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located in Rillia, a part of What's love got to do with it?, one of the many universes on RPG.

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Ikaru

Ikaru let his hand fall as Akari pushed it away, awkwardly getting up on her own and leaving without another word. He frowned slightly as he watched her retreating form for a moment. He did not understand why she seemed so upset. Had she hurt herself when she fell? If so, why would she be mad at him? Was it something else?

He slowly sat, finishing the last few bites of his meal without really tasting it. He gathered his plate and Akari’s and took them back to the innkeeper with a respectful, if distracted, nod of thanks. She grunted and took the dishes to the kitchen, leaving him standing there for a moment. When she returned, she hastily said, “Gave you Room 14.” and Ikaru nodded to her again. After a short moment of indecision, he headed up. He was concerned for Akari, especially if she was hurt and had not told him. If that man had hurt her, he would see justice first hand, and Ikaru would see to that. Drunkenness was no excuse for mistreating a woman or causing her harm.

He soon came to a simple wooden door marked with the number 14. He knocked softly, waiting for a response, before he entered. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting as he took everything in for a moment. There was a chair and small bedside table next to the bed which seemed to fill the room. However, the realization that there was only one bed quickly crossed Ikaru’s mind, and he reluctantly decided he would still be sleeping on the ground that night. At least he was fairly used to it by now, and the rug would provide a bit of cushion. He noticed that he would need to ask for some more blankets, because there did not seem to be any extras in the room.

Finally, his eye found Akari’s form sitting in the window. He took a deep breath, and considered what to say. ‘The simpler, the better, I suppose,’ he thought, adjusting his glasses. “What is wrong, Akari? Are you hurt?” his voice held none of the amusement from before, only a tense concern.


Akari

Akari’s hand tensed a bit as she heard the door open behind her, but she refused to turn to look at him, especially since she had let herself cry without even realizing it. “What is wrong, Akari? Are you hurt?” His voice called softly, though with his ever present practical tone, even if some concern threaded through it. ’It’s a lie, it’s a trap.’ her mind immediately sprang, and Akari simply murmured, “Fine.” She hoped she sounded tired, not grudged or burdened. She returned to let her eyes wander along the heavens, having answered his question. “You can take the bed, it doesn’t really matter, I don’t care.” She spoke up, steeling her voice to make it sound normal; she even plastered a fake smile onto her lips, just for him, even though he couldn’t see it, what with her head turned away from him.

She let one fingernail scratch at the wood of the windowsill, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill out again. ’Ugh, stop. I’m done with that, I’m stronger than that.’ She shook her head lightly before moving her legs back, and turning around, the shadow cast by the moon’s brightness hiding her features. ’Because if you’re not strong, what’s keeping you from the abyss?’ She smiled at him lightly, getting off of the windowsill and closing the window tightly shut.



Ikaru

Akari gave Ikaru a somewhat strained answer, but he decided not to push her any further. If she said she was fine, he would take her at her word unless he knew otherwise. In this instance, he did not know at all. Women were complicated, and he was not sure what was going on with her, so it seemed better to leave her be. There was no use pushing it further and having her assume he thought she was not telling the truth. He rubbed the back of his head with a sigh as she commented on the bed situation. As tempting as the thought of a soft, warm bed was, he would not take it from a woman no matter the circumstance.
“If you don’t mind, I will take the floor,” he said stubbornly. “I will be back.”

He turned and left, closing the door again behind him before heading back down the stairs. He soon spotted Ulna at the front desk again, and quickly approached her. He opened his mouth to demand some blankets before he spotted that typical, irritated look on her face. Perhaps some politeness would suit his purpose better, especially considering how much opposition he got from her last time. He gave a small sigh and started again. “May I have some extra blankets? Ulna, was it?” She gave a short nod, looking at him expectantly with a deep frown on her face, before he continued, “Please.”

[b[“Fine. Nights get cold here, especially now when it's nearing winter.”[/b] She bustled off, soon handing him a small stack of thick, coarse blankets. He thanked her and went back up the stairs, grumbling to himself in irritation over having to be at the woman’s mercy like that. He did not enjoy the feeling. At least treating her as if she was important got the desired results. ‘Women are strange in general though,’ he thought, reminded of Akari’s strange mood. He resolved again not to bother her about it, and knocked before entering and closing the door behind him. He set them on the ground near the door, looking at the large linen nightgown at the foot of the bed. It would be good to get out of the filthy clothes, but would it be proper?

He picked it up, quickly glancing at Akari before deciding he would just go with it. He stepped into the side room, closing the curtain behind him, before taking off his shirt and cloak and washing himself with water and a small cloth from the washbowl. It was chilly, but still refreshing, and he felt better when he put on the nightshirt. He slipped off his ragged shoes and quickly washed his feet as well before folding his shirt and cloak and walking out.

He opened the first drawer of the nightstand, seeing Akari’s belongings, before he shut it and placed his shirt and cloak inside the second drawer and his shoes beside the nightstand. He arranged the blankets on the floor and lay down, using one of the blankets as a pillow, and facing the wall with his back to the bed. Akari could decide when, or if, she wanted to extinguish the light. It did not bother him. It was not long before he was soundly asleep, more comfortable than he had been for weeks.


Akari

Akari looked up as he refused, almost as if he wanted the floor, like really badly. She shook her head softly before sitting down on the soft mattress. How long had it been since the last time she had slept on something proper? Ikaru left the room in quest of blankets, and Akari felt bad, but she had made her offer
. With a small sigh, she let herself fall back against the softness, the pillow cradling her head gently. She quickly shifted her arm over her eyes, wiping at the stains there.

She rolled over onto her side, hugging the pillow close to her and gazing at the wall across from her, replaying the turns of the day. Ikaru returned a little while later, and with the creak of the door, her eyes shifted to his form. He quickly disappeared out of her vision, and she listened to his footsteps as he made his way into the side room. She averted her attention from the sounds coming from there, heat threatening to rise under her cheeks, and she closed her eyes tightly until they stopped.

He returned to the main room, setting up his sleeping area with all of the extra blankets. She watched him while he worked, and as he settled down, using another blanket as a pillow, Akari let a tired grin come across her face. She grabbed the second pillow on the bed, and flung it straight onto his head. “Night.” She offered, an unconfident smile slightly trembling at her lips. She turned from him, leaned forward to the lamp, and blew. The room was suddenly bathed with darkness, other than the moonlight bathing the room in its warm, soft glow.

Akari closed her eyes, relishing the comfort and warmth around her, and soon fell asleep.



Ikaru

Ikaru woke early, opening his eyes just as the sun was rising. He put his glasses on, quickly adjusting them on his nose and blinking at the unfamiliar room around him. He soon figured out where he was and gave a small sigh. They were supposed to learn about the monster he would hunt today.

He noticed Akari still sleeping soundly in the bed and he quietly went about getting dressed and folding up his blankets again, noticing he had acquired a pillow. He faintly remembered it being thrown at him, but he was already mostly asleep by then. It had always been easy for him to sleep, but staying asleep was often a problem, thus the waking up early in the morning. He had always been that way, often watching the sun rise over the ocean near his home. There was no ocean here. Ikaru was beginning to wonder when he would even see it again.

He checked that all was in order and left the room, closing the door softly as he went down the stairs. Ulna, of course, was already up and bustling about in what seemed to be her usual manner. She looked at him with a scowl on her face, but said nothing. Ikaru gave her a short nod and walked out into the broad dirt road.

He walked to the edge of town, noting how many seemed to be out of bed at that hour. That was fairly typical for these farming types though. He watched as the sun began rising over the surrounding fields and forest, bathing the town in a beautiful glow. He soon turned, trying to find the library so he could get Akari soon. It would not do to be late. Finally, he asked a woman who was nearby, and she directed him to a squat building not far from the mayor’s residence. He thanked her and hurried back to the inn, expecting Akari to be up and waiting to go.


Akari

Akari’s eyes blinked open as sun filtered through the window into the small room. She let a small yawn form at her mouth before hugging her pillow a bit tightly before pulling herself up into a sitting position. She glanced around the room, remembering the other soul that was forced to share it with her. But he seemed to be nowhere in sight, and Akari rubbed at her eyes before stepping onto the cold wooden floor. She stepped around Ikaru’s sleeping area, making her way into the second room.

She kneeled down quietly, cupping her hands and bringing the water up to her face, washing the long gone tear stains from her form. She quickly returned to the main room, opening the drawer and taking her clothing out. She figured that no one would be bothering to enter her room at all, so she simply changed right there. She slipped her boots on once more, making her way leisurely to the door. She turned the handle and left the room, closing the door behind her with a stretch.

She walked down the hallway and descended the steps to the main room, greeting Ulna as the woman was barking out orders to her staff. Soon Akari would be running about under her guidance. She smiled softly, taking a seat at one of the benches. She’d have to start after today, as they’d be going out to hunt the problem that was plaguing the town. Soon a stranger slid across her seat, holding a plate of food. He was a young guy, and not that bad looking either, he had dirty blonde hair, green eyes, he looked to be maybe 5' 9'', and had a fair amount of muscle. He looked over at her with a small grin as a simple greeting, “Heya!” He offered, and Akari grinned back at him, “Hey.” She said, watching for a moment as he began to eat, but then politely turned away. “So, are you the news in town? Gonna be huntin’ down the Lenmer?” She nodded with a small laugh. “The bloke, it’s been ravaging a few farms around here, and hacking about reserves.” She blinked with a soft grin, “Are you from around here?” She asked lightly, and he answered her quickly. “Nope, made a trading stop here, gonna be continuing on north to trade a few more furs and then return home.”

“Ha, just gets colder, huh?” The male nodded at her, grinning a bit slyly, “So, what’s a pretty girl like you doing all the way up north alone?” She looked slightly taken aback, “How’d you know I’m out of my element? And, I'm not travelling alone.” She smirked, and he laughed, “You reek of a greenie, and it's no surprise there.” The man said good naturedly, teasing her already with another chuckle. “So what’s your name?” He asked, and Akari provided it. They were soon immersed in conversation, joking and teasing as if they had been close friends for quite some time. Akari had completely forgotten about the past night’s feelings and happenings, instead choosing to move forward. She didn’t even notice when Ikaru came in, she was too occupied with the guy before her.



Ikaru

When Ikaru entered the inn, he saw that the main room was already more crowded than when he had left. Ulna was loudly ordering her servants about preparing food. Adjusting his glasses with one hand, he scanned the room, half-expecting Akari to be fast asleep in the room still. She did seem soundly asleep when he left almost a half an hour ago.

However, he quickly located her, and she was speaking to a strange man. He was surprised after how her last conversation with a strange man had been. Nevertheless, where that man had been middle-aged, balding, drunk, and ill mannered, this one was young, and ruddy, and Akari seemed to be laughing and enjoying the conversation. Ikaru felt odd as he stared a moment in disbelief. It was almost as if he felt protective, but there was no real danger. At least perhaps there was not. Unless he was picking something up from this stranger that Akari was not. That had to be it.

He strode over, intent on getting Akari away from the strange man who had possibly evil intentions. The man had his back to Ikaru and the door with Akari facing him, and Ikaru approached with an unintentional silence as he regarded the man with suspicion. Finally, he stood at the table, standing between them and facing Akari. He glanced at the man, but otherwise ignored him.

“Akari, it is time. We should not keep this Sal waiting,” he said, rudely interrupting the man mid-sentence.


Akari

Akari was grinning, her chin resting in her hand as she listened to the guy talk about some of the recent happenings, and a few of his own adventures. However, mid sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by none other than Ikaru himself. He closed his mouth good naturedly, looking the guy up and down. “Akari, it is time. We should not keep this Sal waiting,” She looked up at him with a normal look to her face, before turning and grinning lazily to her friend, Jenk, who coughed once he was done and then spoke up. “And who are you, my good sir?” He offered with a smile and a twinkle to his eye. Since he knew his lovely companion-for-the-time-being’s name, he assumed he was her travelling partner, possibly, or someone she had met when she came into the town.

Akari watched quietly, suddenly looking over to one of the windows and watching a wind blow through the leaves of the trees nearby, and momentarily wondered where Hikari had flown off to. She had no idea if she’d be seeing him anytime soon. The animal might have departed altogether. She returned her attention to the two boys before her.



Ikaru

Ikaru turned and looked at the young man with a perfectly emotionless face. His eyes betrayed a slight annoyance, however, as if irritated to have to speak to a common boy who, like everyone else in this town, wanted to be treated like an equal.

“I am Akari’s betrothed,” he said flatly. He turned his attention back to Akari with an impatient, “Sal is waiting for us. We should hurry.”


Akari

It seemed as though Akari and Jenk both took a double take at the same time at Ikaru’s comment. “Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard you admit it.” While Jenk just raised his hands back and up above his shoulders in a defensive way, a somewhat sheepish grin on his face. “Well then, rather to the point, isn’t he?” Akari just blinked in disbelief. Both of them had hated that fact, but now he just seemed to throw it in Jenk’s face, like he might have cared. She quickly shot that thought down with a somewhat rough look, leaning against the table. ’Who am I kidding, he’s just pissed that we’re keeping this ‘Sal’ person waiting, and figured that’d silence Jenk.’

“Sal is waiting for us. We should hurry.” He spoke impatiently, and Akari looked up at him with an innocent face, “Sorry, I didn’t know we were holding up the queen of Rellia here.” She got up from the table and took a few steps away from it before turning right back around with a grin. “Hey, Jenk, why don’t you join us? You said you didn’t have anything to do.” He looked up at her with an open smirk, “I would certainly love to accompany you, madam!” He jumped from his place on the bench and offered his arm to her. She just looked at him, and he laughed, quickly dropping it. She waited for Ikaru, and allowed him to lead the way to the library. “Although, I won’t be able to assist in the monster slaying, I left someone watching my things, and kinda promised him I wouldn’t be gone all day. I shouldn’t even really be heading out with you. Leave it to me to go back on my word when a beautiful girl gets involved.” He chuckled, keeping pace with Akari easily. “But hey, I’m sure he won’t mind, won’t take that much longer anyway.”




Ikaru

Ikaru's irritation built as Akari invited this 'Jenk' to accompany him. 'Of course, I should have expected this kind of foolishness,' he thought, pure annoyance written all over his face but quickly concealed. Jenk got up to join them. "We do not especially need a third wheel," Ikaru said in the same monotone voice, turning on his heel and striding out the door without looking back.

Ikaru fumed silently as he stalked down the street, irritated by Jenk’s heavy step behind him. What kind of proper name was Jenk anyway? Sounded like a dimwitted country lout’s name. At least that seemed to fit the young man. Ikaru had made it clear that Jenk was unwanted, yet here he was, still hanging on Akari. It was disgraceful and inappropriate. Ikaru tried to think of a good way to get rid of him. However, there was no real cause to shoo him, he had yet to do anything that would suggest evil intentions. Ikaru still could not shake his suspicions, but he could not say why. He could hear them speaking behind him, but he ignored what they said in his irritation. He did not understand his annoyance, but he did not much care at that time either. Ikaru came to the door of the Library, but instead of entering, he abruptly turned with a slight scowl. “Hush, this is a library, you know?”

He whirled and opened the door, taking a few steps inside. His eyes adjusted to the dim interior, and he pushed his glasses up his nose with a finger, taking in the rather dusty building. All of the aisles were cramped and small, with hundreds of books filling the shelves and piled here and there. After a moment, Ikaru heard a small, high-pitched sneeze followed by a solid thud. A groan came from one of the rows, and a head popped up, not even tall enough for him to see the person’s face.

“Hello?” he called out. “We are looking for someone called Sal. Can you help us?” He suddenly looked at Jenks, a look of annoyance crossing his features when he realized the man would be included in that ‘we.’ The person hidden behind the shelves suddenly moved to the end of the row and peeked out. It was a young woman with short, dark brown hair that was cut short in a straight line around her face and ears with a long ponytail in the back. Her wide, dark eyes regarded them for a moment before she fully revealed herself, hesitantly walking over to Ikaru. She was barely tall as his shoulder, and her paleness suggested she had not been outside much.

“Uh.... Well, I am she,” she said with an awkward chuckle. Her voice was hesitant, but she met his eyes with confidence, rubbing the back of her head where she had bumped into the shelf. “How
 can I help you?” she continued, pausing as she took Akari and Jenk in as well.

“I was told you had information on this Lenmer,” Ikaru said, adjusting his glasses once more as he looked down into her wide eyes.

Before he could say anymore, she exclaimed, “Oh, yes!” She scurried off through the stacks, all hesitancy in her voice gone. “We have plenty on local youkai, monsters, demons, even spirits. Lenmers are quite the popular topic recently. Now where is that, I know I have it here somewhere. There! This will be good too, and, oh there it is. What about..? Oh, I suppose that will do as well!” Ikaru watched with an amused smirk as he followed the bobbing head with his eyes, and listened to the chatter.

Suddenly, she popped back out in front of him, straining with a giant stack of books almost half as tall as she was. She immediately stopped her chatter when she came back into view, racing over to a table Ikaru had not noticed before and setting the books down with a solid plop before he could offer assistance. Her hesitant attitude immediately returned as she haltingly said, “Well
. There you are. Feel free to, uh
 ask for help or, um, move books from the chairs
 if you need to, of course.”

She opened her mouth as if to say more, but instead suddenly closed it, snatching a heap of books from a chair and depositing it unceremoniously on the floor before hurrying off again. Ikaru watched her leave with a bemused look on his face, quite intrigued by the librarian’s quirks. He turned his attention to the stack of books they had to go through with a sigh, emptying one of the other chairs and picking a book off the top to begin perusing.


Akari

Akari and Jenk chatted quite a bit on their way to the library, making sure to look up constantly to watch where Ikaru was going. As they neared the building, Ikaru whirled on them, telling them both to silence themselves. Akari grinned sheepishly, following after him into the building. She immediately took in the sites, there was so much logic in one, cramped little building! Soon, they made their encounter with the librarian, Sal, who turned out to be female, and timid at that. She was definitely willing to help them out though, and she practically zoomed off once they mentioned the Lenmer.

It was as if Sal had turned into a whole new person entirely at the mention of books, and quickly returned with a tower of them. Akari looked up at her with surprise. It was a wonder she could hold them. Jenk made a move to assist her with them, but she quickly chatted him off. Akari flashed him a wry grin, and he simply rolled his eyes with a little smile. She took the chair on the opposite side of where Ikaru was sitting, and Jenk sort of wandered just a bit down one of the rows for a moment. Akari leaned forward and picked up the second book, flipping it open, and leafing through it for a bit. Jenk chuckled softly, returning to the table to watch her with interest.

Suddenly, he was leaning right over her smaller form, his hand resting on the table and the mass of his body close to the back of her chair as he turned large chunks of pages towards the back of the book, revealing a list of the monsters within it. Akari tilted her head slightly to the side, a small smile beginning to work its way onto her lips. She wasn’t opposed at all to how close he was, and actually found it comfortable and somewhat safe, not to mention... enjoyable in a strange little way. “How’d you know about that?” She inclined her head up fractionally. “I have been in here a few times, and picked out a couple of these books. Psh, don’t give me that look, yes I read!” He tsked, before leaning away from her with a laugh. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

“Well, as much as I really hate to admit it, I really do have to get going. Winter waits for no one, as they say. I’ve got things to trade, and items awaitin’. I’ll sorely miss that face of yours though.” He winked at her before getting up and walking past Ikaru. He leaned over just slightly towards the guy’s form, “Fortunate.” That was all he said to him, and he soon took a few more steps, quickly whirling around and giving them a bow, “Faretheewell, may our paths cross again!” Akari had by then turned back in her book to the pages on the Lenmer and missed their exchange, but suddenly looked up at the display of his bow, and grinned, rolling her eyes. “Bye, Jenk.” She offered, and watched him go. Once he was out of sight, she turned back to her book.



Ikaru

Ikaru noticed Jenk wander off among the rows, and hoped he would keep wandering and leave them be. ‘Good riddance, he thought, smirking as he read. However, his hopes were in vain, as the man came back. Ikaru glanced up as he heard some rustling, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw. Jenk was leaning over Akari, his arms around her as he leafed through the book before her. He expected Akari to seem uncomfortable with this near-stranger’s close proximity. Instead, she seemed rather pleased at his closeness.

Ikaru reddened slightly, unnoticeable in the dim library. He adjusted his glasses awkwardly, turning his attention back down to the page without seeing any of the information contained there. He could not sort the feelings whirling inside him. All he could feel was a general sinking feeling in his stomach, almost like dread. He scolded himself for being foolish. Akari could do what she wanted. It was not as if they had ever wanted to be betrothed, so there was nothing for him to lose.

Finally, Jenk said he was going to leave. Ikaru gave a sigh, looking up and pushing his glasses back up his face, regarding the man coolly. All redness had left his face, and he kept his face emotionless and blank as the man flirted more with Akari. Jenk came closer, leaning over as if to impart a secret, and Ikaru inwardly braced himself. This man really seemed to have no real boundaries, and he totally disregarded the cool, unwelcoming look on Ikaru’s face.

“Fortunate.” Ikaru’s eyes widened in surprise. Though he had braced himself, he had not expected that. What did the man even mean? Fortunate
to be betrothed to Akari? Ikaru just barely kept himself from blushing again. However, anger suddenly returned. If this Jenks acknowledged that Akari was betrothed to Ikaru, why did he still flirt with her? He truly had no boundaries. Ikaru shook his head and returned his attention to the book. He gave a halfhearted wave as Jenk bowed and turned to leave, quickly focusing again on the page. He could not work up the nerve to look at Akari yet, so he submersed himself in the information.


Akari

Akari let a silent little sigh pass her lips, it was
 unusual to have someone interested in her, and give her compliments. It was pleasant, of course, but she was still unused to it. She definitely hoped that they’d run into him again, he seemed similar to her, though he definitely had a better grasp on everything around him. She blinked a few times, realizing she had been looking over the words without reading them. She scolded herself lightly before grinning softly and starting back at the beginning.

The Lenmer is a large monster, equipped with a big nose, massive ears, and fangs. It is fairly rotund, and gains its large stature from eating constantly. It is often found around farms, and causes the most problems during harvest and storage seasons, as it destroys crops, eats everything, and is rather vicious, despite its appearance. It has good scent during colder times, though when it snows, it does have trouble. Its large ears are used for picking up danger, as well as used in its mating ritual. It has powerful hind legs, which is uses to propel itself forward when in a tight spot. All limbs are equipped with claws or some sort of defensive attribute. When in a fight, it acts much like a bear would, standing on two legs and making itself appear larger, though predominantly it walks on four. The Lenmer has a large belly, equipped with very thick skin, and is like an internal sort of pouch. The yellow markings along its chest are almost solely found on the males, and they flash the colors when fighting and mating.

Akari blinked, ’Well, that’s all well and good, but how do we kill it?’ She rested her cheek and chin on her palm, flipping through a few more pages but not finding what she sought. She soon leaned forward once more, grabbing the next book and setting the one she had already gone through aside.



Ikaru

The book Ikaru read detailed some of the histories of encounters with various monsters and demons who lived in the forests. It was in an old dialect, but Ikaru had little trouble deciphering it. He skimmed through a few accounts, not finding anything about the Lenmer at first. Finally, he found a short account. It read much like a journal entry, written in the common language, and Ikaru read with interest.

“Malian came to town, seeking the advice of the council. He is not the first to have done so, nor would he be the last if we did not address the issue. It seems one of the bakemono that so plague the north has taken up residence in our town. It is said to be as taller than a full-grown ox at the shoulder, nearly two man-heights when it rears on its back legs. The thick, armor like skin protecting its belly defies any weapon, blunt or edged, with long, sharp talons to protect everything else. This beast is a docile, voracious plant-eater unless attacked. Even when approaching from downwind, the creature, commonly known as a Round Bear, or Lenmer in the old tongue, can scent a human from far away. We sent Yolmark, but he came back empty handed but for another report of a field ruined, all the crops eaten or destroyed. The council devised a plan to catch the Round Bear, using a diversion, and the crops were saved for the time being. However, these are not safe times, and another bakemono appearance is not far away.”

Ikaru sighed, looking up and taking a moment to process the little information the entry gave him. It was not much; perhaps another book would have more. Or perhaps Akari had found something
. He glanced at her, but decided to look at another book before asking. He pulled one off the top and began searching for information.


Akari

Akari looked up as Ikaru picked up another book, watching him for a few moments before speaking, “Find anything good? I’ve only gotten about its size and habits.” She flipped through a few more pages in her current book, scanning over them for different information about the Lenmer. A few pictures were offered of different sketches and such, but other than that, she couldn’t find anything. She looked back up at Ikaru, crossing one leg over the other in her chair.



Ikaru

Ikaru was about to give up on the dusty manuscript detailing migration habits of the Lenmer, among other things. It had an illustration of the beast, showing it reared up on two legs, its large ears erect and its right paw extended. Long, curved claws extended outward, and its mouth opened wide in a soundless snarl.

Despite its size, it was not the worst monster he had seen, and, if he was able to get a weapon, it should not be difficult to kill the creature, despite its defensive capabilities. The only thing to consider would be its sense of smell. He wondered if it was very intelligent. So far, it did not seem that was so. Perhaps, with the right diversion, as said in the entry, he could dispose of the Lenmer.

Suddenly, Akari spoke, and Ikaru looked up at her after a moment, closing the book he was holding. “I found a journal entry of some sort. Said they used some sort of diversion to kill their pest, but it is frustratingly unspecific. "Have you found anything of use in its habits?” he spoke calmly, as if they were talking about a mouse instead of a twelve-foot tall bear-creature. He picked up the next book, opening it, but still focusing his attention on Akari.


Akari

“Hangs around farms, usually on four legs, eats a lot, that’s pretty much it. Also that it likes to use its hind legs when cornered.” She added as an afterthought, looking up and meeting his gaze lightly. “And a bunch of stuff about its mating rituals
.” She chuckled uneasily, tapping her fingers along the top of the table.

“I get the feeling we aren’t gonna be getting much else out of these books. So let’s go tell Sal we’re finished with them, and then ask her where we should be headed next to get prepped for killing the thing.” She nodded, standing up and taking a good amount of books with her as she walked back up to the front where Sal was seated, working on something.



Ikaru

Ikaru listened as Akari stated things he had already found out. Leafing through the pages, he noted this one seemed to have the same general facts in different words. It seemed they had gotten what they came for already. She mentioned mating rituals, laughing somewhat nervously, and Ikaru cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses and setting the book on the table. Akari echoed his thoughts that they would get nothing else here. It seemed that they would need to figure the rest out for themselves. He stood as well, gathering the rest of the books and following Akari over to where Sal sat.

The librarian looked up at them curiously as she heard them approach. “I can take those
 just set them down, I guess. Ah, anything else you need? Uh
 I have a couple encyclopedias, I think,” she said, smoothing her hair and standing, accidentally dropping the book she had been repairing from her lap. She let out a short “oh!” as she stooped to retrieve the battered tome from the ground.

“No, I think that is all. By the way, where could I borrow a weapon? Our trip here was somewhat
 involuntary, so we have nothing with us,” Ikaru said distractedly. He set the books down near her, wiping a bit of dust from his hands.

The woman hesitated a moment, thinking someone who could help them. “Well
 I suppose you could try Rem. He is the um, blacksmith for the village. It is possible he could give you
 something at least. His shop is at the north end of town, I think,” she said, nodding and looking back up at them.

Ikaru inclined his head with a short “Thank you,” before turning to leave, making sure Akari was following. He opened the door, and was surprised at how far into the morning it already was. They would need to hurry if they were going to kill this pest today.


Akari

Akari stood steadily beside Ikaru as he conversed with Sal, who told them they should head over to Rem’s blacksmith shop. Soon, the two left the library and set out on the dirt paths towards the northern end of town. It was a fairly quiet journey there, Akari more focused on where she was going, and the slimmest possibility of also thinking about Jenk, rather than talking.

She suddenly looked up as the building they sought came into view. Taking a moment to look up at the sun’s position in the sky, Akari quickened her pace, soon stopping a few feet from the door. Warmth radiated from the place, and the grass surrounding the place was fresh and green, and damp. She smiled, and then walked in, quickly locating Rem. She knocked on the wall to let him know that they were there, and grinned at him as he turned around, a black apron tied around his neck, and sweat dripping from his forehead. “Why hello there! Need a weapon? Then you’ve come to the right place!”

Akari liked this guy, he seemed peppy. “So, what are you two looking for, a sword, battleaxe, hammer?” She laughed lightly at his questions, “Uh, we’re the ones that are supposed to be hunting down the Lenmer, so if we could simply borrow-“ She began, but was soon cut off. “Say no more! Take a look around, find your balance, and then let me know when you’ve found your choice.”



Ikaru

The walk was relaxing, and the morning sun made the morning warm, though the wind still brought a definite reminder that winter was soon. Ikaru began debating how he would bring the Lenmer down with the information he had. Getting a weapon would help quite a bit, but he would still need some sort of distraction.

The books he had read all said that the Lenmer ate everything in sight, usually devastating harvests and ransacking people’s stores for the winter with an insatiable appetite. Perhaps a food source could act as both a lure and a distraction. However, it would likely have to be a massive amount of food to last for any amount of time with that large of a creature. At this point, that idea was not very practical. Perhaps one of the men of the village would be willing to help, but who to ask? He turned his glance to Akari. It was possible she would be better suited for the task of finding a man to help. She seemed to have no trouble talking to these people, and a man might be more inclined to do a woman a favor than him.

They soon arrived at the blacksmiths, as evidenced by the great heat coming from the open shack. A man wearing a black apron and a generous amount of sweat quickly greeted them, immediately offering help when Akari requested to borrow a weapon. “That is very kind of you,” Ikaru said, acting as if he had expected this immediate acceptance.He looked at the various weapons lining the wall, his eye quickly resting on a double-edged long sword. It seemed to be the better out of the swords there, and Ikaru began examining it closely. He turned to the blacksmith and asked, “May I?” He indicated the sword, obviously wanting to test out its balance.


Akari

At Ikaru’s question, Rem simply looked at him with a hearty chuckle, “I said you could, boy.” He nodded, then returned to working. Akari wandered around the small shop as well, looking at all of the different kinds of weapons with wonder. She almost bumped into Ikaru, but quickly corrected her path, shifting around him to the other side.

After she was done ogling at all of the blades and blunts, Akari turned to the more pressing matter, making a distraction for the Lenmer. She had pretty much already decided she’d do it. She had the agility, and was quick when it came to making decisions. The only problem with the idea would be Ikaru, who simply demanded she do nothing fun or important, just because he found it improper. She sort of figured he had already learned she was pretty much never cared.



Ikaru

Ikaru gave Rem a slightly annoyed look. ‘I thought they preferred it when I was polite,’ Ikaru thought. He quickly shrugged it off and picked the weapon off the wall, moving slightly when Akari almost bumped him in her apparent fascination with all the various weapons. Ikaru smiled at her, the smile fading almost as soon as it alighted on his features.

He slid the blade from its sheath, hefting it and feeling its reassuring weight in his hand. It was not a fancy blade, but it was sturdy and seemed serviceable. He gave a firm nod and slid it back in the sheath. This would work for now. “This will do. My thanks,” he said. After a moment’s thought, he continued, “Do you know where the Lenmer was last spotted?”


Akari

Rem looked up as Ikaru announced his decision, and nodded at his choice. “Very well, and a blade for the lady?” He turned to Akari, and she grinned lightly shaking her head. “Nope, I’m planning on playing a different role.” His face lit up as a rich laugh rumbled through him, “Ah, bait are we? Better be quick on your wits, the beast may look dumb, but when threatened, every animal reverts to a sort of primordial state.” She listened to him seriously, and nodded afterwards.

“Do you know where the Lenmer was last spotted?” Rem looked up, wiping his hands off with a blackened rag, and nodded. “West from here, one of the nearby farms. You’ll have to walk for a bit, though. Once you get there, I’d suggest asking where they saw the beast lumber off to, and checking out the damage might help as well. Well, off you two go, I have work to do.” He nodded with a little grin, and returned to his work.

Akari complied to his wishes and left the building, shoving a hand in her pocket as she moved off towards the direction he had indicated.



Ikaru

They were shooed so Rem could finish his work, and Ikaru gave a short nod before going back out. At least he now had a weapon. It was easier than he had expected, especially with how many people seemed to act unhelpful in this town. He caught up to Akari, matching his pace to hers.

He had overheard her talk with the blacksmith, but he had not thought it appropriate to bring it up in front of Rem, especially since he seemed to approve of the idea. “Akari, I don’t think it would be wise for you to act as a diversion. In fact, I would rather you stay at the farm. This will be dangerous, even as the blacksmith
 as Rem said,” he said, trying somewhat unsuccessfully not to sound demanding. He did not look at her, instead watching the dirt road ahead.


Akari

Akari frowned lightly when Ikaru challenged her idea. “I’m perfectly capable of doing the job myself, thank you. I don’t want anyone else having to risk their lives to get rid of this thing. Besides, we’ve been stuck together this long, I’m not just gonna let you wander off now.” She glared at him ever so slightly, even though his back was turned to her, and crossed her arms as they continued walking.

Eventually she dropped them, and a couple minutes later, they entered the scene of devastation. Fences were completely obliterated, the otherwise neat fields were absolutely torn up, shrapnel of every sort was lying about, and most everything was trampled. The farm house itself, however, was untouched. There was a lone farmer in his late 40s working at the soil once more, a worn look to his face as they approached him. “Can you tell us what happened?”



Ikaru

As expected, Akari stubbornly refused to stay away. He tried to be reasonable, but apparently, that would not work now. He adjusted his glasses with a sigh, still firmly holding the sword in his left hand. Who knew what they would find at the farm. It probably would not be pretty. Perhaps that would be enough to keep Akari from coming along. He looked at her for a moment before quickly shaking his head. He would be surprised if anything stopped her at this point.

They soon reached the farm, and Ikaru’s eyes widened for a moment. He pushed his glasses up his nose, examining the extent of the damage. It looked like a cyclone had gone through, uprooting everything in the fields and leaving it carelessly scattered all over. Everything edible was gone, and it was obvious a large creature had destroyed everything else in the fields. It had to be their Lenmer.

An older man, about as old as Ikaru’s father, was hoeing one of the ruined fields again. He looked devastated as his fields. His brown hair was streaked with grey at the temples, and his skin was tanned and leathery from laboring in the sun. As they approached, Akari asked, “ Can you tell us what happened?” It was an obvious question, and Ikaru smirked at her before adding, “Was anyone hurt?”

The farmer looked up slowly, unsurprised by their presence. His voice was rough, but there was a confidence in the way he held himself, a sort of pride in his work, though it was gone now. “Lenmer. ‘Twas a hungry one too. A farmer’s worst nightmare. No major injuries at least. Thank you for askin’,” he said, leaning on his hoe and looking at them expectantly.

“Which way did it go? Did you see?” Ikaru asked, scanning the horizon for a moment.

“You aiming to kill it? Hope you’re up to the task,” he said, examining them closely. “Biggest one I’ve ever seen. He et what he wanted and meandered back into the woods,” he finished, pointing to the west. A thick wooded valley stretched for miles in either direction. The man looked at them expectantly, obviously wanting to get back to work. Ikaru quickly thanked him and walked on, hoping Akari would show some hesitancy in following so he could ask the farmer to let her stay there.


Akari

The farmer offered up a simple explanation as to the Lenmer, even telling them which way it disappeared off to. Akari hesitated for a few moments before stooping down and picking up a few good sized rocks. Ikaru would need to have someone distract it, so he could take it from the back rather than aimlessly attack at its stomach while trying to fend it off. She steeled herself, and quickly followed after him into the forest, waving at the farmer as they departed.

“Hopefully it didn’t make too much progress.” She spoke out in the otherwise quiet surroundings, hers eyes constantly scanning the area. After awhile, they began to approach a small clearing, and the devil himself was there, snuffling along the ground and snapping at small ferns and bushes and such. Akari had already circled away from Ikaru, coming towards its front.

She leaned down and scooped up a bit of mud from the shaded ground, and the beast suddenly reared, its ears erect and its nose working madly at the air. It let out a loud snarl, turning towards the direction Akari was crouched. Without a second to waste, she suddenly popped up from the underbrush, flinging the mud right at its face. Fortunately, the stuff attached itself to the beast’s nose, where Akari was aiming, successfully dispatching its sense of smell.

Unfortunately, the beast reared once more, letting out a vicious roar and lumbering towards her. To egg it on, she threw one of the stones at it, and then bolted, keeping to a straight path as much as she could.



Ikaru

Ikaru immediately heard Akari’s step behind him and he grimaced. She truly was determined to be the distraction. As much as he hated it, he needed her. She was right that they should not put the villagers in danger, but he did not want her in danger either. ‘If only Jenk were still here. I would not mind him in danger,’ he thought with a smirk. He glanced at Akari, reddening slightly as he thought about Jenk’s word to him. “Fortunate.” No, he was glad Jenk was not still here complicating things.

He knew that nothing he said could change Akari’s mind about coming along, so he did not try. The only thing he could do was to make sure no harm came to her, and try to kill the beast quickly. He would not, and could not fail in this. If it came to it, he would let the beast go and try later, alone. He quickly attached the sword sheath to his belt on his left thigh, checking to make sure he could easily draw the weapon.

They had barely entered the forest when they spotted the Lenmer in a small clearing. It was, of course, eating everything in sight. Before Ikaru could say anything, Akari had already begun circling around to get in front of the beast. Ikaru scowled, but decided to trust her and got into position himself. Ruining the plan would only hurt them at this point. Suddenly, it spotted her, shooting up on its hind legs. Ikaru silently drew his sword, approaching stealthily and slowly. It felt odd to be hunting from the ground rather than from horseback, but it was also somewhat thrilling. However, the thought that Akari could get hurt if he made a mistake kept him levelheaded.

Akari suddenly popped up, hurling a glob of mud at the Lenmer’s face. It hit the beast squarely on the nose, and Ikaru smirked. Nevertheless, this meant Akari now had its full attention. It reared and began charging, and Akari threw another rock before dashing away. Ikaru was surprised at the Lenmer’s speed. It was quite fast for its monstrous size, and Ikaru was forced to charge after it as quietly as he could.
Its large ears twitched toward him a couple times, but the monster was far too focused on the fleeing girl to take notice of its own pursuer. Ikaru came within a few feet of the beast, and began sprinting, drawing his sword back to attack.

He slashed at its haunches just as it began spinning to meet him. He dealt a large blow, but it was not quite enough to stop the Lenmer completely. It reared and Ikaru jumped back, barely dodging a swipe to his head. The creature took a step toward him, but suddenly fell to all fours as its injured leg wobbled, unable to take its massive weight. Enraged, it lunged and swiped again at Ikaru. He dodged again, using the sword to parry the massive claws, but the beast fiercely backhanded his chest before he could jump back, sending him flying into a tree with an impressive force.

He sat dazed for a moment, his sword still limply grasped in his hands. His glasses had slid down his nose, and after a couple seconds, he shakily reached up to push them back up. He looked up to see the Lenmer charging him.


Akari

As the creature shifted its path back around as Ikaru made his attack, Akari turned back around to watch him, her muscles tensed and ready to assist if she needed to. Ikaru was suddenly hit, being shot backwards into a tree, and man, did he make a large thump. Akari was sprinting back towards the Lenmer, as Ikaru didn’t seem to be getting back up. ’Baka! I should’ve grabbed a sword anyway. Ugh, I didn’t think this through all the way. I forgot it’d turn on Ikaru as well. Ah well, I have to make do with what I’ve got.’ “HEY, OVER HERE YOU OVERSIZED RABBIT!!!” She yelled, gaining its attention and throwing another stone at its head, hitting it on the cheek and enraging it further.

It tried to charge at her once more, but the blow Ikaru had done made it wobble, and it couldn’t put much weight on its damaged leg. It let out another roar, and once more, Akari threw a rock at it, making sure it didn’t lose interest in her. Despite its leg injury, it practically dragged itself forward after her.



Ikaru

Akari's yell immediately caught Ikaru's attention like a bucket of water dumped on his head. His grip on the handle of his sword tightened and he attempted to move. He felt a pain in his ribs, but it was not agonizing so far. He groaned, using his sword as a support as he pulled himself up. The Lenmer was after Akari again, and he had to stop it quickly. He stumbled onto his feet and into a shambling jog, still somewhat off balance. His steps grew steadier, and he lifted his sword once more as he drew closer.

The creature was slowed by its injury, but not much. Blood leaked from its wound, soaking the ground with every step as it chased Akari. Ikaru increased his pace, quickly gaining back his breath. The beast was growling fiercely, intent on its target once again. It lifted its massive arm to swing at Akari, but in that moment, Ikaru caught up, coming alongside the creature. He jabbed his sword up through the creature's ribs, and it squealed in pain, dropping its arm.

Suddenly, the Lenmer reared again, wrenching the blade from Ikaru's grasp. He stumbled back, falling in his hurry, as the large creature bellowed, causing birds to scatter from the trees around them. Blood flowed freely from its wounds, and it soon collapsed onto the forest floor. Ikaru watched for a moment as the Lenmer's breathing slowed, then stopped altogether. He adjusted his glasses, slowly getting up again. He brushed the leaves from the front of his clothing and slowly approached the giant form. He examined the handle of his weapon that was still protruding from the Lenmer's side. At that angle, it must have hit its heart. It did not suffer long, at least.

He slowly, carefully pulled his blade from the carcass, making sure the creature was truly dead. Finally, after some finagling, the blade was completely out, and covered in a sticky, blue black blood. He carefully cleaned the blade, wiping it first on the Lenmer's fur, and then getting the rest off by rubbing it with a couple handfuls of grass. With the blade now clean, Ikaru sheathed it and turned to look at Akari. He smirked and spoke in a playful tone, “Bureiba baka. Shinkashi arigato gozaimasu.” Brave Fool. But thank you.


Akari

Akari watched as Ikaru finally ended the beast’s life, a strange color of blood pooling around the beast, running down from the slash in his side. She let out a sigh of relief, almost putting a hand to her face before she remembered the mud she had picked up earlier, and quickly voted against it. She walked back over to Ikaru as he was cleaning his blade, and her eyes suddenly widened as he spoke to her.

“Bureiba baka. Shinkashi arigato gozaimasu.” She rolled her eyes sticking her tongue out at him. “Whatever, let’s just get back before we’re stuck out in the forest at night. Again.” She grinned, suddenly darting away back the way they came from, with a playful, “Race you!” As she disappeared.

As Akari ran past the farmer, she shot him a grin and waved with a quick, “done!” as she passed him as well. She hadn’t been able to run for so long for no reason, it felt really great, although, she wasn’t pleased at having to run with shoes on, but she wasn’t complaining.

She looked back to see how Ikaru was fairing, if he even took up her challenge at all.



Ikaru

Ikaru sighed and rolled his eyes when Akari stuck out her tongue at him again. She always acted like a child. Her lack of maturity always surprised him, especially when they had just killed a monster. At least they had come out alive and uninjured.

Suddenly, Akari got a strange grin on her face. “Race you!” she called out, suddenly turning and fleeing back toward the farm. Ikaru sighed again at her foolishness, but he found himself wanting to beat her there. It was just to keep her from whining about it later, of course. He gripped the handle of his sword to keep it from tangling in his long limbs and started after her. He felt a slight pain in his ribs but ignored it for the moment. It was probably just a bruise.

His long stride ate up the ground they had cautiously crossed not too long ago in a quarter of the time it took them earlier. He was catching up to Akari just as they reached the farm, and was on her heels as she shouted to the farmer that they were finished killing the Lenmer. Suddenly, a sharp pain started in his side, making him gasp and slow to a stop, holding his ribs.

It was only a moment before he was able to stand again, but the adrenaline from the fight had officially worn off, and he was now feeling the full effects of the Lenmer’s blow. He panted for a moment, one hand on his knees and the other supporting his sore ribs. He still did not think they were broken, but they were definitely bruised worse than he had previously thought. Running was probably a bad idea for now. Why had he even wanted to run in the first place?

The old farmer had seen him stop and quickly came over. “You alright?” he said, examining Ikaru for a moment.

Ikaru nodded, slowing his breath. “I will be fine,” he said abruptly. He made a sudden realization as he scanned the decimated farm. This man had lost all he had for the winter. It would be difficult for him, but if they could.
 “We left the Lenmer in the forest. You are welcome to it, if you would like,” he said, still breathing somewhat heavily.

“Are ya sure, son? That critter is worth a lot,” the farmer said doubtfully, obviously not wanting to take advantage of him, or to accept charity.

Ikaru, being stubborn and prideful himself, immediately understood. He smiled slightly, and reassured the man. “We have no way of transporting it, and it would be difficult to sell the meat and hide in a short time. In any case, you seem to be the one who suffered the most damage from the creature’s rampage,” he reasoned, gesturing to the debris lying around the fields. The man hesitated again, and Ikaru assured him, “If it would be easier for you, I will come back and help you skin it and sell it, and we can split the profit. That way we both benefit.”

Ikaru stuck his hand out to the man, and the farmer gave a genuine smile. “Deal.” Suddenly, a woman popped out of the house and shouted, “Gered, it’s time for dinner.” She waved when she saw Ikaru, and he gave a small nod, saying, “If you will excuse me,” before slowly heading back down the road after Akari. He held his ribs tightly, but successfully managed to keep the pain from showing on his face. As soon As he got closer, he dropped his hand. He did not want her fussing about it. Not that she would, she might not even care, but he did not want to seem like he was complaining either.


Akari

It took Ikaru awhile to catch up with her, and she had even paused for him to do so. The sun was beginning to grow low on the horizon, and she flashed him a half smile, leaning against a lamp post. “Ah, there’s our conquering hero!” She exclaimed, gushing at him with a small laugh afterwards, rolling her eyes.

Dropping the race, as it seemed pointless with Ikaru’s long pause to catch up with her, she walked alongside him as they returned into the boundaries of the town. Light fled through many houses, as the evening fire was being lit in preparation for dinner, and Akari looked up, remembering she’d have to be working for Ulna soon, to gain a little extra cash and pay for their keep.

She put a finger to her chin before letting out a long, loud sigh, stretching a bit as well. “Wonder where we can find a bathhouse. Wouldn’t mind bathing after a few weeks without it, plus my muscles are sore from running without practice in so long.” She spoke as more of a side note, her eyes scanning the grounds. “Oh yeah, we should probably head off towards the mayor and inform him the deed is done.”

Akari began to alter her course, heading off in the direction of the mayor’s building. After a few minutes, they were knocking on the door to the mayor’s house, the serving girl returning and offering the same explanation, disappearing to inform the mayor of their appearance and then reappeared once more, welcoming them inside and asking them to take their shoes off.

“Ah, good thing the mud is dried a bit.” She said simply, before following the girl into the mayor’s office, and she stood there. “We’ve dispatched of the Lenmer, so the job is done. Uh, since you being the mayor and all
” She began, tapped her index fingers together a little sheepishly, “Do you know where we can find a bathhouse or something?”



Ikaru

Ikaru followed Akari distractedly, concentrating on concealing his injury. The idea of a bath was nice, but he did agree they would need to report to the mayor first, or they may not even be allowed the use of a bathhouse. He followed Akari to the mayor’s house and they were again greeted by the young servant who ran off to tell the mayor of their arrival.

Ikaru looked out on the street that was still illuminated by the evening sun. It would be setting soon, so Ikaru would rather get this done and perhaps get a bath quickly before the night got especially cold. Finally, the young girl returned, asking them again to take off their shoes and follow. The mayor was waiting expectantly as they entered, and Akari briefly informed him that they had killed the Lenmer. A look of slight surprise and respect crossed the mayor’s features, and Ikaru smirked inwardly. Akari then asked after a bathhouse, and the mayor nodded slowly.

“So, you dispatched of the Lenmer, have you? Several have failed before you, or left without trying. I must say, I am impressed,” he said, sounding intrigued. He looked at the mud and small spots of black blood on them. “Oh! A bathhouse, of course. It is ways south of the inn near the edge of the town. You may tell them you have my permission to bathe there, of course. However, before you receive payment for your service, I will need solid proof you truly have killed the Lenmer.”

Ikaru spoke then, “Yes, the farmer, Gered, can confirm. I will be working with him to butcher and sell it.”

The mayor nodded and replied, “If you bring me the pelt, I will count that as proof and pay you for it, as well as for your service. I suppose you have made arrangements with Ulna? If not, I give permission for one more night, but you will have to pay after that. That is all.” He shooed them once again, and the young servant escorted them out.

Ikaru slipped on his muddy shoes, and took a deep breath without thinking. He winced slightly, but covered it by adjusting his glasses. Once outside again, he turned to Akari with a short, “Shall we?” He proceeded toward the bathhouse, following the mayor’s directions.


Akari

Akari wasn’t particularly interested in the look the mayor gave them when they mentioned that they had killed the Lenmer, she was more interested in getting out and sinking into hot water. She looked longingly towards the door for a split second before returning her attention. ”Several have failed before you, or left without trying. I must say, I am impressed,” She simply looked at him, and shrugged. “Weak.” That was all she said, and she waited expectantly for his answer. ”It is ways south of the inn near the edge of the town. You may tell them you have my permission to bathe there, of course.” Akari smiled in relief, her shoulders sagging ever so slightly. She hadn’t even realized how tense they had been.

”However, before you receive payment for your service, I will need solid proof you truly have killed the Lenmer.” She dropped her head before nodding quickly. “Of course.” Ikaru then explained that he would be helping the man to skin it and such. ”So that’s why he took so long.” She shot him a sideways glance from the corner of her eye before blinking. The mayor then explained that they would have another free night, and then shooed them away.

Akari stood from her chair, bowing ever so slightly before turning on her heel and exiting the room and then the building. The evening air was beginning to turn cool, and Akari grinned lightly, though she suddenly turned to Ikaru as he seemed to shift and then fix his glasses. A wry smirk flickered onto her face, and she was suddenly in his face for a second, the next with his glasses, and the last darting away with them in hand and letting out a laugh.

”I wonder how well he does without them.” She mused inwardly, racing down towards the bathhouses. As soon as she reached the door, she slipped in with a quick explanation and a ‘go ahead’ by the lady at the desk, and waited by the doors to the female’s side. As soon as Ikaru burst through the doors, she stuck her tongue out at him and flashed him a wink before disappearing behind the safety of the wood.

Steam rose from the large pool in the center, and Akari immediately threw off her shoes. The stone was warm and soft, and she let out a happy sigh. Setting down Ikaru’s glasses, she quickly began to undress and make her way to the water. She dipped a foot in before slipping through the surface of the water, a content murr of approval rushing past her lips as she groaned happily with a small stretch. The water definitely felt amazing, and she reveled in the relaxing feeling for a few moments before starting on the task of washing herself.



Ikaru

Suddenly, Akari snatched the glasses from Ikaru’s face. He looked on in irritation, the world around him blurry. A look of irritation crossed his features. He crossed his arms, shouting out to Akari’s retreating form, “Bring those back! There is a reason I wear them, and it is not so silly girls can steal them!” She ignored him, and he heard the chuckle of a few women nearby. “Well, go get her,” one called out helpfully, to the laughter of her friends. He glared at them for a moment, but his squinting face was not exactly intimidating.

Ikaru whirled and stomped down the street in the direction Akari went, tripping slightly over unseen dips and ruts in the rough dirt road. The sun would soon set entirely, and he would really need his glasses in the reduced lighting. Finally, he arrived at what had to be the bathhouse, though he could not read the sign without his glasses. He entered, seeing Akari again. He held out his hand, but she seemed to stick her tongue out at him before she whirled away, still clutching the glasses.

He sighed, and the woman motioned him toward the right door with a smile. He soon undressed and entered the men’s bath, thoroughly relaxing. At least he would have needed to take off his glasses anyway. He cleaned himself, then took a short time to relax in the warm water. He used a damp washcloth from beside the bath to rub the major dirt and stains from his clothing as best as he could, and waited for it to dry in the warm, steamy room.

Soon, he dressed again and went back to the entrance to wait for Akari, thanking the woman, but not trying to converse beyond that. It had been a long day. When Akari finally emerged, Ikaru stood, blocking the way out, and said in an impatient voice, "I believe you have my glasses." He held out his hand to her, fully expecting her to hand them over.


Akari

With a stretch, Akari reluctantly left the warmth of the water to retrieve her clothes from the stone tiles. She donned them quickly, almost sad that she had to wrap herself up in the cloth once more. With a gentle duck, she picked up Ikaru’s glasses from their place, and put them on herself. She grinned opening up the doors and walking out, running her fingers through her slightly damp hair, and inhaling deeply. It was wonderful to smell nice again.

"I believe you have my glasses." Akari flashed Ikaru a cheeky grin, leaning forward and tapping her cheek innocently. “What glasses?” She giggled smoothly, the ends of her hair had curled from the steam in the room, and they tapped gently against her chest. An innocent yet wry look came upon her features, and she made no move to remove the glasses herself. He’d have to deliberately grab them from her face. She simply grinned, rolling her eyes ever so slightly before walking past the desk and saying thank you to the lady there.

Afterwards, Akari opened the front doors and stepped outside. The cold chill immediately buffeted her form, and she shivered. She wrapped her coat around her a bit tighter before quickly walking off towards the inn. Once they entered, Akari threw a greeting towards Ulna. “Mayor says we’ll have another night on him.” Ulna simply frowned but nodded nonetheless, “Dinner’s ready.” She spoke in a gruff tone, and Akari thanked her lightly before taking a seat at the bench.

As she ate, she used the time to reflect on what had happened earlier that day when they had to go after the Lenmer, and then realized Ikaru had been acting just a bit strange the whole day. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye before quickly finishing. She stretched, walking upstairs and opening the door to their room. It definitely looked different than how they had left it. The bed was made, and the sheets that had been on the floor were now neatly stacked on the edge of the bed. She grinned, “Lucky us, seems we came here right before cleaning day.” She spoke more to herself, relishing the thought of a clean body and clean sheets.

Quickly striding over to the side room, she changed into the under linens once more before reappearing and sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.



Ikaru

As if intending to irritate Ikaru, Akari made no move to remove the glasses herself. Ikaru scowled, but he had no energy to wait her out or argue with her, as she seemed to want to do. Soon, Ikaru gave a huff and reached out to take back his glasses, almost expecting her to jump away.

Replacing his glasses on his face, he was able to see her roll her eyes before thanking the woman. She was the one being annoying, and yet she rolled her eyes at him. It would have irritated him any other time, but for now, he let it go.

They hurried through the twilight back to the inn. A cold breeze swept over them, and Ikaru was glad for his cloak. People were having dinner and going inside for the night, and he was eager to do the same. The night would be a cold one, judging by this breeze. When they arrived back at the inn, Ulna did not seem pleased they were having another night with the mayor’s permission. Nevertheless, she gave them dinner this time without any hassle.

Ikaru sat somewhat stiffly, sore from the day and not wanting to jostle his ribs besides. He ate as eagerly as he had the night before; though this time, he kept an eye out for both the bird and for any who would bother them again. No one seemed interested in them at the moment, and everyone seemed to be in a generally good mood. Ikaru soon relaxed, and he was done eating quickly. When they had money, they would be able to have breakfast as well, and that would keep him from being so ravenous by the end of the day.

He quickly finished, and waited for Akari to do the same, before they headed up to the room for the night. He changed into a clean linen nightshirt after Akari did, agreeing that the freshly cleaned room was nice. He arranged his blankets again, thankfully this time there were enough, and lay down stiffly with a tired goodnight. He shifted around a bit until he found a somewhat comfortable position. Despite the light and his achy body, he fell asleep almost instantly.


Akari

Akari tilted her head as Ikaru prepared his sleeping arrangements once more. She felt a small pang of guilt, since he had done the most work in killing the Lenmer. She turned to face him, crossing her legs as she sat on the bed, “Hey, Ikaru-“ She blinked, suddenly realizing he had already fallen asleep. A tiny little smile pressed softly against her lips and she tilted her head down with a small shake before turning and slipping under the blankets and sheets herself, and soon fell asleep with a sigh.

As the morning awoke, so did Akari as she stretched, up and early, and placed her feet on the floor. Even through her socks she could feel the distant cold. She quickly got up and shifted over to the window slipping a finger through the slit of the curtain to glance outside. A light frost covered everything, and the morning sun was hidden behind a multitude of clouds. Akari grinned somewhat smugly to herself, since she’d be in the inn all day working by the warmth of the fires.

She peered down at Ikaru’s sleeping form for a moment and scoffed quietly, he seemed so innocent and nice while he slept. ’Riiight.’ She thought to herself, sneaking around him into the other room and dressing in something a bit lighter before slipping past him once more and out the door.

She waved to Ulna, who was grinning at her maliciously and with cruel, dictator-like eyes. “You’re working for me today, so I suggest you stop dilly dallying and let’s get down to business.” Akari blinked before nodding quickly, “Right, right.” ’Sure is quick to crack the whip, that’s for certain.’ “You can start by wiping down the tables, afterwards you’ll move on to folding clean linens, and we’ll have you serving by lunch.” Akari rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin and nodded towards all of the directions Ulna was leaving her with. ’Wait, by lunch? How long does she expect all of that to take? Surely not till then.’ Ulna gave her a look before waving her off with her hands. “Off you go.” And off Akari did, quickly moving towards the back where she almost ran into one of the other workers. She made a quick apology before remarking quietly to herself, ’Not a very good vantage point from right here between the two doorways.’



Ikaru

Ikaru’s mind suddenly sprung awake in the night, and he instantly became aware of the throbbing ache in his ribs. No amount of shifting seemed to ease the pain. He soon gave up with a silent sigh. He stopped moving, not wanting to awake Akari, and stared at the ceiling in irritation. He thought about getting up and seeing if he could get a drink from the kitchen, but felt no motivation to get up. So, there he stayed, trying unsuccessfully to fall back asleep.

The night wore on, but Ikaru barely managed a shallow doze, constantly jerking awake again with a new twinge or wave of pain. The day slowly began to dawn and Ikaru fell into a light sleep once more. This time, it was interrupted as Akari woke up and began moving around. Ikaru kept his eyes closed, not ready to wake up with so little sleep. After Akari left the room, he lay there for several more moments. However, the drowsiness never came back, and he lost all chance of sleeping again.

Grumbling to himself, he slowly, stiffly rose from his makeshift bed, groaning liberally. He looked to the door, listening for any sign of Akari. Hearing nothing, he sat on the edge of the bed and lifted his shirt. His ribs were blotted with wide, colorful bruises. It would take a while to heal, and there was not much he could do about it. He lowered the shirt and began the process of getting ready for the day. As he moved, it gradually became easier, though still uncomfortable. Finally, he was in his clothing again and ready to go assist the farmer with the Lenmer.

He went down the stairs, looking around for Akari before remembering that she would start working today as well. He decided he would at least tell her he was going, instead of disappearing without a word. Ikaru quickly approached the Innkeeper, asking, “Where is Akari?”

The woman, gruff as ever, replied, “Just went in the back. Don’t keep her, she has work to do.”

Ikaru walked back quickly, wanting to get an early start himself. He went through the door glancing back at Ulna. She was glaring at him as if he was the source of all her problems. He returned his attention to where he was going, and found himself inches from Akari. Unable to stop himself in time, he crashed into her, falling directly on top of her.

Ikaru caught himself on his hands and knees, wincing in pain, but quickly concealed it as he gritted his teeth. He opened his eyes, and realized he was inches from Akari’s face. His own face reddened in a fierce blush, and he awkwardly pushed his glasses back onto his nose.


Akari

Akari had just grabbed the small cloth used to wipe the tables off and a bucket of soapy water when she left one of the back rooms to come back into the main room. Someone called out to her to make sure she knew what to do, and she turned to assure them that table cleaning didn’t take a genius to accomplish. However, she didn’t get far as something suddenly pushed into her with enough force to send her to the ground. As she fell she inhaled a sharp breath of air before feeling her body slam into the floorboards. The bucket had easily fallen out of her grasp by now, and water came sploshing over the rim to flood the floor.

Her eyes flickered open from the wince that scribbled itself onto her features, a feeling of anger first flaring up in her being. However, she came face to face with none other than Ikaru, and by face to face, she almost literally meant face on face. A blush quickly flourished beneath her cheeks and scrambled across the ridge of her nose, her eyes locked onto his in a gaze that seemed to last an hour, but in reality was only a few short moments. His eyes were
. Akari blinked before a look of embarrassed though firm defiance arose onto her face, only dampened in effect by the blush portrayed across her cheeks. Ulna roared in the background, but to Akari it seemed to only be a lazy din somewhere off in the distance. “B-baka, w-watch where you’re going
!” She stuttered, her hand suddenly finding itself on his pec and pushing against him to try to upset his balance and get him off of her, resisting the urge to bite her lower lip.

“Idiot! That boy is the bane of my entire existence, I want him out; Now!! Look at what he did to my floooor!” Ulna complained loudly, stamping her foot down on the floor and a look of complete rage roaring across her features and screaming from her eyes.



Ikaru

Ikaru felt the blush warming his features. It took him a minute to realize what she was saying, he was so distracted and embarrassed. As she pushed him off, he could not help but wince. He got to his feet as quickly as he could, trying to disguise his discomfort. Ikaru held out a hand to help Akari up, though he did not expect her to take it.

She did not, and by that time, Ulna had made it over and was ranting about the mess he caused and how he had repaid her hospitality. Ikaru responded with a hasty, “Sorry, good day.” It was mostly directed toward Akari, Ulna only seemed more riled by it. “A sorry’s all you give me? You think sorry will fix this? I could kick you out for this, you uncoordinated lout!” she shouted after his retreating form.
Ikaru quickly made his way out of the inn. He would have stayed to help, but he did not think even that would have pleased the insufferable woman. He hurriedly strode down the street, almost expecting the innkeeper to follow him outside and continue her rant. She seemed to have had enough, however.

He made it to the farm without incident about midmorning, and Gered ,the farmer greeted him. They immediately began working on the beast, which Gered had dragged over the day before. It was hot, messy work, but Ikaru was glad to be doing something, and having a bit of money would be great as well. It was a bit after noon by the time they had finished skinning and butchering the large beast.

The farmer invited Ikaru to share in their noon meal, and he readily accepted. After the lunch, they began the task of taking the pelt to the mayor, negotiating pay, and selling the meat. Finally, they had sold most of it, and the farmer agreed to take the rest for himself. Ikaru fondly shook the old farmer’s hand and thanked him before heading back to the inn. He was wary of how the innkeeper would receive him, but the coin purse at his side lightened his moods.


Akari

With Akari so close and so focused on his face, she easily spotted the contortion of his features as he winced. Immediately and obviously it registered pain to her, and her eyes narrowed just a bit as he got up. He offered her a hand, and her cheeks almost flushed again and a small frown fixed itself to her lips as she looked away from him, getting up on her own. Ulna had stomped over and seemed to be giving Ikaru an earful. “It’s fine, I’ll just mop the floors down real quick and then wipe down the tables.” She offered to Ulna as Ikaru made a hasty retreat. She watched him go, suspicious of his actions, and moreso not trying to relive what had just happened.

“Fine, whatever, just get it done quickly!” Ulna snapped at her, her grudged feelings passing over to Akari, who scrambled to get the necessary equipment to do the job. It was rather grueling work, being pushed and prodded and yelled at and almost wacked upside the head once. She ended up washing the floor, serving, doing the linens, serving tables, being flirted at by a few creepy men before they staggered out of the inn drunk, refilling tankards, filling in for another worker, prepping, cleaning, washing dishes, etc. She was absolutely exhausted, and had had all day to feel starved and also think about Ikaru’s strange actions. He certainly seemed to be hiding something from her.

Akari sat at the table, her head leaning against her palm, her eyes closed and resting. She had never been worked like that in her life. She was not looking forward to doing it again. Maybe she’d find a different job to do tomorrow. However, something suddenly was placed before her, and her eyes flickered open to see a plate of steaming food and Ulna behind it with crossed arms. “You did well today, early meal and then you can do whatever.” She spoke grudgingly before she departed and left Akari to the food. Ulna definitely seemed calmed down from earlier, but Akari didn’t dwell on the fact for long as she started hungrily shoveling food into her mouth.

Rubbing her forehead lightly, Akari picked up the plate and was about to head into the back to wipe it down before Ulna coughed and told her to leave it for someone else to get. Akari dipped her head in thanks and slowly ascended the stairs to her room. The sun was low on the horizon, and Ikaru should be coming back at any moment now. She blinked a few times, mustering up a bit more strength, waiting for him to come enter the room.



Ikaru

Ikaru soon entered the inn, bracing himself for whatever Ulna might throw at him. As he entered, Ulna quickly noticed him. “Oh, look, the clumsy lout has returned!” she said with mock enthusiasm. Ikaru reddened as several of the room’s occupants chuckle. Ikaru felt irritation rising again as the woman broke out into her own mocking laugh. She really was impossible to get along with, and Ikaru huffed and sat down. He was still slow and stiff, but it was not as easy to jar his ribs as it had been.

Ikaru was almost surprised when Ulna made no more comments. She almost seemed in a good mood as she carelessly slammed a plate of food to the table before him. He muttered a thank you that was completely ignored by the sullen woman. He quickly dug in, soon finishing.

Ikaru reluctantly asked Ulna where Akari was. She replied tartly, “Why? So you can make a mess of things again?” His eyes narrowed in irritation, and the woman tut-tutted at him. Finally, she gave in. [b]“She went up to the room. Now get out of the way, and let me get back to work, foolish boy.” He rolled his eyes after she scurried off and made his way up the narrow wooden stairs and through the hall until he came to the room. He knocked, then entered.


Akari

By the time Ikaru made it to the room, Akari had lit a small lantern that stood on the bedside table while the sun sank below and night came to prowl. She had changed into her under linen slip, and she was sitting on the end of the bed supporting herself with her arms behind her and one leg crossed over the other, lazily kicking the air as she waited with closed eyes, resting. As soon as she heard the knock on the door, her eyes flicked open and she watched as the doorknob turned. Ikaru entered and closed the door behind him, and Akari hopped off of the bed, striding straight over to him without a word and an otherwise unreadable expression. She didn’t stop a few feet away from him either, oh no, she kept going until she was invading his personal space, inches away from him. Her right hand rested on the wood of the door by his head.

Her other hand came up and worked at the hem of his shirt before her cool fingers brushed his skin lightly. She looked straight at him as she pulled the cloth up and away from his body. Her eyes trailed down his stomach, and blotches of discolored skin greeted her, there was silence for another moment before she leaned in close to his ear and whispered softly, “Mmm, that’s what I thought.” She pulled away from him without any warning, and sat back on the bed, chin in her palm as she looked over him. “Idiot, why didn’t you tell me earlier? You could have taken the bed, especially if you’re injured, and you’re certainly taking it tonight.”

She rolled her eyes, sitting up straight and crossing her arms. “I’m not going to fight about it either, I’m incredibly exhausted, especially since you added more work for me to do this morning~” She teased lightly, though her tired demeanor showed through her tone. “Whether or not you take the bed, I’m still going to sleep on the floor, so you might as well do so.” She tilted her chin up fractionally, looking at him and demanding if he would challenge her or not.