Post by Michelle Mackenzie (Admin) on Aug 16, 2010 12:47:54 GMT 1
Earn $50 royalty for criquing this work.
----
Melody laid in her bed, trying to block out the noises that surrounded her.
The water dripped from the sink on the other side of the room.
The floor creaked and groaned as other residents walked across the floorboards to their own rooms.
She could hear the tree branches tapping against her window, swaying from the wind.
She closed her eyes tight, gritting her teeth.
Melody pressed the pillows tightly to her ears. She sighed reluctantly, and sat up in her bed, wishing for the noises to fall silent.
As the time dragged on, her eyes began to ache and feel heavy.
Her thoughts began to drift, her eyes began to close and she drifted off to sleep.
Melody woke with a groan, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
There was a sound of a fist banging on the thin door.
"Who is it?" Melody called out, grabbing her rucksack from beside the locked door.
"Who do you think?" A man bellowed.
Melody sighed reluctantly, "All right Bane, I will be right out."
She looked around the small room. The walls were painted in red and black stripes.
A small window was covered with a red curtain, made from an old bed sheet.
Melody opened the bedroom door and stepped into the dimly lit hallway.
Bane was standing by the stairs, leaning against the chalky wall.
"Let's go and meet our new travelling assistant," she said with a yawn.
"Squalk might not even turn up," Bane grumbled, folding his arms defensively across his chest.
Melody rolled her eyes. She listened to the floorboards creak as she walked down the hallway towards the stairs.
The stairs looked dusty and old. She carefully held on to the walls, walking down the spiral stairwell.
Half way down, Melody stopped. A young man was sitting on the bottom stair, blocking their path.
She took another step, waiting for the young man to remove himself from the dusty step.
The man stared into the distance, unaware of Melody standing behind him.
"Excuse me," Melody growled "We can't seem to get through."
Slowly, the young man looked up at her and began to grin.
"Well, it's about time you arrived. I was beginning to think you wasn't coming," Squall snapped.
"Oh great," Melody cursed silently "another jerk to pull my chains."
Squall glared at her, climbing to his feet. Her eyes widened, watching as he towered above her.
"Well," she said, clearing her throat "just don't fall behind."
Squall looked pass her, eyeing up Bane.
"You must be Bane Rainsinner, I am Squall," he introduced.
Bane yawned, "I know who you are. As long as you don't fall too far behind, we won't have any problems. Ok Squalk?"
Squall frowned, "It's pronounced as Squall."
Bane watched as Squall shrank back under his glare. "Ok, Squalk it is then," he muttered.
Melody looked at Bane, giving him a small thankful smile.
Melody waited for Squall to walk ahead, dragging his feet on the way out of the tavern.
"Thank you, Bane," Melody whispered.
Bane nodded silently, "I only give you a hard time to pull your chains. He is just plain rude."
Melody nodded, walking close beside her companion. Bane growled, glaring at the man ahead of him.
"He may be a head taller than you, but I am twice his built."
He looked up at the sky above him with a sigh. It was barely past dawn yet the morning's air was hot and humid.
Squall paused and turned to face his reluctant companions, "Where are we going anyway?"
Bane raised an eyebrow, suprised that Zeal hadn't told him where the fragments location was.
"We are going to the Empire of the Springs," he reported.
Squall gaped, the blood drained from his face. "The Springs? We can't go there- it's sucide!"
Melody took a step forward, her voice was suprisingly cold even to her own ears.
"It would be sucide if we were going alone, but we are not. If we stick together and try not to draw attention to ourselves, then we have a small chance of
collecting the fragments and leave before they notice that we're there."
"Do you really think that it will be that easy? That place is huge, someone is bound to notice that we're outsiders!" Squall demanded.
Melody rolled her eyes, "You know what, if you are really that scared of a little adventure, then by all means turn back and go home."
Squall forced out a weak laugh, "I'm not scared, I am just not willing to die."
Bane stood beside Melody, resting a hand on her tense shoulder. "Melody is right. If you are not up to it then go home. I am sure that Melody and I can take care of ourselves."
Squall nodded, turning around to walk back to the tavern. "Before you go," Bane added smugly "what do you plan to tell Zeal?"
Squall sighed, "I am going to tell him that if he told me where we were heading, I never would have agreed to accompany you."
Bane shrugged, looking at Melody for a moment. "Ok. Well, you better be on your way then."
Without saying another word, Melody and Bane began to walk away.
"Wait!" Squall shouted, "I can at least walk some of the way with you. Zeal wouldn't be very happy if I had let you two get killed before you get there."
Melody grinned at Bane, proudly. Bane winked at her, smiling smugly.
They walked slowly towards the south as they had been instructed. Melody smiled, happily observing the blue and green feilds of grass, with purple and pink flowers scattered across the hills.
The birds continued to sing, and the sun continued to move across the sky. Feeling the full wrath of the summer season, Bane and Melody slowed to a stop.
There was a tree nearby, casting a shadow on the bottom of the steep hill. As they sat down on the cool shady grass, Bane and Melody dug through their bags to retrieve their water and something to eat as a snack. Grinning, Melody pulled out a carrot stick and a green apple. Bane pulled out some garlic bread and a banana, and then began to peel away the yellow skin.
Squall rolled his eyes, but grateful for the rest. He dug through his own bag, covered with black and white stripes. He clawed through his possesions before he pulled out a buscuit and a chocolate cake. Melody stared at the cake, thinking silently to herself. She bit into her carrot, satisfied with hearing the crunch.
She took a mouthful of her water, her thoughts turned to their quest. She sighed, "Do we even know where to look when we get to the Springs?"
Bane shook his head, swallowing his bread. "I was thinking about that myself. Maybe we can start with the local town when we arrive."
Squall laughed bitterly, "Yeah, good luck with that. You're likely to be killed as soon as you walk into the Springs. The boarder is watched closely by the villagers."
Bane thought for a moment, "That could be a problem. We'll simply just tell them that we have no intention of staying and are only passing through."
Squall sighed, "I suppose that could work. You'll need a d**n good reason for passing through though."
Melody raised an eyebrow. "Well, I have an idea or two about that."
"Go on," Bane said, encouraging her.
"Why not just tell them that we're newly married and looking to have a honeymoon and need to pass through. Or, we could just say we have a dying relative who has asked to see us before she dies."
"Who would we say is dying?" Bane asked.
Melody shrugged, "How about my aunt. I don't have one, they are all ready dead."
Bane sighed, "Hmm... I think that being a newly wed is more believeable."
Melody smiled, "Right then, so if anyone asks, we are passing through for our honeymoon."
"Agreed," Bane confirmed.
Squall stared at his companions in horror, "This won't work, you'll see."
Melody laughed.
Bane glared at him, "We have no choice. We have to get the fragments."
----
Melody laid in her bed, trying to block out the noises that surrounded her.
The water dripped from the sink on the other side of the room.
The floor creaked and groaned as other residents walked across the floorboards to their own rooms.
She could hear the tree branches tapping against her window, swaying from the wind.
She closed her eyes tight, gritting her teeth.
Melody pressed the pillows tightly to her ears. She sighed reluctantly, and sat up in her bed, wishing for the noises to fall silent.
As the time dragged on, her eyes began to ache and feel heavy.
Her thoughts began to drift, her eyes began to close and she drifted off to sleep.
Melody woke with a groan, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
There was a sound of a fist banging on the thin door.
"Who is it?" Melody called out, grabbing her rucksack from beside the locked door.
"Who do you think?" A man bellowed.
Melody sighed reluctantly, "All right Bane, I will be right out."
She looked around the small room. The walls were painted in red and black stripes.
A small window was covered with a red curtain, made from an old bed sheet.
Melody opened the bedroom door and stepped into the dimly lit hallway.
Bane was standing by the stairs, leaning against the chalky wall.
"Let's go and meet our new travelling assistant," she said with a yawn.
"Squalk might not even turn up," Bane grumbled, folding his arms defensively across his chest.
Melody rolled her eyes. She listened to the floorboards creak as she walked down the hallway towards the stairs.
The stairs looked dusty and old. She carefully held on to the walls, walking down the spiral stairwell.
Half way down, Melody stopped. A young man was sitting on the bottom stair, blocking their path.
She took another step, waiting for the young man to remove himself from the dusty step.
The man stared into the distance, unaware of Melody standing behind him.
"Excuse me," Melody growled "We can't seem to get through."
Slowly, the young man looked up at her and began to grin.
"Well, it's about time you arrived. I was beginning to think you wasn't coming," Squall snapped.
"Oh great," Melody cursed silently "another jerk to pull my chains."
Squall glared at her, climbing to his feet. Her eyes widened, watching as he towered above her.
"Well," she said, clearing her throat "just don't fall behind."
Squall looked pass her, eyeing up Bane.
"You must be Bane Rainsinner, I am Squall," he introduced.
Bane yawned, "I know who you are. As long as you don't fall too far behind, we won't have any problems. Ok Squalk?"
Squall frowned, "It's pronounced as Squall."
Bane watched as Squall shrank back under his glare. "Ok, Squalk it is then," he muttered.
Melody looked at Bane, giving him a small thankful smile.
Melody waited for Squall to walk ahead, dragging his feet on the way out of the tavern.
"Thank you, Bane," Melody whispered.
Bane nodded silently, "I only give you a hard time to pull your chains. He is just plain rude."
Melody nodded, walking close beside her companion. Bane growled, glaring at the man ahead of him.
"He may be a head taller than you, but I am twice his built."
He looked up at the sky above him with a sigh. It was barely past dawn yet the morning's air was hot and humid.
Squall paused and turned to face his reluctant companions, "Where are we going anyway?"
Bane raised an eyebrow, suprised that Zeal hadn't told him where the fragments location was.
"We are going to the Empire of the Springs," he reported.
Squall gaped, the blood drained from his face. "The Springs? We can't go there- it's sucide!"
Melody took a step forward, her voice was suprisingly cold even to her own ears.
"It would be sucide if we were going alone, but we are not. If we stick together and try not to draw attention to ourselves, then we have a small chance of
collecting the fragments and leave before they notice that we're there."
"Do you really think that it will be that easy? That place is huge, someone is bound to notice that we're outsiders!" Squall demanded.
Melody rolled her eyes, "You know what, if you are really that scared of a little adventure, then by all means turn back and go home."
Squall forced out a weak laugh, "I'm not scared, I am just not willing to die."
Bane stood beside Melody, resting a hand on her tense shoulder. "Melody is right. If you are not up to it then go home. I am sure that Melody and I can take care of ourselves."
Squall nodded, turning around to walk back to the tavern. "Before you go," Bane added smugly "what do you plan to tell Zeal?"
Squall sighed, "I am going to tell him that if he told me where we were heading, I never would have agreed to accompany you."
Bane shrugged, looking at Melody for a moment. "Ok. Well, you better be on your way then."
Without saying another word, Melody and Bane began to walk away.
"Wait!" Squall shouted, "I can at least walk some of the way with you. Zeal wouldn't be very happy if I had let you two get killed before you get there."
Melody grinned at Bane, proudly. Bane winked at her, smiling smugly.
They walked slowly towards the south as they had been instructed. Melody smiled, happily observing the blue and green feilds of grass, with purple and pink flowers scattered across the hills.
The birds continued to sing, and the sun continued to move across the sky. Feeling the full wrath of the summer season, Bane and Melody slowed to a stop.
There was a tree nearby, casting a shadow on the bottom of the steep hill. As they sat down on the cool shady grass, Bane and Melody dug through their bags to retrieve their water and something to eat as a snack. Grinning, Melody pulled out a carrot stick and a green apple. Bane pulled out some garlic bread and a banana, and then began to peel away the yellow skin.
Squall rolled his eyes, but grateful for the rest. He dug through his own bag, covered with black and white stripes. He clawed through his possesions before he pulled out a buscuit and a chocolate cake. Melody stared at the cake, thinking silently to herself. She bit into her carrot, satisfied with hearing the crunch.
She took a mouthful of her water, her thoughts turned to their quest. She sighed, "Do we even know where to look when we get to the Springs?"
Bane shook his head, swallowing his bread. "I was thinking about that myself. Maybe we can start with the local town when we arrive."
Squall laughed bitterly, "Yeah, good luck with that. You're likely to be killed as soon as you walk into the Springs. The boarder is watched closely by the villagers."
Bane thought for a moment, "That could be a problem. We'll simply just tell them that we have no intention of staying and are only passing through."
Squall sighed, "I suppose that could work. You'll need a d**n good reason for passing through though."
Melody raised an eyebrow. "Well, I have an idea or two about that."
"Go on," Bane said, encouraging her.
"Why not just tell them that we're newly married and looking to have a honeymoon and need to pass through. Or, we could just say we have a dying relative who has asked to see us before she dies."
"Who would we say is dying?" Bane asked.
Melody shrugged, "How about my aunt. I don't have one, they are all ready dead."
Bane sighed, "Hmm... I think that being a newly wed is more believeable."
Melody smiled, "Right then, so if anyone asks, we are passing through for our honeymoon."
"Agreed," Bane confirmed.
Squall stared at his companions in horror, "This won't work, you'll see."
Melody laughed.
Bane glared at him, "We have no choice. We have to get the fragments."