(Fic) Reign - Chapter Three
Title: Reign
Chapter: Three
Rating: PG-13 (PG for this chapter)
Genre: Fantasy/Friendship/Romance/Humor
Pairings or Characters: KuroFai in later chapters, Sakura, Syaoron, Ashura, Yuuko, Kamui, Subaru, Mokona
Challenge: None - one of those spurr of the moment fics.
Summary: At a young age, Kurogane woke up in the cold country of Celes with no memory and no name, only to be shipped off to the castle, where he was supposed to train to be a knight. That training included, but not limited to, dealing with the young (annoying, idiotic, moronic) Prince. AU
Author's Notes: Finally - one of them updat-y thingies! Enjoy~!
.:Reign:.
.:14:.
It is the warmest time of the year. The sun still reflects off of the ground, but it is partially frozen dew droplets that pepper the grey cobblestone of the courtyard. There are even a few leaves adoring the inside plants, and fires are not an ever constant within the rooms anymore. This, unanimously, is everyone’s favorite time of the year. Women would bring their children outside to enjoy what little weak sunlight made its way through the clouds, and young girls would cluster outside to watch the young men of Celes go through whatever spring time trials they were assigned. Like, for instance, the Trials Of Sword.
Metal clashed against metal, the sharp clangs causing the people in the audiences to flinch or else stare on in awe as sweat sheeted teenagers lunged at each other, striking their blades in midair. Despite the violent attacks they seem to be attempting, they are all smiling, even laughing and taking the half-serious blows as if it were nothing. Because, truth was, this was a celebration.
Each fourteen-year-old within the castle walls had received their tasks; the tasks they would be partaking in for the rest of their lives. The Scribes, the Cooks, the Handmaids, the Caretakers, and everything of the sort. Including the Guards. And what better way for adrenaline-fused teenagers to show off their achievements by mock fights.
Slow, even steps were overshadowed by the war-cries and grunts as blows made tremors run up and down the boys’ arms. Tilting his head, a blue-eyed boy scanned the crowd, peering over most of the gathered onlookers heads, looking and looking until his gaze alighted on the dark hair and olive skin that stood out in a crowd of pale skin and light hair. He smiled and easily maneuvered through the bodies, barely even taking notice of the swings and clacks.
Raising a hand, Fai sharply poked Kurogane directly between the shoulder blades, causing the brunette boy’s posture to seize up and whirl around, hand flying to the hilt of his sheathed sword and a murderous gleam in his eyes.
“Ah! You seem awful used to that sword, already, Kuro-blade! So violent!”
Eyes still narrowed, the taller boy forced himself to release the hilt. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people, Flourite.”
“I didn’t think it would get me killed,” Fai pouted, his blue eyes turning from Kurogane to the current pair of teens engaged in combat. “Is that supposed to be fun?”
“Fun? Of course not! That, moron, is a display of skill and aptitude! We guards must take our jobs seriously; we don’t play like this for fun.”
“So it is fun!”
Kurogane opened his mouth to tell the blond off again, and just as words began to transmit from his brain to his mouth, there was a resounding screech as one of the sparring boy’s swords sliced down the other’s blade, knocking the still shiny and new weapon onto the cobblestone. This mini battle was over, as the cheers and wolf-whistles of approval, as well as ‘boo’s of discouragement for the loser.
Sill peering at the ring in the middle of the circle, Fai cocked his head again. “Are you going to fight, Kuro-pup? I’d like to see what you can do with that sword.”
Crimson eyes rolled dramatically, and the already muscled chest was crossed with equally muscled arms. “Why should I?”
“Why shouldn’t you?”
“Everyone here already knows that I’m the best. I’m the strongest; even Seishiro-san said so.”
Fai looked back at him, still smiling innocently. “So you’re better than everyone here?”
“Damn straight.”
A moment of silence. “We’ve never fought, Kuro-richi...”
Ears that were close by enough to hear perked up, and the audience turned to stare at their prince and the idol. Kurogane gawked - just a little bit. Did the blond moron even realize what he was suggesting!?! That he, the resident bad-ass of the metaphorical playground, would spar with the rich upperclassman!?!? Who, plus, had no strict combat training. That would be murder! And suicide by proxy - he’d be dead if he so much as harmed a hair of Fai’s head! That was a given!
“No. No, absolutely not -”
But Fai was already moving toward the middle of the grouping, the wide birth for these little matches to take place in, and he had seemingly conjured up a tall, white staff with an intricate head. The blond paused after his supposed weapon was comfortably in his hands, leaning on the wood and waiting with that taunting, teasing, stupid smile that somehow managed to make Kurogane’s blood boil. “Coming...” his eyes narrowed. For once, serious. “Kurogane?”
Hadn’t...hadn’t the nicknames been the things that bothered him? Wouldn’t it be more reasonable that if Fai had called him ‘Kuro-runo’ or something similar that he would be more likely to stride forward and make to chop the blond’s head off? So...why was it that the other calling him by his name - something that had been mutilated so many times by the prince that it didn’t sound normal anymore - was enough to incite him forward, easily swinging Sōhi around his sides, slowing off his agility with the sword.
Around them, people ‘ooh’ed and ‘aww’ed, and a couple of them sprinted from the courtyard to find others of importance to witness this spectacle.
Fai seemed unfazed as he was approached, and continued to smile, leaning against his staff as if it were a tree trunk. The thin twig didn’t seem like it should be able to support the weight of the teen, but it stood straight and strong. “Hyuu~” Fai let out innocently. “So we’re going to fight, Kuro-pip? I’ve never done this before - are there rules?”
“None.”
“How fun!”
It was over in three blows.
One - Kurogane swung, Fai ducked, and as Sōhi connected with the wood of the staff, the blond pulled the base of his weapon out from under the blade.
Two - Kurogane attempted to recover, pulling back for another strike only to receive a blow to the chest, pushing the air out from his lungs. He stumbled, caught unaware and nearly fell.
Three - one more push, the base of Fai’s staff placed strategically in the middle of Kurogane’s chest to send him sprawling. And when he looked up, the intricately carved other end of the wooden poll just beneath his chin. When he looked up farther, there was that stupid, idiotic grin on his face - again.
“Looks like I win, Kuro-kun!”
Chapter: Three
Rating: PG-13 (PG for this chapter)
Genre: Fantasy/Friendship/Romance/Humor
Pairings or Characters: KuroFai in later chapters, Sakura, Syaoron, Ashura, Yuuko, Kamui, Subaru, Mokona
Challenge: None - one of those spurr of the moment fics.
Summary: At a young age, Kurogane woke up in the cold country of Celes with no memory and no name, only to be shipped off to the castle, where he was supposed to train to be a knight. That training included, but not limited to, dealing with the young (annoying, idiotic, moronic) Prince. AU
Author's Notes: Finally - one of them updat-y thingies! Enjoy~!
.:Reign:.
.:14:.
It is the warmest time of the year. The sun still reflects off of the ground, but it is partially frozen dew droplets that pepper the grey cobblestone of the courtyard. There are even a few leaves adoring the inside plants, and fires are not an ever constant within the rooms anymore. This, unanimously, is everyone’s favorite time of the year. Women would bring their children outside to enjoy what little weak sunlight made its way through the clouds, and young girls would cluster outside to watch the young men of Celes go through whatever spring time trials they were assigned. Like, for instance, the Trials Of Sword.
Metal clashed against metal, the sharp clangs causing the people in the audiences to flinch or else stare on in awe as sweat sheeted teenagers lunged at each other, striking their blades in midair. Despite the violent attacks they seem to be attempting, they are all smiling, even laughing and taking the half-serious blows as if it were nothing. Because, truth was, this was a celebration.
Each fourteen-year-old within the castle walls had received their tasks; the tasks they would be partaking in for the rest of their lives. The Scribes, the Cooks, the Handmaids, the Caretakers, and everything of the sort. Including the Guards. And what better way for adrenaline-fused teenagers to show off their achievements by mock fights.
Slow, even steps were overshadowed by the war-cries and grunts as blows made tremors run up and down the boys’ arms. Tilting his head, a blue-eyed boy scanned the crowd, peering over most of the gathered onlookers heads, looking and looking until his gaze alighted on the dark hair and olive skin that stood out in a crowd of pale skin and light hair. He smiled and easily maneuvered through the bodies, barely even taking notice of the swings and clacks.
Raising a hand, Fai sharply poked Kurogane directly between the shoulder blades, causing the brunette boy’s posture to seize up and whirl around, hand flying to the hilt of his sheathed sword and a murderous gleam in his eyes.
“Ah! You seem awful used to that sword, already, Kuro-blade! So violent!”
Eyes still narrowed, the taller boy forced himself to release the hilt. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people, Flourite.”
“I didn’t think it would get me killed,” Fai pouted, his blue eyes turning from Kurogane to the current pair of teens engaged in combat. “Is that supposed to be fun?”
“Fun? Of course not! That, moron, is a display of skill and aptitude! We guards must take our jobs seriously; we don’t play like this for fun.”
“So it is fun!”
Kurogane opened his mouth to tell the blond off again, and just as words began to transmit from his brain to his mouth, there was a resounding screech as one of the sparring boy’s swords sliced down the other’s blade, knocking the still shiny and new weapon onto the cobblestone. This mini battle was over, as the cheers and wolf-whistles of approval, as well as ‘boo’s of discouragement for the loser.
Sill peering at the ring in the middle of the circle, Fai cocked his head again. “Are you going to fight, Kuro-pup? I’d like to see what you can do with that sword.”
Crimson eyes rolled dramatically, and the already muscled chest was crossed with equally muscled arms. “Why should I?”
“Why shouldn’t you?”
“Everyone here already knows that I’m the best. I’m the strongest; even Seishiro-san said so.”
Fai looked back at him, still smiling innocently. “So you’re better than everyone here?”
“Damn straight.”
A moment of silence. “We’ve never fought, Kuro-richi...”
Ears that were close by enough to hear perked up, and the audience turned to stare at their prince and the idol. Kurogane gawked - just a little bit. Did the blond moron even realize what he was suggesting!?! That he, the resident bad-ass of the metaphorical playground, would spar with the rich upperclassman!?!? Who, plus, had no strict combat training. That would be murder! And suicide by proxy - he’d be dead if he so much as harmed a hair of Fai’s head! That was a given!
“No. No, absolutely not -”
But Fai was already moving toward the middle of the grouping, the wide birth for these little matches to take place in, and he had seemingly conjured up a tall, white staff with an intricate head. The blond paused after his supposed weapon was comfortably in his hands, leaning on the wood and waiting with that taunting, teasing, stupid smile that somehow managed to make Kurogane’s blood boil. “Coming...” his eyes narrowed. For once, serious. “Kurogane?”
Hadn’t...hadn’t the nicknames been the things that bothered him? Wouldn’t it be more reasonable that if Fai had called him ‘Kuro-runo’ or something similar that he would be more likely to stride forward and make to chop the blond’s head off? So...why was it that the other calling him by his name - something that had been mutilated so many times by the prince that it didn’t sound normal anymore - was enough to incite him forward, easily swinging Sōhi around his sides, slowing off his agility with the sword.
Around them, people ‘ooh’ed and ‘aww’ed, and a couple of them sprinted from the courtyard to find others of importance to witness this spectacle.
Fai seemed unfazed as he was approached, and continued to smile, leaning against his staff as if it were a tree trunk. The thin twig didn’t seem like it should be able to support the weight of the teen, but it stood straight and strong. “Hyuu~” Fai let out innocently. “So we’re going to fight, Kuro-pip? I’ve never done this before - are there rules?”
“None.”
“How fun!”
It was over in three blows.
One - Kurogane swung, Fai ducked, and as Sōhi connected with the wood of the staff, the blond pulled the base of his weapon out from under the blade.
Two - Kurogane attempted to recover, pulling back for another strike only to receive a blow to the chest, pushing the air out from his lungs. He stumbled, caught unaware and nearly fell.
Three - one more push, the base of Fai’s staff placed strategically in the middle of Kurogane’s chest to send him sprawling. And when he looked up, the intricately carved other end of the wooden poll just beneath his chin. When he looked up farther, there was that stupid, idiotic grin on his face - again.
“Looks like I win, Kuro-kun!”