MAR Fan Fiction ❯ Spells ❯ Spells ( Chapter 1 )

Spells

 

The wind was cool. It soothed their heated skin as they played under the warm sun, dancing and skipping as they did. It was a fine spring day, filled with the songs of harmonizing birds, happily creating their sonnets in the surrounding trees and in the clear blue sky that hung above them. Their symphony was accompanied by the glee filled giggles of the children playing in the clearing, their eyes wide and washed with adoration and wonder as a man with a skull mask juggled and laughed along with them.

 

There were five of them inhabiting the small glade; three of them children - two boys, one girl - and the other two adults. Ash's dark eyes flickered over to the man looking forever serious under the shade of a tall oak, his sword and its sheath lying on the dew moistened grass next to him, its golden hilt shining in the sun as it laid against the side of his dark cloth covered thigh.

 

As the man in the skull mask - Ash, one of the thirteen zodiac knights - sang and danced, as though he were the Pied Piper of Hamlet leading his little followers away from the deceitful villagers that governed them. He supposed that that would have been the case had there been a village remaining, and survivors to rebuild it. But alas, there wasn't. The hellhole he was leading the children away from was just that; wreckage.

 

The `village' was nothing more than a smoking field of rubble and flames. Ash hadn't ever thought that a village could be demolished in such a short time - if he was correct it had only been an hour and a bit since he and Galian were sent on their way - as though a particularly revengeful hurricane had blown through and swept up all the houses' roofs and thrown rock into rock and vegetation into glass and whatever else that should have been immovable.

 

It had been Galian that had found the children, curled beneath a hazardously balanced stone wall see-saw, whimpering and crying tears that caused Ash's heart to crumble in his chest. He'd immediately set himself to the task of cheering them up, and luring them away from their destroyed home with the promise of a better, new one and a couple of spiffy tricks that made them gawp and smile.

 

But he was human too, despite his joining the Chess and the way the world viewed such a `blood thirsty' organization. He himself couldn't stand the thought of destroying towns; children were everywhere and he didn't want to be the cause of their spilling of clear, innocent tears. He soon felt his voice threatening to collapse from his using it for far too long (three hours worth of singing really did do horrid things to a man's voice box; Ash's felt incredibly sore and as though it would burst from his throat without a moment's notice) and he really needed to pee.

 

But what to do with the children? He couldn't just leave them by themselves in the wilderness; that would be irresponsible. What would he do if one of them injured themselves, or worse, were killed while he was gone?

 

A barely audible sigh sounded from beneath the birds, kids and other natural noises that surrounded the small group and Ash's dark eyes lit up with relief as he realized Galian had decided to accompany him and his troop to a neighboring village. With a flourish and a boisterous laugh, Ash had spun around and diverted his children's attention to the other knight.

 

“Now you kids behave yourself!” He said as he hooked his arm around Galian's shoulders, “Galian's going to watch you for a while.”

 

“Watch them?” A confused voice echoed in his ear, as Galian turned his head to look at him, “I was not aware I'd have to do such a thing. What are you-”

 

Wisely, as Ash believed, he cut Galian off and continued as though he hadn't heard him, “I need to attend to some important business and it would sadden me greatly should you upset him.”

 

The kids were easy enough to handle. After a few other questions ranging from “When will you be back?” to “Can you show us how to juggle?” Ash had only one last obstacle to conquer and he had every hope of running away from said obstacle before he was captured. He grinned from behind his beaming mask, “I'll be back shortly!”

 

He hadn't gotten very far when his grey, scratchy hood was tugged on viciously, sending him leaning back so far he nearly toppled over like a castle of cards with the smallest wind, “Er, yes?” He asked, as innocently as he could a smile lining his voice. He really didn't want to spell out what he was running away to do whilst the children were within hearing range; any topic could lead to awkward questions, but this was one he especially avoided when he could help it.

 

Galian's tone was that of a displeased leader when he asked, “What is so important that I must `watch' your following?”

 

“Why Galian,” Ash started as he straightened to his full height, a full head taller than the knight in front of him, “You know how it is. Just this and that,” With a hasty yank he pulled his clothing from Galian's grasp, “You know how it is when nature calls!”

 

“Nature?” The little girl asked as she abruptly sprouted up between both knights, “Aora likes birds!”

 

“Indeed. I do too, little one. However that's not what I meant.” Ash's eyes flew about the clearing as his mind dreamt up a twisted truth. Once again he hooked his arm around Galian's thinner shoulders, “I meant that Galian here can call lightning from the very heavens above us!”

 

“Really?” The dark brown haired boy asked excitedly. Ash nodded, and smiled as all three children chorused: “Wow!”

 

Perhaps, once he was done, he would replay this series of events and chortle over Galian's expressions, but at the moment, Ash found his words running from his lips at over 30 per second, “Yes! And he's going to show you! But I really need to go.” It took only a moment for his being to disappear from sight, as though he had vanished into thin air.

 

Ten or so minutes later, Ash felt a lot better - now that his bladder wasn't going to burst - and was heading back to his troop and the annoyed knight he was currently traveling with. As absolutely lovable as Ash found children, he had discovered that (after his little girl was born) sometimes children had the most sadistic streaks woven into their bodies that seemed stuffed with an endless supply of giggles and all around cuteness that could drive a person to banging their heads against a wall. Repetitively.

 

Now that Ash thought about it, they would make the most perfect of weapons when it came down to sneaky warfare (they were cute and would have the enemy completely fooled with their bright smiles and innocent questions), though Ash had made sure and would always be careful to never mention such a thing so Peta could hear it. The man was a strategist and he feared he would endanger his little friends should he finally work out that their pleas and doe-eyed looks could distract an enemy long enough to launch a full scale attack and cause them to win a battle.

 

To Ash children were, with their adorable round faces and their ear-pleasing laughter, simply a joy to look after. Or that's what he'd told Galian when he'd asked him a few months ago. However, Ash feared he'd just sentenced the man to a very excruciating death should he take what he'd witnessed earlier as a clue to anything.

 

The man was kind, there was no doubt about that, just as he was honourable and he was brave. But Galian just didn't know how to handle children and their cooped up energy. True, the man was the ex-leader of Luberia, one of the strongest guilds in the world of MAR, and could possess the patients of a saint when he really needed to, but even he had his limits. The very thought of Galian finally snapping as the children's questions became too much for such a short period of time made Ash want to sprint the rest of the way back.

 

He would have, really, he would could he actually walk straight. His feet ached from his earlier activities and he could barely feel his toes from within his thick, heavy boots. All he wanted to do was sit down and rest for a bit. That is, as soon as he tired out the kids. It shouldn't be too long until they wanted to nap and refill their energy tanks he'd already worked them for three hours straight. Still, he didn't want Galian to -

 

“Oh…”

 

An amusing sight greeted him as he passed through a thick cluster of army and olive green bushes, one that made him scratch at his mask's cheek with wonder and utter a simple, `huh?'. There wasn't any tattered clothing or large cuts in the ground, rather there was no evidence that a great battle had taken place at all. Instead he found Galian cradling the little girl he'd collected as he sat on the grass beneath a large oak, the two troublesome boys curled up by his left side. It seemed as though Galian had finished his job of tiring them out for him and Ash couldn't be more relieved (or surprised) about it.

 

With barely a moment's hesitation, he sat himself on Galian's right side, grinning at the knight from behind his mask, “I had no idea you were so good with kids, Galian.” He remarked flippantly, as he made himself comfortable. He was in need of a long snooze.

 

Galian smiled slightly and shifted the little girl in his arms, carefully pushing her blonde bangs away from her angelic face, “I often minded the children that were born into or adopted by the thieves under my lead. I would not have been a sufficient leader if I could not handle them.”

 

“Ah,” Ash sighed, as he rested his head against the hard trunk of the tree behind them, “So why were you so against minding the tykes?”

 

“I was not. I was merely curious as to why you needed to run off.” A smirk pulled at Galian's lips as he turned to look at the mask wearing knight, his head cocked, “Why do you think I allowed you to go?”

 

Ash chuckled, but otherwise remained quiet. He was starting to feel drowsy as the sun warmed his still leather clad feet. His thoughts became hazy, and the idle realization that the entire scene he was placed in reminded him of his now deceased family didn't cause much shock within his chest. Not while he was so tranquil.

 

He glanced at Galian with half lidded eyes. No, the man wasn't his beautiful wife, holding their precious daughter as they relaxed and waited for the sun to set. No, the boys weren't his oldest son sleeping the day away much like he would when his wife wasn't looking. No, he wasn't the same person from those times when he would place leaves in his wife's golden locks and laugh loudly when she swiped at his still retreating hands. No, this was not one of those times.

 

Suddenly Ash wasn't feeling so peaceful, “I'm going to sleep. The kids exhausted me.” Ash remarked with a huge, lion like yawn, “Wake me up in an hour or so.”

 

He saw Galian nod as he turned to lay on his side, though a frown had morphed from the small smile the ex-Luberia leader had been wearing a moment before. He frowned also. After a moment he remarked dramatically, “Now don't you go running off anywhere! I may need you and your ability with kids. You know how they hate me!” Ash sighed woefully and chuckled.

 

He was pleased, but Ash had to force himself to remember that Galian wasn't his wife, because his smile reminded him of her every time and the children's snores reminded him of his own kids as they slept all over their parents as though they were simple furniture.

 

Perhaps it was just the sun making him the target for so many memories that day? Or perhaps it was the spell the rest of his traveling group had bound him in? Either way, Ash's mind became darker and darker quickly, his last realization being that perhaps he didn't mind. Not that much, anyway. He rather liked having a family - fake or not - nearby.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Woffy: Er… I really don't know where this came from. But I really like the idea. Ash is one of my favourite characters (and shares the same name as me, hee hee!) and Galian tugs on my heart strings. I hadn't planned to fall for the pairing, but I did, especially as I began to write the latter part of this.

 

Also, this might be my entry to the contest Akari-chan is running in the Marchen Awakens Romance forum here on fanfiction(dot)net. The word that this is related to is `weapon'.

 

Anyway, please review. Give critique where you can. I will be forever grateful. :D Oh! And that puts my odd MAR pairings up to three. -thumbs up- (the ones before this will be up within the next month) :)