(no subject)
Heavily unedited, as a result of being written on a whim. Might continue with mre of it later. =D!
"I don't care what you think!" Anna stood, pulling the lifeless body close to her. Her lithe stature gave, and she was forced to drag him by both arms. "I am burying my husband and his parents, then I am returning to Kaipo with my father!"
The Dark Knight stared at her, agape. Rydia returned to Cecil's side, and began to stare at the yellow-robed mage in the same fashion. "Don't you care what happens to your people, Anna?"
"They're not --"
"But they ARE, your people! You're royalty by marriage, which MAKES you queen of Damcyan! If Edward hadn't married you -"
"Likely so, but I am not ruling this country without him. This realm of a sandbox can go straight to hell for all I give a shit!"
Cecil's hands tightened, gauntlets giving. He wasn't about to strike a woman, but he was close as he could.
Anna's lips twitched, and she began pulling on Edward's body once more. "If you'll excuse me, I think you know the way out."
"His girlfriend is sick!"
Pairs of eyes shifted downward. Rydia had emerged from Cecil's side, still staring intently at the mage. What was once fear in her dark blue eyes was now replaced with a childlike scorn.
"His girlfriend is sick, and you don't care, do you? My mother told me about people like you - selfish, she called them!" Her little hands came to rest on her hips, face locked in a glare. "You're a woman, though probably not a mother, but you should understand nonetheless!"
"Rydia," Cecil stammered behind her, thankful for once of the helm that concealed most of his face, which burned hot. He hadn't expected the child to speak so forcefully, especially after Tellah's departure. A hand unclenched, and he rested it on her shoulder. "Rydia, stop it."
"NO!" The summoner whirled around, catching the Dark Knight off guard. "She shouldn't be so selfish - she should SHARE, and help out with finding the... the..."
Somewhere in between the squabbling and bickering, Anna had let the body of her husband fall gently to the ground, though she swiped a kerchief from the pocket of his coat as though a memento of security. Twisting the cloth in her fingers, she approached the two, and knelt to the summoner's side. "What is it that you're looking for?" she asked, softly.
Rydia jerked away as though set on fire, and clasped her arms around Cecil's leg. Apparently, bravery came after bravado for her. "He's looking for something; not me!"
"The Sand Ruby," Cecil replied, Anna standing to face the Dark Knight. "I am in need of it to help cure my friend, who is suffering from Desert Fever."
"She's his girlfriend, really," Rydia muttered into the steel covering Cecil's leg. She ducked to avoid his hand, and went back to staring at Anna, something of a wry smile sneaking its way onto her face.
The mage allowed herself to smile at the transaction, though it quickly fell through. "The Sand Ruby," she muttered, staring at the ground. Part of her ached to turn around to Edward as though looking for answers, but she restrained. "Why does that sound very familiar?"
Cecil blinked; the woman was now queen of a nation, but failed to know of its territory? "I was told it was the result of a secretion the Antlion produces when it lays its eggs," he suggested. "The caves are supposedly off-limits to people who aren't royalty."
"But, I --!" Anna took a breath, but released it in defeat. "The cave will probably not acknowledge me, then. I told you, I'm a royal by marriage - not by blood!"
"That's a chance we're going to have to take, then. If we have to, we'll take the body with us!"
Rydia immediately glanced up at him, horrified. "Are you serious?!"
"He's not," Anna replied, quietly. Her eyes shifted to her left hand, gaze lingering over the triple-gemmed ruby ring Edward had given to her during the ceremony. It was then she noticed how different the middle solitaire looked from the other two. "Maybe it will work afterall."
"So we don't have to carry a dead body around?" the summoner asked, cautiously. Cecil looked from the both of them curiously.
Anna said nothing; instead, she turned around slowly, and looked back at her husband. Is this what you wanted, Edward? Have you really passed on more than your spirit...?
What is it you wanted to tell me?
Cecil stepped forward, Rydia following in step. "Queen Anna?"
"Don't call me a 'queen,'" was her curt reply. She had gone back to lifting her husband into her arms, this time succeeding in her feat. "I told you, I'm not worthy of the title!
"I'll take you to where the antlion is - I think I remember seeing some maps in the treasury depicting its location. Let's just hope Edward was right about this one."
"How soon could we set off?"
"As soon as I pay respects to the fallen, we can be off. You should make preparations to spend the night here," the mage added. "The sun is almost set."
"I don't want to stay here, Cecil," Rydia whispered as Anna struggled off, taking care to not trip over the hem of her robe. "It's horrible here, almost like..."
The Dark Knight nodded, giving her head an affectionate tousel - this time, she didn't refuse. "I know what you mean. Let's go back out, and prepare the tent, though we should probably see if Anna needs help first."
The summoner's nose wrinkled. "Do I have to touch the dead bodies?"
Clearly, I need me some of that plot bunny birth control. =X Hee.
"I don't care what you think!" Anna stood, pulling the lifeless body close to her. Her lithe stature gave, and she was forced to drag him by both arms. "I am burying my husband and his parents, then I am returning to Kaipo with my father!"
The Dark Knight stared at her, agape. Rydia returned to Cecil's side, and began to stare at the yellow-robed mage in the same fashion. "Don't you care what happens to your people, Anna?"
"They're not --"
"But they ARE, your people! You're royalty by marriage, which MAKES you queen of Damcyan! If Edward hadn't married you -"
"Likely so, but I am not ruling this country without him. This realm of a sandbox can go straight to hell for all I give a shit!"
Cecil's hands tightened, gauntlets giving. He wasn't about to strike a woman, but he was close as he could.
Anna's lips twitched, and she began pulling on Edward's body once more. "If you'll excuse me, I think you know the way out."
"His girlfriend is sick!"
Pairs of eyes shifted downward. Rydia had emerged from Cecil's side, still staring intently at the mage. What was once fear in her dark blue eyes was now replaced with a childlike scorn.
"His girlfriend is sick, and you don't care, do you? My mother told me about people like you - selfish, she called them!" Her little hands came to rest on her hips, face locked in a glare. "You're a woman, though probably not a mother, but you should understand nonetheless!"
"Rydia," Cecil stammered behind her, thankful for once of the helm that concealed most of his face, which burned hot. He hadn't expected the child to speak so forcefully, especially after Tellah's departure. A hand unclenched, and he rested it on her shoulder. "Rydia, stop it."
"NO!" The summoner whirled around, catching the Dark Knight off guard. "She shouldn't be so selfish - she should SHARE, and help out with finding the... the..."
Somewhere in between the squabbling and bickering, Anna had let the body of her husband fall gently to the ground, though she swiped a kerchief from the pocket of his coat as though a memento of security. Twisting the cloth in her fingers, she approached the two, and knelt to the summoner's side. "What is it that you're looking for?" she asked, softly.
Rydia jerked away as though set on fire, and clasped her arms around Cecil's leg. Apparently, bravery came after bravado for her. "He's looking for something; not me!"
"The Sand Ruby," Cecil replied, Anna standing to face the Dark Knight. "I am in need of it to help cure my friend, who is suffering from Desert Fever."
"She's his girlfriend, really," Rydia muttered into the steel covering Cecil's leg. She ducked to avoid his hand, and went back to staring at Anna, something of a wry smile sneaking its way onto her face.
The mage allowed herself to smile at the transaction, though it quickly fell through. "The Sand Ruby," she muttered, staring at the ground. Part of her ached to turn around to Edward as though looking for answers, but she restrained. "Why does that sound very familiar?"
Cecil blinked; the woman was now queen of a nation, but failed to know of its territory? "I was told it was the result of a secretion the Antlion produces when it lays its eggs," he suggested. "The caves are supposedly off-limits to people who aren't royalty."
"But, I --!" Anna took a breath, but released it in defeat. "The cave will probably not acknowledge me, then. I told you, I'm a royal by marriage - not by blood!"
"That's a chance we're going to have to take, then. If we have to, we'll take the body with us!"
Rydia immediately glanced up at him, horrified. "Are you serious?!"
"He's not," Anna replied, quietly. Her eyes shifted to her left hand, gaze lingering over the triple-gemmed ruby ring Edward had given to her during the ceremony. It was then she noticed how different the middle solitaire looked from the other two. "Maybe it will work afterall."
"So we don't have to carry a dead body around?" the summoner asked, cautiously. Cecil looked from the both of them curiously.
Anna said nothing; instead, she turned around slowly, and looked back at her husband. Is this what you wanted, Edward? Have you really passed on more than your spirit...?
What is it you wanted to tell me?
Cecil stepped forward, Rydia following in step. "Queen Anna?"
"Don't call me a 'queen,'" was her curt reply. She had gone back to lifting her husband into her arms, this time succeeding in her feat. "I told you, I'm not worthy of the title!
"I'll take you to where the antlion is - I think I remember seeing some maps in the treasury depicting its location. Let's just hope Edward was right about this one."
"How soon could we set off?"
"As soon as I pay respects to the fallen, we can be off. You should make preparations to spend the night here," the mage added. "The sun is almost set."
"I don't want to stay here, Cecil," Rydia whispered as Anna struggled off, taking care to not trip over the hem of her robe. "It's horrible here, almost like..."
The Dark Knight nodded, giving her head an affectionate tousel - this time, she didn't refuse. "I know what you mean. Let's go back out, and prepare the tent, though we should probably see if Anna needs help first."
The summoner's nose wrinkled. "Do I have to touch the dead bodies?"
Clearly, I need me some of that plot bunny birth control. =X Hee.