Sorcerer Stabber Orphen Fan Fiction ❯ Give a Reason ❯ Loss ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

:: Give a Reason ::

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Rai or Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. All rights go to ADV, Manga, Akita Sandanobu, and others. I did, however, make up Makubura-sensei, so please don't use him without permission (like you'd even want to use him ^^;). I also don't own the title, which I borrowed from a Slayer's opening theme. Never seen the series, but the song is awesome. Megumi Hayashibara is an awesome (and VERY popular!) singer.

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: pre-SSO series, Rai-centered, dark issues

Notes: Whee! Look, a Rai-fic! ^^ This is most likely going to turn out to just be a two, possibly three-parter. And this is the first part. I got the idea after I wrote the seventh chapter of Velvet Flames. Which means this is yet another fic I'm using to procrastinate on directly working on Velvet Flames again. ^^;;

This could be considered a side-fic to Velvet Flames, but neither of these need to be read to understand the other. This fic is also a little fast-paced, so it might be hard to follow at first.

This is also my first fic without a pairing. Go me. XD




Screams filled the air, echoing in his ears as he stood completely still, both eyes wide with horror as the scene unfolded before him. People were running every which way, children were crying, mothers were shrieking and men were shouting as they tried to subdue the chaos. In the middle of it all he stood, legs locked and stiff, arms frozen in midair. Had he caused this? What? How? How could this happen? He was just a child, a baby, barely even three years old...

"Rai!"

He clenched his green eyes shut, trying to block out the sights. His hands flew up to cover his ears, unsuccessfully attempting to shut out the screams. He couldn't get the burning smell of wood and charcoal away from him. It surrounded him, them, everyone. The heat of flames was overwhelming, even at his distance.

"Rai!"

Someone grasped him by the arm, pulling him away from where he had rooted himself, dead center in the room. People were fleeing, trying to evacuate the premises.

He began to cry, large, terrified tears rolling down his cheeks. Unable to run anymore, his small, weak legs gave out and he fell to the ground, still sobbing. Above him someone cursed before scooping him up into their arms. He clutched at the person's shirt, sobbing into it as they ran. Behind them there was the roar of fire and then, unexpectedly, an explosion that knocked them to the ground. Debris and sparks flew, just barely missing them both.

He must have blacked out, because when he opened his eyes again the sun was shining. His surroundings were so unfamiliar... And why did he smell like smoke?

Everything rushed back quickly, so painfully fast. The party, the fight, the screams, the anger, the fire, the explosion... Things had happened so fast he felt as though he were drowning, choking on air.

The small child sat up, trembling as though with cold. But the morning was warm, nauseatingly so. It shouldn't have been warm after such a horrible incident, it just shouldn't have...

It was then he really took notice of his surroundings. He was far away from home; he didn't recognize a single rock or blade of grass in the vast field of blue flowers. The grass was still slightly sticky with dew; everything was in full bloom...

And yet only the night before people had died.

There was no question about it. Not everyone had survived that explosion. It was something he could just feel but not explain. Somehow, he simply KNEW that families had been torn apart, people were dead and dying now... All because of him.

But who had saved him? Surely he would have died if the person, whomever it had been, had not taken him and ran away.

He wasn't dead. That was the only think Rai knew, was that his savior was NOT dead. He was alive and much more well off than other injured victims.

"Ah... You are awake."

Rai started before looking up at the speaker. He was tall, amazingly so to the boy who was small even for his age, and handsome. Not that Rai thought this; he was too young to even think about girls. But any woman would describe this man as handsome, with his high cheekbones, elegant pose and carefully slicked back dull red hair. His nose was slightly crooked; obviously it had been broken once before. His hair and eyebrows were singed, his clothes frayed and burned at the hems from the fire.

"Where am I?" he asked in a small, frightened voice. "Who... Who are you? Mommy... Where's my mommy?" He couldn't help but whine; he was only a child, after all. Without his dearest mother, how would he survive?

The man shook his head. "You needn't think of that now," was his surprisingly gentle response. He looked the strict teacher type, the kind that wouldn't hesitate to use a belt on any student that misbehaved. It threw Rai off, then, that he was acting so kind and gentle. The strange vibes he felt didn't connect with this at all... But what puzzled him most was, why was he feelings these unfamiliar vibes?

The man knelt on the ground before him, his large hand covering Rai's entire head as it came to rest on his soft green hair. "You are unhurt. This is all that matters." He closed his dark green eyes briefly before saying, clear and distinct, "We will be going on a long journey, and where you end up it will not matter what has happened here. No one will question your past, and if they do they are unfit to hear of it."

Rai was horribly confused and even more frightened than ever before. Was his mother dead? Was that why this man would tell him nothing? But no, she couldn't be dead... She simply couldn't be. He refused to believe that. He hadn't seen her at all during that time of the party, so there was a good possibility she was all right... Oh, how he wished to see her now!

The man stood, pulling Rai to his feet. "We will go now," he said. "As I have said, our journey is long and may be treacherous. You will need to observe my every movement, listen closely to every word that falls from my lips. In time, all will aid you into protecting yourself."

To Rai's childish mind, the man spoke in riddles. But he really had no other choice. He didn't know where he was or where he was going. He had no idea how to get back home. The only place to go was with this man. He had no other choice.

"Yes, sir," he said in a small, meek voice. This man was all he had now. Who else could he trust anymore? His life had been torn apart, all because of himself. He would have to deal with his own problems. That was what his mother had, after all, taught him best. "Reep what you sow," she would say often. He had no other choice.

They began their journey that very day. The scenery quickly grew boring, as it was blue-flowered fields for miles and miles around. Rai's legs quickly grew tired. He wasn't used to so much travel, so his feet ached after a mere ten minutes. He began to whine.

"Mister, how long will this take?"

The man paused and turned, pinning him with a stern stare. "Perhaps I should lay down a few rules for you to abide by on this journey," he said heavily. "First, you shall address me as Makubura-sensei, for when we reach our destination I shall be your instructor." Rai's eyes widened as Makubura spoke. Instructor? After what had just happened, he was simply going to take him to some school?

"Second," Makubura continued, "You shall keep quiet unless you have an important question. I will tolerate no foolishness. I certainly will not tolerate whining. It is much to ask of you, a child, but you must learn while young."

"Yes, Makubura-sensei," Rai said quietly, looking down at his feet as his eyes filled with tears. Why did everything have to fall apart now?

"Third," the man continued, startling Rai. There were MORE rules? "You shall not stray from my sight. Should you do so, I will have to punish you severely. Do not wander away from my line of vision. Fourth, when I tell you to do something, you will do it without complaint or question."

Frustration began to build up in Rai, threatening to burst forth. He was just a child! Why did he have to listen to a man he didn't even know?!

Makubura turned once again. "Walk two feet to my right, child." Rai stubbornly stayed where he stood and was shocked when Makubura gave him an abrupt slap on his cheek. Why was this man doing this to him?

"Walk two feet to my right," he said again, this time more firmly and with more of an edgy threat in his voice. This time Rai hurried to comply, but was slapped on his other cheek when he scrambled to the man's left side instead. He was slapped for stopping two and a half feet to his right, and again for being a mere foot and three inches away. By the time he was in perfect position, his cheeks were red and swollen. They would most likely bruise. Fresh tears coursed down his cheeks and he cried softly as they walked. He hated this man! Hated him!

They walked and walked for hours on end. Rarely did Makubura stop, and when he did it was either to bring something out of his small travel pack for Rai to eat, or for the child to rest since his feet were so sore. He refused to carry him, and when Rai started to whine in protest he earned another slap to his already sore face.

Nightfall came all too slowly. Rai was overcome with fatigue. Dirt was already smudged on his face from the many times he had tripped from sheer exhaustion. He barely noticed when Makubura lit a torch to light their way. By the time they reached civilization, it was near midnight. Makubura quickly found a vacant hotel, and while Rai was lying on his small bed, ready to fall asleep then and there, he said something that surprised and infuriated the child.

"Because of your whining we are several hours behind schedule," Makubura said in his deep voice. "We will have to make better time tomorrow, or perhaps I shall have to leave you an an orphanage. You need to be able to keep up with me. You are too spoiled."

Rai would have loved to protest, but he was still only three and he was beyond tired at this point. Without a word in reply, he simply nodded off into a restless sleep.

He was woken early the next morning. The sun hadn't even risen as Makubura pulled him up rather roughly from bed. "Come," he said. "We are behind schedule and we have far to go. Get up."

Rai burst into tears. He wasn't used to such treatment at all. "I-I don't WANT to!" he screamed. "I w-want to go h-home! I don't want t-to go with you!"

Makubura let him make no further complaints. Rather than comment he simply slapped the boy once and forced him to his feet, dragging him out by his tiny wrist. He paid the manager at the front desk, who only glanced at Rai with minimal concern, before they were outside in the cold air. Once he started Rai couldn't stop sobbing. He was sure that his feet had blisters as they walked, and when a sudden sting spread throughout the entire sole of his left foot his suspicions were proven true.

Makubura had him sit on a small rock in the middle of a thick forest as he pulled off one of his scuffed boots and examined the small red foot. Not only was it red, but purplish blotches were forming on his heel. Swollen blisters stung his big toe and decorated the fleshy part of the limb.

"I want to rest," Rai whined once his tears finally subsided enough for him to speak.

"Hmph," was all the man said in reply. He put the child's boot back on. "Walk."

Rai couldn't take it. He screamed and kicked out at the man. "NO! I hate you! I don't want to walk! I want to go home! I hate you! I HATE--"

His tantrum was cut short as something burst forth from the bushes just behind Makubura. Rai screamed as he was attacked, knocked flat on his back by something large, dark and heavy. It snarled as claws sunk into his tiny chest. Thick, hot drool dripped on the boy's stinging red cheek. He screamed, both in pain and terror, but just as the thing was ready to bite his head off a loud, "Hikari yo!" could be heard.

The dark animal (Rai was beginning to think it was a zynth, which was said to be a like cross between a hairless wolf and a very large bat but with black scales like that of a dragon) toppled off the boy, though it did rip a fair amount of flesh off him in the process. A high-pitched scream was ripped from his already sore throat, and Rai scrambled to hide behind the older man.

"Hikari yo!" A bright yellow, almost white light exploded from the extended palms of his hands, striking the zynth. It shrieked inhumanly with pain before attempting to use its scorched taloned wings to take off. When that didn't work, it settled for scrambling behind the trees and scuttling away.

Rai gasped and whimpered, falling to his knees. Blood was seeping through his dirty pale blue shirt, which made him cry once again. He was crying so much lately, but he didn't care. He was tired, frightened, bleeding and sorely missing his sweet mother, who would have tended to his wounds ever so lovingly and held him afterwards, kissing him and tenderly caring for him. He needed that; he needed a loving touch. He couldn't take such harshness so early in life.

"Heal," was all Makubura said. Rai's eyes snapped open, tears stinging his sensitive eyes, as he watched in both fascination and awe as his wounds healed right before his eyes. Blood still stained his clothes, but he was perfectly fine otherwise.

"Makubura-sensei..." he whispered in awe. Then he got to his feet suddenly, fists clenched. "Why didn't you use that before?!" he cried, hurt.

"You were not in peril," Makubura replied. A few strands of his dusty red hair fell in his face. He brushed them back, dark green eyes narrowing at Rai before he continued. "You must endure hardship in order to become a great sorcerer."

Rai gaped. "Sorcerer..."

"Yes. You will someday become a great sorcerer," Makubura stated. It was not a fact to be argued, Rai realized. If Makubura said it would happen, then he would go to his grave to ensure it. He was just that type of man.

Rai lowered his head respectively. "Yes... Makubura-sensei."