RPG Faking The Books: The Tale of Lana & Matthias [PG]

[Dragon Warrior]

[center][img]http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/6622/fakingthebooksqd9.jpg[/img]

[b][u]The Cast[/b][/u]
[i]Lana Everglass[/i] - Anomaly
[i]Matthias Bloom[/i] - Dragon Warrior

~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

[size=1]The morning sun was hotter than normal, or so it seemed as Matthias was filling buckets of water by the stream near his home. It was hard labor to carry the several buckets back and forth, especially once filled with the contents, but he was in good enough shape for it not to bother him. Not to mention, a large wooden contraption clung to his back that steadied well and carried numerous buckets on its own. Instead of carrying two by himself, Matthias was able to handle six at a time. It was one of his proud creations.

Matthias was an inventor of sorts. He often made machinery that wasn't seen all that often. Most didn't find his work to much use, despite their conveniency. His kind, sometimes called mechateers, were often shunned away if their inventions were nuissances. Matthias' were sometimes considered that. Therefore, he made a windmill outside the small town of Mellowbary his home. It was homely and contained the solitude he needed for his work. Still, money didn't come from what were considered worthless inventions, so he'd often sell artwork and various handy items to traveling merchants that'd pass by his windmill on their way to and from Mellowbary.

Aside from a few folks in Mellowbary, Matthias led a very quiet, lonely life. He had to admit some of his inventions backfired. He wasn't well-liked for that reason. He was highly intelligent, nevertheless, and carried himself well in an intellectual conversation. But most people around Mellowbary were nothing more than cattle farmers and couldn't hold up a decent chat about firewood much less the innerbody structure of man. Living on his own also caused him to grow edgy and worry a lot. Though he didn't have much to worry about aside from himself, this became an apparent trait of his and anyone that met him could see it through him as if he were transparent.

This particular characteristic was revealed that sunny morning when Matthias returned to his windmill with the final six pails of water. Upon opening the door, a knife was thrust toward his neck and held close, the blade pushing into his skin. He immediately began to sweat and panic, dropping the large contraption on his back. The buckets splashed everywhere, but Matthias remained unfazed. His eyes followed the knife to a hand that was holding it, then to the arm of said hand, and finally to the owner of that arm. The stranger's face was shadowed due to the windows of the windmill being covered. Only the sunlight seeping through the doorway illuminated part of their body. "Please, just rob me already," Matthias whimpered.

Another dagger spun out of nowhere and was held near Matthias' left eye. "Bite your tongue, scum," came the voice. "I'm not afraid to stab out your pupils."

"I can see that," Matthias gulped. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't too." He screamed as he was dragged inside his own windmill. The door slammed closed behind. It was dark. Matthias still had a dagger to his throat and the stranger stumbled about, running into chairs and tables and various gadgets Matthias left on the ground. Eventually a stool was found and Matthias was placed there. He sat stunned while the stranger fished about for a path toward the windows. Once they found them, they flung open the curtains and light flooded in. The stranger turned around and Matthias gulped.

"A girl?!" Then he squinted. "Or a guy?"

The stranger looked hurt. "I'm a girl!" She ran over and placed the dagger to Matthias' cheek.

"I'm sorry. From that far distance, I couldn't really tell. You have that cloak somewhat over your face and my eyesight is going and I've been working on things called glasses and I'm rambling again, aren't I? Oh, goodness, don't kill me."[/size]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]The girl snickered "Kill you? Ah but my friend... Then I don't get the bounty." She pressed down harder on the dagger. "B-b-bounty? Why would there be a bounty out for me? I'm just an inventor! I live alone, I keep to myself!" She tilted her head, the shadows receding so he could see her smile "You really think I haven't heard that one before, don't you?" The girl shook her head. "Come on then. I want to turn you in quick, before someone finds us and I have to fight them for you." She shoved her daggers into their holsters quickly, and then grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up. "W..where are we going? What are you doing?! I'm in the middle of something!" "Shut up!" She hissed at him. "Do you have a back door in this place?" Matthias felt numb, but he must have shook his head, because before he knew it, she was dragging him away from the kitchen, and into the back area of his workshop.


"Why are we going back here if there's no back do-" "I can't drag you out there in the daylight, people will ask questions. We will make preparations for our quest back here and once the sun sets we'll head out... It's too damn dark back here!" The girl ripped her hood back from her face, and once again stumbled through the unfamiliar surroundings to find the windows. "Umm.. There are no windows back here. Just candles. You see I?ve been working on this thing called electricity and?" "That's just BRILLIANT. Hang on then..." The girl kept her hand on his collar and felt around with her free hand on a counter next to them for a candle. When she finally found one, she did the best she could in the dark to prop it upright, and then held her hand over the wick. Matthias heard nothing now, except his ragged breathing and her calm and even breaths. ?Excuse me? What are you doing now?? He asked quietly. ?Shut up, I need to concentrate!? she barked at him. Matthias hesitantly shut his mouth and stood silently. The girl reached into her own mind to draw out the mark for fire. She spoke a strange word and a spark appeared? but not from her hand to the candle wick. She opened one eye, and seeing that the candle was not lit, she cursed. ?But then? why do I smell smoke?? Matthias? eyes bulged out of his head. ?Your cape!? he shouted ?Your cape is on fire!!!? ?Oh shit!!!? The girl let go of his collar ?Shit shit shit! Why does this always happen??? ?Stop drop and roll!? He called out to her, frozen in his position on the wall. ?Shut the hell up!? She screamed at him, but she did what he told her to anyway, and soon the fire was out. She didn?t bother standing up.


She sat silently on the floor, going through the steps she had used, wondering what she?d done wrong this time. Matthias looked at the formless lump on the floor, but instead of running, he walked over to the table, pulled a pack of matches from his pocket, and lit the wick of the candle. The girl stood up suddenly, as if she had just remembered where she was and what she was doing. Matthias examined her, and was surprised to see she was a young woman, no more than twenty, and certainly didn?t look like the bounty hunter type. Her dark hair was bound back by a ribbon, from which many wisps escaped and framed her face. She gave him a steely glare, and rested a hand on one of her daggers.[/FONT]


[ack, I know it's not very long. sorry!]

[Dragon Warrior]

[size=1]"Stay where you are, thief," she muttered at Matthias. The inventor looked hurt.

"Thief? Me? Not likely."

"Don't give me that," she grumbled. Her eyes drifted about the room until they came upon rope. "Sit back in that chair over there." Matthias looked about to where she was gesturing and seated himself. The woman wobbled over, smoking a bit from the previous fire, and began wrapping Matthias in the rope. "You're staying put. I'm not taking any chances." She tied several knots securely, making sure he couldn't escape. She smiled at her work; Matthias grimaced. The woman then made her way over to the cabinet.

"Hey, now," Matthias whimpered. "Get out of there." The woman shot him a glance, which immediately made him silent. Then she took out some bread. "And she called me a thief," he muttered under his breath.

"Relax. I'm gathering food for the way to the city."

"The city?"

"Akubar."

"Akubar?!" Matthias nearly jumped out of his chair. "Why're we going all the way to Akubar?"

"That's where I have to take you to retrieve my gold. Now shut your trap." Matthias sat silently as the woman carefully bundled food into a cloth, then tied it neatly with string. For being a fearsome bounty hunter, she still had quite the woman's touch. She flung the food pack over by the rest of her gear and sat herself down on Matthias' cot. A long, awkward silence passed as Matthias peered at the woman, who then returned the same expressionless look.

"What's your name?" Matthias was surprised to find himself asking.

The woman sat silently for a moment, rubbing her hand at the poorly-sewn sheets of the bed. "Not that it matters to you, thief, but it's Ceridwen."

"That's lovely. Mine's Ma-"

"I know it, thief."

Matthias appeared shocked. "Then why do you keep calling me that?"

"What?"

"Thief."

"That's what you are, aren't you? A Thief? Now shut your yap. I'm busy."

"Doing what? Staring down the splinters of wood?"

Ceridwen shot him an icy glare, but said nothing. Matthias felt a little at ease, knowing the woman had finally calmed down a bit. No daggers were present, especially any at his throat. Despite the fact he was tied up, he didn't feel so much in danger anymore. There was always a possibility someone would stumble into his windmill and save him, after all.

"Stop that moving," she snarled. "Don't think you can escape out that window."

"Oh, yes," Matthias grumbled. "I'm just going to pick myself up in the chair and hurl myself out the window. I'm an inventor, not an illusionist." Matthias was surprised he was saying such things. It was very unbecoming of him and he suddenly wished he could've taken it all back.

"You don't like to shut up, do you?" Ceridwen muttered. Before Matthias knew it, a cloth was placed in his mouth. Ceridwen stood before him, admiring her work once again. "Well, then, we're going to have a long quiet night tonight."

Matthias mumbled something through the cloth that resembled the words "Cows lay eggs in July," but Ceridwen disregarded it and laid down on the bed. It wasn't long before she was asleep and Matthias found himself watching the candle burn until it finally went out late into the evening. Ceridwen awoke when the moonlight seeped through the hole in the curtains. She rubbed her eyes and admired that Matthias was still tied to his chair in the same spot. He looked dazed and sick from remaining still for so long.

She stood up and gathered her things. "It's time," she smiled.[/size]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]Quickly she undid the ropes that bound him, and removed the cloth from his mouth. "Finally, I--" Matthias began to speak but she clamped her hand down over his mouth firmly.

"Shut it. Now." Ceredwin barked at him. It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. Matthias glared at her, but he obliged as her hand went to her dagger. "Say your goodbyes to this place. It's likely the last you'll ever see of it." She stood from her kneeling position, and he followed suit, stretching his aching limbs. "I'll wait in the doorway for you. Don't take long." Ceredwin told him, and briskly walked over to the doorway of the workshop. Matthias stood still for a moment, still half in a daze, the other half of him trying to figure out exactly what was going on, or if maybe this was all an elaborate joke. He could think of several reasons of why this could happen, but he wanted to believe that he'd left that life behind...

Matthias sighed and walked over to the counter where he'd spent many hours planning and building his inventions. He ran his hand over the wood, feeling it's familiar texture, mixed with dents and chips from years of wear and accidents. Matthias' hand stopped when he felt his tool belt. It had been his tool belt since he'd moved into this place, and he trusted no one else with it. He couldn't imagine being parted from it... Maybe he didn't have to be. He glanced over at Ceredwin's figure in the door. She was facing the other way. Quickly he rolled his shirt up a little, and fastened the toolbelt around his middle. He yanked his shirt back down and tucked it into his pants. Matthias hoped she hadn't taken a good look at him. The tool belt definitely made him look heavier. And lumpier, too. 'Please please don't look too close at me...' he silently thought to himself. Matthias gave a final sweeping look over his dark studio, and then headed to the doorway. "I'm ready." He told her.

"That took ages," she replied. "about damn time. Let?s go then.? Ceredwin grabbed his wrist roughly. ?Make a move to escape, and your wrist will be broken.? Matthias looked at her incredulously, but didn?t reply. They traipsed through the kitchen and out the door into the night.

****

?So? do you have any hobbies?? Matthias was grasping at straws and he knew it, but he was desperate to open up a conversation. He needed to get to know her. Needed a chance to explain how this was all a big misunderstanding.

?Shut up.? She rolled her eyes. ?I want this trip to go as smoothly as possible. And it definitely can if you do NOT talk to me.?

?Just trying to make conversation?? Matthias mumbled. ?It?s a long trip. Might as well keep each other company.?

?Hah!? Ceredwin scoffed at him. ?I?ve been alone most of my life. Who needs company? Surely you understand. You lived all alone in that windmill. Why bother with it now?? Matthias puffed himself up.

?Because you are a lady, and I am a gentleman. And gentlemen generally try to make conversation to put the lady at ease.? She seemed to soften up a bit.

?There is no such thing as a real gentleman??[/FONT]

[Dragon Warrior]

[size=1]Matthias stayed quiet for quite a while after what had been said. He saw that Ceredwin was loosening up, but she blocked off everything he said like a large barrier, nevertheless. Instead, he began turning to his attention to the wilderness. It had just occurred to him they were traversing through dark woods at night, in an area he wasn't very fond of. His nearby town was now out of sight and all that was visible was the half moon peering through the eerie canopy above.

A noise echoed about the trees and Matthias got spooked. He almost clung to Ceredwin's cloak, but figured he wouldn't find much safety with the woman willing to chop off his fingers with her dagger for just smirking at her. Nevertheless, he kept close to her. He really had no choice anyways. She constantly kept watch of him. And he knew he wasn't in enough shape to outrun a trained bounty hunter.

Overtime he grew weary. He wasn't a night person. The most he stayed up for was when he was really into an invention he was creating. He'd spend long nights working on it. But endless walking wore him out quickly and he whined for a rest. "What're you complaining about now?" Ceredwin scolded.

"Nothing," he squeaked. "Just a bit tired."

"Oh, be a man," she grumbled back.

"Sorry," he winced. "I'm fresh out of that."

"Keep up," she hissed.

"You can't very well get your quarry to Akubar if the quarry is fatigued."

"And the quarry can't very well walk without legs, can he?" she countered, waving the dagger.

"Point taken," Matthias yipped, speeding up his pace. He then began tripping over Ceredwin's feet from being almost too close to her.

"Get back! We'll fall!" A sudden noise startled Matthias, who jumped into Ceredwin. "Hey! Watch it!" she shouted, just before they both fell tumbling down a ditch. The ditch rolled them into some sort of cave, which happened to have yet another pit they fell through. They both landed with a thump. Ceredwin pushed Matthias off her. She looked around and grumbled. "Great. I can't see where we are. Nice going."

She began feeling around for something when suddenly the cave was illuminated. She looked to Matthias who held a small stick with a flame at the end. "You have a tiny torch?!" She seemed upset and grabbed it away from him. "Give me that!" She looked at it curiously, realizing it wasn't a torch. The small wooden rod had a tiny flame at the end incased in a glass orb. The orb caused the flame's light to expand further than normal. It worked wonderfully. "Such a small flame. But how is it so bright?"

"It's one of my older inventions," Matthias said proudly. "I haven't named it yet, but I usually just call it my flamer stick thing."

Ceredwin peered queerly at Matthias. "I see." She stood up and walked around the cave. "Well, I don't see a way out. At least not from where we came. We'll have to find a new way." She shined the light on the ceiling, seeing it was made up of just various plants. It was apparently not a real cave, but merely an undergrowth of the forest floor. Therefore, there had to be an exit. She looked back to Matthias, who was still sitting where he had fallen. "Well, c'mon. let's move." He obeyed and followed her, the flamer stick thing lighting the way.[/size]