinterest as Yasakazu questioned Jagger about this vampire, though she was watching his reaction from the corner of her eye. It was insane that she actually cared about who he knew, and what the relationship between him and her was. She attempted to lie to herself, to fool herself into thinking that this was nothing but a professional interest, that she was trying to figure out if he was plotting against them. Surprise and recognition, that didn't tell her much other than he and this woman hadn't formed a plot against her. The surprise was real, or it seemed genuine at least.
Winters? She knew that name, who in the slayer world didn't? She had shamed her family, she had turned against everything that she had ever stood for. Slayers being bitten wasn't uncommon, though it was the worst fate they could suffer. If it happened then it was expected that you would deal with it, that you would sit and wait for the sun to come up rather than allow that poison to pump through your veins. No life was better than a half life, and the most a vampire could ever claim was a half life.
"I heard rumours that she was alive." She murmured, this obviously directed at Yasakazu and not Jagger. "That she had somehow cheated death, and that was why the Winter's family were cursed with bad luck. Slayers aren't that easy to kill, and the one who handed her in was never identified. It doesn't surprise me that she still lives." Amaya shrugged a little and shook her head. "That doesn't mean that I won't kill her if she comes near us again. She is a traitor, chopping her head off it a nicer fate than she deserves." Her voice was hard and cold, an odd look in her eyes. Traitor? Yes, that term could be applied to her too, but she was trying not to think about that.
Amaya tensed as Yasakazu asked what was between Jagger and this Kassara person, her expression setting into a frown, jaw tightening. This was going to be a long ride.
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 20:45:24 GMT -5
Yasakazu frowned after Kevin. Oblivious Yasakazu. He had thought they had been bonding rather nicely.
He almost wanted to argue with Amaya when she called Kassara a traitor. Almost. Firstly, he didn't much like the idea of arguing with Amaya right now... or ever, actually. He couldn't jeopardize their mission by falling apart from her. Secondly, he was a slayer, too, and knew that she was a traitor, she did deserve death and nothing less. Bonding with Jagger... what had he been thinking? They weren't to be friends. A leech is still a leech, even if it becomes a likeable leech, he thought. And Jagger really wasn't even all that likeable, now that he thought about it.
Kevin pretended not to hear her comment about Kassara. He shouldn't have, really. He had already gone a good distance ahead of them by then. But Amaya's voice jumped out at him. He could pick it out even if there were a thousand other voices swamping the air around him. Just like if there was a pile of dirt and a silver necklace sat in it. It would glimmer in the moonlight and catch his eye.
Traitor, he thought, is an awful harsh word, Amaya. Aren't you a traitor, too? Haven't I made you one? He bit his bottom lip, causing a small trickle of blood to fall down his chin.
|
|
|
Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 1, 2010 21:00:34 GMT -5
An uneasy silence settled over them as they rode, Amaya slipping back into her own thoughts, losing herself amongst them. Time no longer made any sense to her, at times it seemed to crawl past and then at others it passed so quickly that she was sure that she must have fallen to sleep. She wasn't lucky enough for sleep to disturb her, and by the time that the sprawling city of Idaitokai appeared on the horizon she had convinced herself that she was, indeed, a traitor, and that she wouldn't find redemption. How could you take back words? No, worse, how could you take back feelings?
She forced herself to focus on the lights of the city, glancing up at the lightening sky before pulling on the reigns to slow the horse to a gradual stop. "I can't just walk into the city. They have spies amongst the guards, they will regonise me, even like this..." She murmured, shaking her head. "I don't want to attract too much attention, and I doubt that we can sneak into the city unnoticed." She added, sighing a little. "Yasakazu, do you have any spare clothes?" She asked, turning a little to look at him. "I'm proposing that we split up. That you and Jagger go into the city and I will meet you later. It is safer that way, they are more likely to recognise us if we are together, they won't expect us to split up."
|
|
|
Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 1, 2010 21:15:09 GMT -5
Yasakazu nodded.
"Good plan," Yasakazu said. "But they will recognize you, even if you go in disguise and without your companions, I think." He shivered against the cold of night. It wasn't that cold when they were walking, moving, keeping their circulation flowing, but standing still it was a little chilly. "Kassara said we shouldn't chance it." He sighed. "Where the hell is Jagger, anyway?" He rubbed his arms, glaring into the darkness around them.
"Right here," Kevin said, running up to Yasakazu full-speed then skidding to a stop. Show-off, Yasakazu thought. "And I have a solution to our problem." Yasakazu stared at him. "Well, aren't you going to say 'thank you', or at least ask what it is?"
"What is it?" Yasakazu asked.
"Kassara has agreed to help us," Kevin said.
"And why should we trust her?" Yasakazu responded. He wasn't a suspicious person, but it sounded fishy to him.
"Because we don't really have any other options that don't include death," Kevin said exasperatedly. "That and we don't have time. A vampire spy lurking in the trees saw us. I tried to intercept him, but he was faster than me." Kevin frowned, as if someone being better than him at something was a personal insult. "Anyway, there'll be vampires dispatched to kill us in no time. We can't let that happen. They've underestimated us too many times... We won't get that lucky again."
Yasakazu looked at Amaya. If she wanted to wait here for the vampires, he would die alongside her, if that's what it took. If she wanted to trust Kassara, he would without question. His loyalty was with her.
|
|