Requiem

Chapter 2

Kain

Kain's ear detected the ringing sound of Aida's laughter as he pulled off his black shirt, carefully drawing back deeper into the bushes. He watched unwaveringly as she laughed to herself a bit longer, quickly looked around in sudden embarrassment and stood up to head back to the castle. Once she left, he allowed himself fully strip bare and slipped into the cool water, relishing the sereneness of the water licking his scarred back. The markings on his wrist glistened. This was one of the few times where Kain could finally be at peace.

He closed his eyes and submerged himself into the water and opened his eyes, clearly seeing the dull green seaweed wrap its rough tendrils around his legs and feel the muck of the soil squish between his toes. Small fish of an array of colors swam between his legs, while others kissed his legs curiously, trying to decide if this man was food or not.

After a couple of moments of examining the river life, Kain broke out onto the surface and looked around, making sure that there was no one lurking in the forest. He could have stayed there for a few more minutes honestly, but his duty called him and he soon had feeling that he would be encountering trouble when he headed back to the castle grounds. He climbed out of the river and dried himself, then pulled on the clothes he had brought with him: A black long sleeved shirt with silver runes running diagonally down form his shoulder and black pants. Putting his apple in his mouth, Kain slipped on his well used combat boots and picked up his now wet sack and headed towards the castle grounds. But before heading back, he decided to go to the stables to pay a visit to Persephone, his horse.

As Kain opened the stable doors, he heard the familiar high pitched Gaelic accent of Sanji. In the room were two girls, one blonde and plump, and the other a ginger and willow like. They were both staring at Sanji with wide, adoring eyes. Sanji was an obnoxious dwarf-elf with a cowardly streak. The reason why he was a dwarf-elf was because we had the lean body of an elf and the pointed ears, but was at least 3 feet shorter than Kain and had large feet and hands and his skin was smeared with brown freckles. He was a peculiar species.

"So yea. This me's trusty steed., Dare," Sanji beamed, patting Kain's dark mare, whose name was in reality Muse.

Kain raised a brow and strode over to the group."Hello Muse," Kain murmured coolly as he walked past a shocked and flustered Sanji and two perplexed village girls.

He reached with an ivory toned hand and stroked Muse's mane, giving her the rest of his apple as he did so.

"Wait a minute. I thought his name was Dare?" One of the girl's questioned.

Sanji stuttered on his words, so Kain in a rare moment decided to help him out. "Her name is Muse. I suggest you not believe in Sir Sanji's words." He replied, his eyes still on Muse.

"Liar! Gosh! Always knew that weird fellows were the farts of the kingdom," muttered a girl.

"Hey! I am not a fart!" Sanji protested and Kain could hear him stamp his foot down.

"Whatever." Kain had by then finished petting Muse and was now heading out to leave when one of the girls, the willowy one of the two, asked him if he wanted to go on a stroll with them, batting an eyelash as she did so.

Kain stared at them for a long moment, not replying. After a moment, the girls decided to leave in order to avoid the head knight's intense stare down. Once they left, Sanji went out on a tirade, sprinkling out words that would make a mother cry.

"Why cain't ye let me have 'dis one moment! ONE MOMENT KAIN!" Sanji shouted. For a small man, Kain thought, he had quite the lungs. Kain simply shrugged.

"Sometimes the truth must be revealed." He replied, knowing fully well that he himself would never walk across that line, until, of course, the day of the reawakening began, which he felt would be soon.