Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy, Shaman Runaway ❯ A Rookie Joins The Ranks ( Chapter 42 )

 

A Rookie Joins The Ranks

It was early in the morning when I was awoken by a woman's screams. No doubt Ivy's. No one else would be able to get away with screaming bloody murder (or rape in this case). I felt sorry for the poor girl; she didn't deserve any of this, but Master Hao wanted Mistress Ivy, and eventually, whether she liked it or not, he would have her.

 

“Poor Mistress.” I sighed as I slid out of bed and slipped on my mini orange poncho. “Master has finally gotten tired of waiting and has decided to force himself on her…tsk tsk tsk. Opacho should stop him before she kills him.”

 

My tiny squeaks had caused the lump sleeping next to me to stir. Master Hao was taking on a new follower—Ashil, I think his name was—and Master had order Ashil to share my tent for the night. I didn't mind…it was to help The Master.

 

“Who's up at this ungodly hour?” Ashil mumbled sleepily.

 

“Mistress Ivy and Master Hao.” I replied mechanically. “Ashil will have to get used to her screaming; it's sort of the alarm clock around here.”

 

“Why the heck is she screaming this early in the morning? The imbecile should keep her mouth shut.” there was an annoyed tone in the newcomer's voice.

 

I glared menacingly at the oblivious stranger—though it's hard to be menacing when you're this cute. “Rookie will do well to keep his mouth shut when he speaks ill of The Mistress. She has good reason to scream, and Rookie knows not of the burdens she endures day after day.”

 

Ashil raised his arms defensively, “Whoa, cool down, Short Stuff. I didn't mean anything by it.” He paused to listen to another of Ivy's screams. “She has a pretty voice though. Why is she screaming?”

 

I turned my back on him, but replied none-the-less. “Opacho's best guess is that she's being tortured, beaten, or raped. Most likely raped. That, or she is begging for her life. But like Opacho said, rape is most likely.”

 

“How can you say that like it's an everyday occurrence?! Isn't someone going to help her?! Who's doing this to her?!” I was surprised that he actually sounded as if he cared about Ivy.

 

“It is an everyday occurrence, and she is beyond all mortal help. Hao will eventually get what he wants from her.” I sighed thinking of my poor Mistress all alone and without help or moral support.

 

“Hao? As in “Hao Asakura”, Hao? As in that Hao?!” Ashil talked himself in circles as I wondered how stupid one could be.

 

“Rookies like Ashil will call him MASTER! Only a few may call him by his first name!” I glared at him, trying my best to copy Ivy's frequent gesture.

 

“Sorry.” Ashil mumbled.

 

`You'll learn.' I thought.

 

“So, who are these chosen few?” Ashil asked half-heartedly.

 

“Opacho, Luca, Hao's brother Yoh, Yoh's fiancée Anna, and Mistress Ivy are the ones who are allowed that privilege, but Luca never does, and Opacho only sometimes calls Master “Hao”.”

 

“What about the other three?” The mock-interested tone in his voice didn't change.

 

“Yoh is Hao's brother, so he obviously can call him by his first name, and Anna is just like that.” I explained as I got dressed.

 

“What about Ivy?” The voice became genuinely inquisitive.

 

“She is Master's fiancée, and she wouldn't be caught dead calling him `master'.” I informed him, stressing `fiancée' so that he didn't get any ideas involving my lovely Mistress Ivy.

 

“But he has to rape her?” Ashil raised an eyebrow starting to dress himself.

 

“Ivy hates Hao, and if she could, would break the engagement immediately, run off, and marry Yoh.” I stated bluntly.

 

“So she's looking for another man.” It was more of a statement than a question.

 

“No. She will marry Hao if she likes it or not.” `Hao will force her.' I mentally sighed sorrowfully at my beautiful Ivy's fate.

 

“Right. Well, is she pretty?” Ashil asked in a way so that it sounded as if he doubted my Mistress's beauty.

 

“Ivy is a goddess among women!! Pretty does not even begin to describe her angelic qualities! The silkiness of her hair, the velvet that is her skin! The dark ebony of her eyes, the rubies that are her lips! Every feature crafted to perfection like a sculpture that has been painstakingly labored over for years upon years! Every detail is precisely placed to compliment the rest of her delicate glass form! Her beauty and grace are unimaginable to the unlucky people who have not been blessed with a glance of her!” I brutally attacked Ashil with the metaphors I had so often heard Master Hao use to describe Ivy.

 

“Wow…it sounds like you have a crush on her.” Ashil teased.

 

I blushed bright red at the accusation. “N-no. Of course not! Mistress is to be my Master's bride! Ivy is waaaaaaay out of Opacho's league.”

 

“I bet that Ivy would rather marry one of us than Hao.” Ashil suggested as he pulled on his jacket. “Ready to go?”

 

I nodded. “Master Hao should be here to meet with Ashil soon.”

 

“Will I get to meet Ivy?” the newbie asked enthusiastically.

 

I glared again at him. “Maybe. If Ashil is lucky he might get a glimpse of her. She prefers to keep to herself.”

 

We excited my tent and began to walk towards Master Hao and Ivy's. We were not far when two figures emerged from the tent. The first was Master Hao, and the second—

 

“Ivy…” Ashil drooled as he took his first look at my Mistress, and I noticed in dismay, that he couldn't look away.

 

Ivy and Hao were obviously still fighting by the way she scowled and he smirked. Hao made a comment, probably a perverted one judging by Ivy's reaction, and Ivy threw a roundhouse punch at him. He dodged to the side, but stuck his foot out to trip her. Ivy's fist kept going even if Hao wasn't there to punch, and her body went along with the punch, so she stumbled over the foot. Ivy fell right into Hao's outstretched arms and a fiery kiss.

 

When Ivy managed to free herself from the unwanted affection, she tried a roundhouse kick. Hao caught her leg, and pulled it towards him to drag Ivy closer. Ivy would have none of it. She used her left leg to jump over her right leg thus twisting her body in a way that would throw Hao to the ground. I was then reminded of what a good acrobat that Ivy was.

 

Ivy stalked off like a child having a temper tantrum, and Hao got up and dusted himself off.

 

“So that's Ivy.” Ashil sighed. “I see what you're talking about. She's heavenly. Do you think she'd let me talk to her?”

 

“She doesn't like men drooling over her, so be careful, but if Ashil acted like he wanted to be friends with Ivy then Opacho doesn't think that she'd mind talking to Ashil. Hao would kill Ashil if he ever saw Rookie breathing in Ivy's general direction, though.” I warned. “Oh, and don't let Ivy know that Ashil likes her. She will do worse than Hao.”

 

“How can she do worse than death?!” The newbie asked shocked that such a rose could have such jagged thorns.

 

“Ivy can do unspeakably worse things. Watch out, here comes Master.” I whispered as Hao approached us.

 

“Good morning Opacho. Ashil.” Master Hao greeted.

 

“Master, what did Hao do to Ivy now?” I scolded.

 

“Anything that she'd let me do to her.” He responded.

 

“In other words: absolutely nothing.” I rolled my eyes.

 

“A little less than that actually…” Hao sighed. “Oh well…someday. Well, let's get down to business…”

 

I stayed for the meeting, but it didn't take long. Afterwards, Hao went off to take care of some important business, and Ashil snuck off in the same direction that Ivy had gone not too long before then. I had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling…