Hunting For His Heart

Geeze, it’s been a while since I’ve written a fanfic. o.O Let’s hope I complete this one, eh? Most of the time I cannot complete what I start and end up taking it down. I’m hoping that writing this fanfic will enable me to start writing more of my own original fiction ‘cause then I’ll have the creative juices flowing.

Anyway, this is my first SO:TTEOT fic, so please be nice if I get some things wrong or get a little OOC with the characters? Much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anyone in this fic except for my own characters and monsters/creatures. If I did, I’d be rich…. XD

Chapter 1 – Special Delivery

It was a hot day, and the sun was beginning its descent below the horizon making the sky turn fiery with orange and gold. The day would be ending soon, and the people in the town of Peterny decided to finally stop for the day. Travelers headed off to the town’s inn, “The Front Door,” merchants began to close their shops, and families headed home from a hard day at work. Only one place that remained truly active at this time was the local tavern, “The Biting Kid.”

Fading rays of sun weakly filtered into the musty tavern, which was almost completely filled with customers from all parts of the region. There was laughter mixed with cries of anger and singsong voices slurred with the consumption of liquor. Yes, tonight was a good night of business for the owner of the tavern.

Although, despite all the celebration and various topics spoken aloud, one man sat secluded in the far corner, a half-drunken glass of beer (imported from Greeton) sitting on the table in front of him. He stared at the contents inside the glass, deep in thought about past events that had previously happened in his life, and ignored the goings-on of the drunks and their arguments about who could drink the most without passing out. His semi-long hair, black with yellow tips and two long tails that ended in yellow puffs of hair, hung over his face and shielded his blood-red eyes from view. His left arm, replaced with a metallic gauntlet that ended with razor-sharp claws, stroked the katana tied to the man’s side, almost as if he wished for an excuse to pull the sword free from its sheath and drive it into some unlucky fool. He was clothed in a short, tight-fitting dark purple shirt that showed his flat stomach, and wore a long, dark purple skirt trimmed with gold that completely covered one leg. He wore a matching arm warmer on his right arm and matching stockings that came up to mid thigh, and plain, practical black shoes.

The man, Albel Nox, sighed and took a sip from his glass, bored. Former leader of the Black Brigade of Airyglyph and nicknamed “Albel the Wicked,” he had relinquished his title in order to train himself to become stronger. Albel had come to Peterny to head to the Craftmen’s Guild where a new model of his clawed gauntlet sat waiting for him to try out. He was pleased with the results and purchased the weapon, eager to test it out during his training. It was a work to be proud off, that was for sure. Too bad he didn’t have it earlier, before the whole incident that ceased the war between the kingdoms of Airyglyph and Aquaria.

Ah yes, Albel would never forget those events that had transpired mere months ago. That blue-haired boy, Fayt, and his little group of friends, all supposedly from another planet, speaking strange nonsense about other worlds that later turned out to be true. Bah, worms, all of them. And yet, even though he was happy to be rid of them, the thoughts would not leave his mind. They kept nagging at him, causing Albel to think, to actually sit and think. He didn’t like that; he was one who went out and did things, not one who sat around and thought all day and night.

He took another sip of his already-flattening beer. What was he to do now? Continue training? There wasn’t a war anymore, and Albel had that itch, the itch of craving battle, craving bloodshed. But, how could he scratch that itch when there was no longer a war to fight?

The young swordsman stared off into space, but was thrown back into reality when he realized the whole tavern had gone quite. Tightening his grip on his sword, he spared a glance around the room and saw a figure standing in the doorway, and everyone’s eyes were on that figure.

The newcomer stepped into the room, a large leather pouch in her hand, stained dark with a substance one knew all too well when having fought first-hand in battle.

Albel narrowed his eyes and studied this girl; never had he seen her before. She had short, black hair streaked with purple in a pageboy-type cut. Her eyes were a deep purple, almost plum colored, and she had lightly tanned skin. Her clothing consisted of black leather gauntlets that reached up to her elbows, a navy-blue shirt with leather armor covering her middle, and navy-blue pants with low-cut black boots. Draped over her shoulders and tied around her neck was a plain, thick, brown traveling cloak. As the strange girl approached a table with unknown drunks that were staring at her, Albel noticed that under her cloak and tied across her back was a pole-like weapon, a glaive. Basically a long, wooden staff with a large, curved blade at the end, a glaive was a tricky weapon to master, but a deadly weapon in the right hands as one could both block and attack with unpredictable sweeping motions.

What really caught Albel’s eyes was the strange jewel hanging around the neck of the girl. It was about one inch in diameter, diamond shaped, and a brilliant milky color, a complete contrast to the dark clothing she wore.

The young woman approached a burly-looking man with a dark beard and wild eyes. She tossed the large pouch to him.

“There’s the head, just like you wanted. Do you have the money you said you’d give to me if I brought it to you?”

Puzzled, the man opened the sack and looked inside. Gasping, he flung the pouch away from him as if it was on fire, and it landed on the floor, spilling its contents for all to see.

The severed head of a Cockatrice lay staring unblinkingly at the ceiling, its beak stained dark with the blood of previous kills, the dark feathers ruffled and dry. Albel immediately knew that this was no ordinary girl for the look of a Cockatrice could turn one into stone; killing one was not an easy task, even for an experienced soldier.

Annoyed, the girl picked up the head, unfazed by the grotesqueness of it, and held it out to the man again. “Well, here it is, am I going to get paid? Or are you not going to uphold your end of the deal?”

The man swallowed. “Yes… yes of course. I was merely started, that’s all. How much was it you asked for?”

“3,000 Fol.”

Nodding, the man untied his money pouch from his belt and began pulling out coins and handing them to the woman. “Here you are. I never thought you’d make it, but I’m glad you did.” He took the head. “Now I’ll have something of real value in my home.”

Albel watched as the young woman counted the money, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to the bartender. She ordered a mead to go, paid the man for her drink, and left the tavern as if delivering severed monster heads was a perfectly normal thing for her to do.

Intrigued, Albel forgot all about his drink and quickly exited the tavern, looking every which way for the mysterious woman. Spotting her farther down the path, he hurried in her direction, but didn’t run as he didn’t want her knowing she was being followed. He watched as she strolled into an alley and, looking around to make sure he himself wasn’t being followed, slipped into the alley after her. The alley had quite a few turns, and Albel had lost sight of the girl. Soon, he came to a dead end, and she was nowhere to be found. Cursing to himself for losing her, Albel made his way back out of the alley. However, had he looked up, he would have seen a fleeting form disappearing over the rooftops.

Meh, short chapter. Just wanted to set things up and build a sense of mystery around the girl. So, who is she? Where did she come from? And what’s with the head? These questions and more will be answered in due time….

In the mean time, please leave a review? I’d love to hear from ya’ll….