Conditions

     It had been nine years since Jay last heard his true name called. His father had said it meant "dragon of the skies" in their native tongue, and Jay had liked it. But nine years ago everything burned, burned down to ashes, and the power of speech fled from his mind as the fire spit on him and bit him. Nobody in Angel City knew his name.

     "...Imaelka."

     The Navi smiled warmly. "So you remember. Souiryuu, will you come with me?"

     "Ashilmen kalie brandulo." [woot! go made-up language! and it even shows a slight similarity to spanish because i'm studying it right now! woot!] If you grant me these conditions. Jay stared up at Imaelka imploringly.

     "Rulimanke ahi ka branduto?" What is it?

     "Buscomen meli karumir, sa kalie brandulo sa ros melondule aman." The words rolled off Jay's tongue much smoother than English.

     Imaelka hissed. "Have you lost all pride? Why do you still remain loyal to them?"

     "Eshilmen koralihandulo. Oeil arkralim. [fake languages're surprisingly hard when you don't like fake-special-effects-languages.] It's not their fault. This is your old grudge and my old fight, not theirs."

     "And what if we refuse?"

     "Kalie brandulomen. And I would never forget."

     She paused, then retreated back into the trees. Jay sighed and slumped back, saying something to Kucabara.

     "...What? English, please?" Kuchiha edged away from the cliff edge. "She gonna shoot us or what?"

     "Calm down, she-wolf. She's talking to her higher-ups; they won't shoot us yet."

     "What's with the yet!? And how're you so sure, Ruru!?"

     "Shush, I'm listening."

     "Right, like your ears are so good you can hear English out of some weird, blue, Navijoso--"

     "Southern." Runo pointed at a white fluffy ear sticking out of Kake's basket.

     ",,,Oh." So knowing different languages and talking to animals followed the same logic. "But still. Why're we just standing around? What'd they say?" 

     Runo didn't answer.

     "Hello? Was it some sort of secret peace treaty or something? With a super-annoying crisis and conditions and everything? Sure sounded like it."

     Runo still didn't answer, and the minutes ticked by.

     "Let's just leave. I don't like this; it's like the wind's gonna blow the arrows straight at us, whether they like it or not." Kuchiha had unconsciously stooped into a fighting stance, hair rising from the tension.

     "You're not used to waiting, are you. Impatient little cub."

     "What was that!!!?"

     "Kake! Are there reinforcements coming!?"

     "Umm..." Kake made a face and tapped his forehead. "Maybe! Angel City's Council said that they were going to follow us, but they never did...and Kucabara's driver didn't come back, either..."

     "What the heck were you doing out there, anyways?" Runo then ceased to acknowledge the group and focused solely on the little patch of forest he had been staring at since Imaelka had emerged.

     Kuchiha was cracking from the strain of waiting. "Kucabara!! These two don't wanna answer the question: can we leave!!?"

     "Jay doesn't want to go!!" His voice carried clearly through the wind. "I can't walk, though I don't need immediate treatment; but the Navi needs help! We're almost at Angel City; you can bring him there!!!"

     "Ugh. Him?" Despite the long stream of protests that followed, Kuchiha hastily obeyed. She hated being a helpless target.

     "The top dog's made his choice," Runo murmered quietly, too quietly for anyone to hear properly.

     Kuchiha flung the unconscious Merl onto Violet like he was a burlap sack, arrow and all. "What!!?"

     "I said you should hurry!!"

     "You don't have to tell me!!!" She knew that that wasn't what he had said; but it didn't particularly matter to her. She swung her leg over Violet's back and tried to push herself up. Jay watched in horror from his seat on the ground.

     "N-no, no, you're doing it all wrong! That's the wrong leg! And you're foot should be on the back!"

     "Oh, Jay, you've recovered. But this is the back, isn't it?" To Kuchiha, as long as there was a spine, there was a back. Hence she accidentally dug her heel into the horse's neck and caused Violet to buck and careen off. "Hey!!! Get back here!!!"

     "Viole-" Jay was cut off by an arrow suddenly appearing at his feet, halfway sunken into the ground and quivering slightly. There wasn't even a hint of a sound over the roaring of the storm.

     Kuchiha was ready for action in a flash. "Ruru, what're you doing!!!? You should've warned us!!!"

     Runo turned his gaze towards the arrow. "...Oh. It's a message. No big deal, we'll handle this." It irked her strangely that she couldn't see his face from where she stood. "Are you going or not?"

     "Hey, what, I'm not allowed to be careful around arrows raining from the sky!!? Jeez! Yes I'm going, if you all wind up dead don't blame me!!!" Kuchiha pattered towards Violet, who shied against the cliff at the sight of her tormentor. Kuchiha slid her swords into their sheathes and held up her hands. "Alright, girl, I give. Just don't get in the way." Her feet pattered away in the mud.

     "Message!? Really!? Are there little letters carved on it or something!?" Kake bounced delightedly in his seat, apprently unfazed; or rather, completely rejuvenated.

     Runo pulled the arrow out of the mud and turned it around in his fingers. "Yeah, but I can't read it."

     Jay stood up, wiping mud off of his face and trying to keep his hair from blowing into his eyes. It reminded him of too many things. "Here, I think I can. It's probably in Southern." Runo handed him the arrow, and Jay's attention was focused on that., but from the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of Runo's face. He suddenly felt sick.

     "Oh, Jay, you okay? What does it say?" Kucabara craned his neck, unable to stand.

     "Here. It's something like: 'We've made our decision, if the red-hair'--that must be you, Runo--'and the black-hair leave,'--Kuchiha's already left--'we'll follow your conditions.'"

     "Well, this certainly makes me feel like a sitting duck. That would leave Kake as the only one uninjured and not targeted. They might want your Sheemah, though, so don't get too relaxed."

     "Eh, they want Stevie!? No~, after we'd finally gotten a relationship...!"

     "Not Stevie again..."

     "...Stevie?"

     "...Well, then, I'm going."

     "Eh!? You're going!? You're really going!?"

     "Not much else to do. Whatever the conditions were, let's hope you hit something, Jay. I'll leave it to you." Runo started towards Angel City after Kuchiha.

     "Wha--wait, Runo! What do you mean, I can't--what if something happens!? I-I won't be able to do anything, you can't-"

     "Shush, Jay, try depending on yourself for once. Kucabara'll tell you. Right? Oh, and the little kid with the rabbit."

     "Yes?"

     "Do something out of place, and I'll tear you limb from limb."

     He hadn't stopped walking or turned around, yet it was almost as if his eyes were still pressing against them and commanding obedience. Jay shuddered, and Kake suddenly lost his spirit. "...That was cold...Eyah [ooh, another sound effect], why does Ruru have to be so mean..."

     "Is...is he always like that?" Jay shivered again.

     "Only to me. Yah~, why me~!"

     "...Actually, I can kind of see why..." Kucabara looked back at the cliffs. "Jay, what did you ask of them?"

     "D-don't worry, it's not anything serious-"

     "Jay? They're coming."

Table of Contents

Chapter 21

Chapter 23