| Fan Fiction |
by Aelk
”Humans, what’s the big deal? We’re here to help discuss how to attack the Humans!! Furthermore, I am a Juhna by heart!”
Lilith kicked a nearby pebble and it flew towards the endless desert yonder. Ladhul has given them Tartan costumes to wear for their old ones were dirtied by the sandstorm they had been through. Although she was embarrassed by how revealing the costumes were --- It was almost the same as what the Desert Dancers wore; she had no choice but to wear them. Her top was reddish-pink in hue, and had pretty floral patterns embroidered at the edges, but it was nonetheless a piece of cloth barely enough to cover her skin. Then it was the deep red skirt with light frills sewed at the edge. It, too, was a beautiful piece albeit it being so short that she had to constantly pull it downwards.
And as expected, they were given no shoes.
“What’s taking them so long...?”
She brushed her soles against the carpets to send a slight numb feeling to her whole body.
“Aww, you looked so good in it! But don’t forget the veil!”
Ladhul’s voice came and she turned to their direction. Now that he mentioned it, it seems that Tartan women had to have their noses and mouths covered by a semi-transparent veil.
“... It’s embarrassing, Ladhul, I should just get my robes back.”
Following his own voice, Azure came out finally, with his hands all over himself and feeling as awkward as Lilith did. Similar to their Tartan friend’s, he too wore a button-less and sleeveless vest, but it was cerulean instead. Lilith found no more words to say. She noticed that he had actually gotten a little tanned as compared to when their journey just started.
But costumes aside, Azure thought it was time to get back to their original conversations.
“I’m rather surprised, how did you manage to have all these pretty clothes?”
Lilith inquired curiously.
“Hey I’m a treasure hunter! And anyway, I have an idea on how to get you two into the kingdom.”
“And that is?”
“You must take part in the Race.”
”Race?”
“Yes, an annual grand race between the Tartans and all other eligible men for the title of the ‘Warrior of the year’. Winners will be granted anything he wished for as long as it is within the king’s limits.”
Lilith shot up from her sit.
“To take part in it? Okay I think I can almost guess what you would want from the king.”
”Hahaha, to become the greatest bandit, I must have capital and men to start with~! But with my abilities I guess it is within my capabilities. I’m here for the other prize, actually.”
Ladhul’s confidence level sure is alarmingly high, both Azure and Lilith thought, but too much of it may be harmful.
“S-so there are two prizes?” Azure asked.
“Yes, this particular year’s Tartan Race will be special, for the winner gets an additional prize: The Tartan kingdom’s princess will also be married to whoever wins the race.”
”What?! Where are your country’s women rights?!! You don’t care about the princess’ feelings at all?!”
While suppressing her screams, Azure considered the idea.
“What do you mean by ‘Eligible men’?”
“Very smart question; this is where the loophole you can make use of comes in. The announcements state that any unmarried male of age eighteen to thirty, regardless of his family background and status, will be able to join. Since it was never stated that participants must be a Tartan, I suppose you should be eligible too… well unless I’m wrong. “
Ladhul sounded excited enough like a child.
His status may not be that eligible, Azure considered, but there should be another way to solve this problem. After a while of silence, he stood up and concluded his thoughts.
“… I am in no position to marry the princess, but I guess this is the only way we can get into the palace and talk to the king. ”
He took down the ear ring he was wearing and presented it to Ladhul. Although there were a lot of differences, the basic shape of the exquisite accessory sure looked like what married Tartans would wear, with the male putting it on his left, and the female on her right. Ladhul was speechless, but Lilith sprang forward and gave Azure a hard slap on his back violently.
“What about … her (Anzu) ?!”
“Ahh ahh, ouch!! Calm down, Lilith~” Azure tried to continue his sentence while bearing the attacks, “I didn’t say I wanted to win”
Ladhul finally understood Azure’s plan, and grinned childishly.
“Help me get my wife, and I’m a happy man. The King’s prize will then be to listen to what you two have to say. “
”After I’ve helped you win, that is. “
The confident look on Azure’s face when he replied showed the other side of him which Lilith has never seen before. When they have just met each other, he appeared to be reserved and weak. But after being through so many hardships on the way, and with a new goal set in his heart, he is slowly changing... or perhaps this is what he actually is?
*************************************************************************************
Princess Iris stood alone on the plains which shone a beautiful dark green upon the moonlight shower. With her portable Machinas, traveling thousands of miles from the Temple of Bahaaj was easy. Before her once stood the great castles of the Night Kingdom, but was now being reduced to rubble. The ruins emanated death in the air, as the reddish soil the grass grew on was nourished by the blood of the Kurts, a proud race who would not bow their heads to the Empire even when the blades of their Machinas were already resting on their necks.
All, but one took on the humiliation his kinsmen refused to bear.
”Just as what you have described, Scarlet… So this is your motherland… the lands the sun forsook.”
Unknowingly, her eyes began to weep for the people who died in the hands of her father, shedding the very tears which Scarlet could not. The silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of crickets, followed by an alien voice.
”The moon dwells still, lady.”
A woman’s voice sounded behind her.
The princess turned around and lowered her head elegantly, “Nice to meet you.”
When Iris raised her head once more to see who she was, the little wings and bony tail on the latter’s back could then be seen. From what she knew, the woman is a Kurt. Each of them must have had something to ask the other in order to be here, and so hiding their real status would be rude.
”I’m Iris Geiger.”
She held up an ivory-white pendant which declared her royal status. It was a small and slightly opaque object, but intriguing nonetheless. On its surface carved the crest of the Empire, which was a lion baring its fangs fiercely and had two huge wings on its back. When the moonlight shines through it, the pendant glowed faintly.
”Princess of the Empire…? Very well, I’m Red; and von Weiss is my family name.”
“I knew Scarlet had a sister, but I didn’t know that I’ll be able to meet you here.”
“That aside first. One thing is troubling me the moment I saw you. Somehow, you look awfully similar to someone I know…”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N
I am back!!!
But there's not much energy in me left XD~
Exams are taking a toll on me LOL~
Here's chapter 20, and did you see what
i've deliberately put in?