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Necklace of Fear	By : RavenTheDarkAngel Category: +S through Z > Star Ocean 2 Views: 2112 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 2, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: If I
owned Star Ocean
I�d have made an ending where Albel grabs hold of Nel and kisses her senseless,
but seeing as that didn�t happen, I do not.
Author�s Note: This was orginally posted on
FF.net however this will be the uncut version. As of right now there is nothing past R rating but it will eventually
become a lemon. Anyways I�m trying really hard with the characterization but I lack the whit Albel bathes in,
so he�s not as clever-remaking as he should
be and I�m not too sure about Nel. This really doesn�t have much of a plot in the begining and is centered more on
the characters and their evolving love. So this will be a very slow paced story. This one will probably be a long one,
or at least for me anyways so be prepared. And I hope you enjoy!

-------------------------------
Necklace of Fear
By Raven the Dark Angel
-------------------------------

Chapter 1: Shatter

It was now official. So official it made her
sick. Before she could just pretend it was all just some strange twisted dream;
that if she just waited long enough she would awake and be back on the
battlefield fighting against the enemy once again. But treaties had been signed
and marriages arranged; their country was now tied to theirs. The war was over
and the people were at peace. However she couldn�t quite say things were back
to normal. No�Normal had gone far,
far away like the space craft that had taken the off-worlders back to whatever
strange home they came from. She sighed. Normal
wouldn�t be a part of her world anymore not after what she had seen and normal
couldn�t even be somewhat duplicated with her in plain sight of the notorious
Albel the Wicked without being viciously attacked.
Those days
of running across Airyglyph�s roof tops and spying on its various military
leaders were now over. She couldn�t exactly say she missed it and at the same
time she felt like something was completely gone. There was too much free time
on her hands without the hectic demands of gathering information and building a
stronger defense. She couldn�t think of it as vacation either. She never liked
them and when things calmed she only found herself dissatisfied at her
uselessness. She wanted to be doing something important, something that her
queen needed her to do instead of simply taking up tasks to merely busy her.
Nel lifted
the papers in her hand and tapped them lightly against the table to neaten them
and placed them back upon the surface. She smoothed her hand across the top
sheet and exhaled to try and focus on reading the document once again. One
thing was for sure, there was plenty of mind-numbing paperwork to be done with
no end of the ever growing pile in sight.
She
squinted, trying to keep her attention focused on the cultivation of
Airyglyph�s barren soil but her mind kept drifting to other things that
belonged to the country. A monotonous clank of metal drummed against the wood
across from her over and over. Clink. Clink. She stiffened and grasped the
document firmly and fixed her narrowed eyes upon the words before her:
�Precipitation
in Airyglyph only occurres in the dead of winter in vast amounts. However due
to the fact that the ground is frozen over �� Clink. Clink. �� it doesn�t
replenish the dry soil �� Clink. Clink. The girl�s eyebrow twitched. She
slammed down the papers and pinned her sight upon the rapping claw that now
halted in mid tap. Nel dragged her eyes up the man�s shiny limb, along his
shoulders, to his mouth that rolled across the expanse of his face in a
satisfied smirk. She darted her eyes into his red ones causing the curve in his
lips to thicken. She sighed and shook her head and demanded every inch of her
to pay attention to the task at hand. He wanted her to get annoyed and she be
damned if she allowed him to win this little game of his.
Clink.
Clink. The rapping started once again and the man mildly glanced down at his
own paperwork before returning his gaze to the woman in front of him. He
trailed his eyes along the tresses of her hair that tickled lightly against her
shoulders and he was almost positive he could get her anger to highlight her
face just as red. But how long did he have to keep this up before she would
explode? He wondered and watched the maggot cringe as he continued on with the
noise.
Clink.
Clink. She held the bridge of her nose and sighed. She could just feel his eyes on her. What did he want
with her anyway? Was he really that bored? Clink. Clink. The metal almost began
to squeak now under the un-oiled joints and Nel grit her teeth at the way the
sound sliced into her ears.
Hmm so the
Aquarian scum was starting to get annoyed now, was she? Albel observed and
flashed his own fangs in sneering satisfaction. But how long until she shouted?
How long until she unsheathed those daggers of hers? Would she press the cold
blades up to his neck or would she try to continue to ignore him? He wondered
and drummed against the wood harder and faster without relent.
Clink. Clink.
�Cut it out, Nox!� Nel screamed and
smacked her work on the conference table, scattering the sheets about. Clair
and the others glanced up from their own papers, startled by the sudden
outburst.
�Is something wrong, fool?� Albel
questioned as he rested his chin on his good hand and slithered his eyes to
meet hers.
Nel clenched a fist that shook
under her pressure. �How dare you�� She hissed. �How dare you!�

�Is
that all you can say?� he challenged and tilted his head watching the end of
her lips curl and he twitched his own in amusement.
�I�ve had about enough of you!� Nel
growled and swung her daggers out in front of her ready to fight over the table
if she had to. She was sick and tired of this childish stupidity! Ever since
Her Majesty stationed him and Woltar to Arias all she ever heard was one insult
after the next. Maggots, worms, weaklings, fools. Over and over. Every time she
saw the man he�d prod her for a fight in some way shape or form. Fight. Fight.
Fight! That�s all he ever wanted! And it was high time she gave him one! Nel
clenched her teeth down at the man as her eyes bore into his and willed all her
hate into that single glare.
Albel tilted his head back and let
out an open-mouthed laugh. His unusual voice resonated deep in his throat with
laced iniquity, causing more than a few occupants in the room to shiver. Yes it
seemed her anger was shining through quite nicely, but he needed more� He
wanted her on the edge! �You? Fight me? You must be joking!�
Nel narrowed her eyes into tiny
slits as her grip tightened on her blades. She couldn�t take it anymore! Did he
want to battle or what? Was he merely rattling her for fun? Either way it didn�t
matter. She was going to rip her daggers into that anorexic stomach of his and
teach him a lesson on why it isn�t wise to toy with a Crimson Blade! �Shut up, Nox!
You won�t be laughing when I slice your throat open!�
�I�m shaking!� he mocked and shot
to a stand, knocking his chair over in the process. �But if you wish to spill
my blood so badly, then let�s go, maggot. Try not to disappoint me.� He
unsheathed his own weapon only to jolt at the sudden crash against the table.
�That is enough!� Clair shouted, standing herself and removed her slammed
palms from the wood. �We are here to work
not to argue! If for some reason you can not understand that, I�m going to have
to ask the two of you to leave. Is that understood?�
Nel deflated the air in her lungs
and let her arms fall limply to her sides. What had gotten into her? Her friend
was right. The war was over and as much as Nox made her skin crawl she had to
calm down. She had to summon as much patience as possible. This was what that
evil bastard wanted! �I�m sorry, Clair.�
�It�s okay.� The silver haired girl
smiled and settled back into her seat once again. It was highly unusual for her
to shout like that at anyone, never mind Nel. The tension was getting to them
all.
�Hmph!� Albel snorted and righted
his chair to plop back down in it. How dare that scum ruin his fun! Just when
things were starting to get interesting� He glanced at the girl in front of him
and captured her emerald eyes momentarily before she wrinkled her nose back
into the paper once again. Hmm� he�d just have to elicit her wrath once more
and they�d be out free to kill each other as they pleased. The man stroked the
handle of his sword. Oh they�d be clashing blades soon. He could feel it�
Nel glared down at the paper. She
pretended to skim the text but all she could think about was that man. Ugh! She
absently hovered a hand above her dagger as images of Nox�s bloody corpse
danced across her mind. But some dreams were just too good to ever come true�
�Perhaps it�d be best to take a
break.� Woltar suggested, flitting his tired eyes between the two youngsters.
�Fine with me.� Nel agreed and
stretched her tattooed arms in the air.
Albel folded his own and scowled
down at the table. Stupid worms. Fight the boredom of doing useless garbage by
doing absolutely nothing at all. Perfectly brilliant really. What would they
talk about? More pacifist nonsense? It was starting to get old� �I tire of
these games,� he announced and planted his feet on the ground. �I�m going
outside.�
�I�m going too,� Nel decided and
followed the man out into the hallway. He paid no attention to her shadowing
his steps and the girl took her time to glare at the bastard�s back. The entire
time they sat in there he just huffed and sighed and didn�t even bother to at
least complete one of the papers before him. What was the point in him coming
to help if he wasn�t going to even do anything? What was his problem?
She narrowed her eyes and listened
to the constant clang of metal whenever he walked or moved and slid her eyes up
his lean frame to watch his hair-wraps bob against him. They settled still as
he paused to toss the front door open. He didn�t bother to hold it. Nel wasn�t
surprised.
Once outdoors, the man stilled and
crushed a rock under his thick-soled boots. He gave the hapless thing a good
kick and tilted his head toward the sky as he thrust the air out of his lungs.
He clenched his good hand into a fist and let his bangs blanket over his eyes
while his head bent low to gaze over his shoulders back at Nel. He watched her
brows furrow in disgust and he coiled his lips in pure delight. Yes perhaps he
could rouse the woman into a match after all.
�Why are you following me,
Aquarian?� he questioned, keeping his back to her.
�I�m not.� She simply stated. �I
just needed some fresh air, that�s all. The world doesn�t revolve around Albel
Nox.�
�Hmph.� He grunted in response. �Like
the air is fresh here. It stinks of you Aquarian scum.�
Nel closed her eyes. Keep calm� She
willed herself and slowly took in a deep breath. �Whatever. If it really gets
you off insulting my people, then go right on ahead.�
�I�m not insulting them. I�m merely
stating a fact.�
The girl clenched her teeth at him.
His lips twitched. She couldn�t believe the man as she watched him try to level
the smirk creeping upon his features. Why was he so interested in toying with
her? What did he want? Just a fight? Nel pressed the tips of her fingers upon
her forehead. So what if he did want to fight? It�s not like he�d actually kill
her but then again she wouldn�t put anything past him once he dipped himself
into the pool of battle; though at this point she herself needed to take a
dive.
Albel turned around at the sudden
quiet and narrowed his eyes down at the tiny woman before him. His bangs
shielded his vision and he took the opportunity to trace her body. Her supple
legs firmly rooted to the ground as her skirt just barely covered what was
necessary and he absently wondered if the markings carved into her thighs were
soft or callous. He bit back the urge to place his hand between the slit in the
cloth and grasped her eyes firmly with his own. She didn�t flinch under his
gaze. She had a lot of guts, he�d give her that, but he wondered what they
would look like splattered against the dirt.
Nel lightly skimmed her hands
against her hips, ready to draw the daggers at any moment. She knew once the
steel was removed there would be no turning back this time, and no one to stop
them either. She gripped the handles and judged him carefully. His eyes pinned
hers still aware of the placement of her arms just in case she tried anything.
His own hand went to the Crimson Scourge, the smirk long forgotten.
It was all up to her really� To fight him or
not? She wondered and let her eyes drift to the man�s mouth that lightly
hummed. He flit his tongue out and moistened his lips, slowly before tucking it
back in. The ends slightly curved once again and he closed the gap between them
with one long stride.
�How about it Aquarian, care to
dance?� he questioned and slowly scrapped his katana against the sheath upon
removal.
Nel drew her own weapons and tucked
her arms against her sides defensively in response. �If that�s what you want to
call it. But I can guarantee you won�t be smiling when we�re through.�
�Oh?� Her words only thickened his
smirk. �Too bad you think so harshly and here I am willing to sweep you off
your feet.� He quipped only to suddenly lunge forward and swipe his sword
across her ankles.
The girl flipped back and watched
him rise to full height once she landed. He chuckled as he swung his weapon
diagonally and idly scraped the dirt with the tip. So he thought it was funny
did he? Was he trying to make a fool of her? She growled at the man and
sprinted toward him, daggers raised.
She thrust her right one down just
as she came within range and he deftly lifted his blade up to clash with hers.
She bowed her head behind her scarf and aimed her left at his shoulder. The man
slightly turned, allowing the metal to clang against his gauntlet. The two
hopped back.
�Not bad,� he remarked, still with
his eyes in shadow, �But you�ll have to do better than that to beat me.�
Shut up! She shouted at the man in
her mind. He wanted her angry on purpose! He�d use her blind rage to his
advantage and she certainly wasn�t about to give him that! She gripped her
handles tighter as the two began to circle one another, awaiting the next move.
Albel slammed a foot forward and
slashed his blade horizontally, swinging his entire body in the follow through.
Nel jumped back once more, dodging his attack and slipped a blade in the
sheath. She flung her free hand out for a spell and watched him rise to full
height again as he sneered down at her.
So that�s how she wanted to play�
He smirked. Keeping her distance wasn�t going to be quite the advantage she
thought. With a flick of his wrist, his sword slapped the ground, disrupting
the air surrounding it. �Air Slash!� he shouted and sped beside the wind
current to stop her casting.
Nel side-stepped away from the
special move, ignoring the crashing sound of the now crumbled wall behind her
and readied for the spell again. Her eyes widened as he zeroed in on her. The
runes sparked to life and circled around her hand just as Albel lifted his
sword high for another attack.
�Ice Needles!� she shouted
thrusting her dagger upwards in a clash against his blade.
Albel shoved his claw forward into
her casting hand. He clenched her palm as the icicles shot through the metal,
freezing the artificial limb in the process. Nel gasped and ripped her arm
away, heart pounding. She grunted as the cuts from the sharp metal began to
bleed and she made a move to retrieve her other dagger but hesitated.
Albel�s claw was frozen. He didn�t
seem to notice however and swung for her again and she jumped back several
times to widen the gap, trying to calculate her options. She fumbled in her
pockets for some lavender, but only found berries. Damn. As much as she hated
the guy she didn�t want to be responsible for destroying his claw.
�Scrambling for medicine already?�
he taunted. �I haven�t even broken a sweat yet!�
�Nox!� Nel shouted over the clang
of metal, �Stop!�
The man ignored her with a loud
mocking laugh and charged toward her once again, swinging his blade repeatedly.
�Don�t challenge me if you are so quick to cower!� he spat with his sword
scrapping against her blocking daggers.
Nel grit her teeth at him. �Idiot!�
she screamed, struggling under his strength. �You don�t understand!�
He ignored her once again with a
growling chuckle and leaned forward, nearly brushing their foreheads. �Come on, Aquarian! I didn�t think you�d be this easy! Do I really rattle your
resolve, so?� He flashed her the full set of his teeth in an open-mouth smirk
and swung his claw toward her side. The girl gasped hard, but managed to break
a dagger free from his sword�s hold and braced herself for what was to come as
the artificial limb connected with her blade.
She heard the katana clatter to the
ground before she saw the prosthetic shatter, leaving behind a cloud of
metallic dust that dispersed into the air. A guttural shriek erupted from the
man�s mouth as blood began to spill, first in a bursting splatter, then
breaking down to a slow free-flowing ooze. He instantly clutched the wounded
flesh, catching the red liquid temporarily as it seeped between his fingers and
rolled down his arm. He approached the girl unsteadily and locked eyes with her
through the hood of his bangs.
Nel swallowed, slowly receding. She
sucked in a jagged breath as her heart screamed inside of her chest underneath
his deadly gaze. His red eyes seemed to glow even fiercer with each step he
took and even more crazed with each drop of blood spattered upon the floor. His
lips suddenly curled into a sneer and he bent forward, coming uneasily close to
her face. Nel held her breath.
She could feel his own tickle against
her face as he pressed near, just a hair away from touching. �You.� He rasped
the words even and calm almost aggressively gentle, chilling her spine to the very
core. He closed his eyes and she slammed hers shut. Her lungs heaved faster as
her heart raced to beat its pace. What was he doing? The grip on her daggers
tightened as he slipped impossibly closer.
�Boy!� Woltar shouted from the
mansion�s doorway and advanced toward them as fast as his creaky limbs could
carry him. �Stop this at once! We must treat that wound right away!�
�Stay out of this, old man!� Albel
snapped, refusing to turn his gaze. Nel flinched at the volume so close to her
face and swallowed so sure she felt the man�s lips brush hers at the words
spoken.
Woltar�s wrinkles deepened with his
scowl. �Listen to me boy!� he
growled, snatching hold of the younger man�s arm and Albel instantly swung his
head in his direction. Nel finally exhaled. �Stop this imprudence! Only a fool
allows themselves to needlessly bleed to death!�
�This is nothing!� Albel hollered
and ripped his limb from his bony fingers.
�Quiet, boy,� the elder ordered,
�Even the greatest swordsman knows when to patch his wounds. Weakening yourself
for a mere spar is the act of impetuous novice. I thought you�d know better
than to commit such a ridiculous act. I guess I was wrong about you, boy.�
The younger let out a growl and
sneered down at Woltar as he stared right back, unaffected. Albel clenched his
only hand into a fist as the left dripped freely and he slowly eased his eyes
shut, contemplating his next action. He didn�t want to move. Not now. Not when
the woman had proven herself to be most interesting� He wanted to see her blood
splatter to the ground and mix with the puddle of his own. He heaved at the
thought but this worm�had now spoiled
all his fun.
Albel glared at the man through
tiny slits and clicked his tongue in disgust, breaking the standoff. He held his head high and snatched the
Crimson Scourge on his way out, storming through the gates that lead directly
to Kirlsa all the while ignoring the old man�s banter directly behind him as he
followed with snail�s pace.
�Nel! Are you okay?!� Clair shouted
as she burst from the doorway.
�I�m fine,� she replied, eyes
fixated upon the men�s fading forms. She swallowed against the lump lodged in
her throat and tired to peel her dried tongue from the roof of her mouth. Dear
Apiris, what had she done?!

xxx

She supposed
it was her fault really. She shouldn�t have allowed him to anger her into a
fight that easily but there had been so much tension building inside of her
lately it was an easy fix to release it with a battle. Especially one against him. There was just something about that
man that infuriated her beyond reason. Every time she stood around him she had
to fight the urge to punch him in the face. She wasn�t sure if it was his rude
disposition or his arrogance that pissed her off more. Either way the combination
was suffocating.
�Are you
waiting for someone, Lady Nel?� the guard in front of the mansion�s gate
questioned.
�No.� she
replied, watching confusion wash over his rugged features. The man adjusted his
weight and her ears cringed at the squeak of his armor.
And now she
supposed the sentry thought her simply insane. She had been standing out here
for quite sometime, occasionally pacing and cursing to herself out loud. She
shouldn�t have fought him! But she had! And now� she really should just deal
with the consequences. As much as she hated to� for the sake of her country she
had to walk in and apologize. Just say she was sorry and leave, even though she
felt like the cruel bastard got what was coming to him.
Nel sighed,
finally managing to push her feet forward and walked through the gate. She
ignored the guard�s raised eyebrow and briskly stalked across the lot and up
the patio stairs. The sentry in front of the entrance opened the door for her
and she took in a deep breath, stepping inside. The door shut behind her.
Nel held the bridge of her nose,
feeling every bone in her body ache to just forget it and turn back. But she
had to do this. Diplomacy and her country come first no matter how painful and
unappealing the task. At least she told herself that and gripped the banister.
She reached
the top of the stairs far too soon and laid her eyes on the room next to
Woltar�s office�his room. She�d been
in there before and expected the place to be strewed about with clothes on the
floor and sharpening tools scattered, with no one allowed inside, not even the
maid. Instead when she wandered in she nearly dropped her jaw. Everything
shined and sparkled. Not a fleck of dust anywhere and it was altogether
organized with such neatness it was scary. All the books on the shelf
alphabetized lined up perfectly with the edge of the wood. Swords coated with a
gleaming sheen sat immaculately upon the wall along with each painting hung to
straightened excellence. The bed held not a single wrinkle. It was almost too in place.
She
wondered if the man held some strange mental disorder. She could never be too
sure with him. Always unpredictable and yet�always making some strange sense to
himself. She supposed it was like him to hold such a room. She could picture
him scraping a finger atop a shelf and screaming about the poor maid�s
imperfect work. She was just glad not to have to service him�and yet now she
was indebted to him.
Nel knocked on the wood and
swallowed� unpredictable indeed. She wasn�t entirely sure how he would react.
Would he attack her or completely disregard her? Did he have something in mind
for her as a means of atonement? And if so�what could it be? She wasn�t
entirely sure she intended to follow through either.
Minutes
passed and she hovered her hand above the shiny knob. Whatever. She couldn�t
stand here and waste her life away thinking about what was going to happen.
Just get it over with. Just get it over with. She repeated the mantra in her
mind, turning the handle and flung the door open.
�Nox! I
just want to apologize!� she blurted and settled her eyes on the frail maid,
furiously scrubbing the nightstand.
The girl
blinked at her. �Oh Lord Albel isn�t here at the moment.�
�Of
course,� she grumbled, narrowing her eyes into annoyed slits. She closed the
door and sighed. Where the hell is he then? He was hurt, so shouldn�t he be in
bed? Knowing him, he was probably off training, Apiris knows where� Well if she
couldn�t find the man she didn�t have to tell him anything. She could just give
her apology to Woltar and be done with it. Even better yet.
Nel rapped
her knuckles on the next door over and waited. She fisted her hand and clenched
her jaw. If he wasn�t there, she�d �
�Come in,�
the old man�s voice creaked just as loudly as the door, when she opened it.
�Count
Woltar,� she greeted and slightly bowed her head.
�Ah Lady
Nel,� he smiled at the girl, placing his pen down and gestured for her to take
a seat. �What brings you here?�
�I have
come to apologize for what happened earlier.� She explained and planted her
hands on her hips, refusing to sit. �I hope this doesn�t infringe upon the
treaty between our counties.�
�Certainly
not.� The man folded his bony hands. �In any case, it was the boy�s own
rashness at fault.�
�Where is
Nox?� she questioned, lowering her mouth behind her scarf. �I visited his room
just now and he wasn�t there.�
�Yes��
Woltar drawled out slowly and took a deep breath. �He is unable to sit still
whenever he is hurt. The doctor patched up his wounds and he immediately went
out back to blow off some steam.�
Nel raised
an eyebrow. �He�s traning?!� The thought occurred to her but it was only in
jest! Surely he wasn�t stupid enough to risk infection or reopening such a
wound! She held the bridge of her nose. The idiot�
�Of course not,�
he corrected, �I wouldn�t allow him to engage in such wasteful behavior. He is
chopping wood.�
�Oh.� She
responded dryly. Treacherous old man. She had heard Nox say many times Count
Woltar knew how to use and manipulate anyone around him but she had no idea how
true his words were or that even Nox himself fell prey to the same technique. She
wondered if he would ever do the same to her and felt her body stiffen as she
eyed him carefully.
The man
picked up the writing utensil once again and scribbled something in his book.
�If you are seeking forgiveness, he is the one you should apologize to. The boy
is in a bit of a foul mood, but he respects you greatly.�
Nox respect
her? Was he crazy? She hardly called him screaming insult after insult to her
and training her men into the grave respect. He didn�t even have the decency to
use her name and instead addressed her as �Aquarian scum�. Oh sure he dropped
the �scum� part after while but ever so often he�d graciously sprinkle it back
on. Oh yeah he respected her alright.
�I�ll have
the maid show you to the back if you don�t know the way.� Woltar offered,
halting his writing once again.
Nel shook
her head. �May I ask you something?�
He looked
up at her under his bushy eyebrows.
�If it�s
just a prosthetic why did he bleed?� She folded her arms and adjusted her
weight to one hip.
The man
leaned back in his chair and gripped the handles with his arthritis ridden
hands. �When you froze his claw it also froze the mechanics inside his arm.
There are attachment pieces drilled inside his bone to secure the claw into
place and allow easier adjustment for upgrades. The procedure for such a device
is�quite discomforting.�
Nel dropped
her eyes to the floor. She had no idea� Within Aquaria they would never think
of such things because of their ability to cast healing Runology. If the wound
was fresh the arm could have been easily healed, but now it was too late and
she really couldn�t do anything for him. Not that she wanted to� �Is there
anything I can do?�
Woltar shook
his head. �Talk to the boy. I really have nothing to do with this.�
�I
apologize.� Nel bowed. �I�ll be going now. Thank you for your time.�
She watched
the man nod and stepped out of the room. Great� now she had to talk to him. She
leaned her back against the door. Just get it over with. Just get it over with.
She repeated in her mind once again and descended down the stairs, feeling as
though she were walking to her execution.

xxx

As soon as she pushed the door
open, the heat gushed towards her, smacking her with the urge to remove her
scarf. She plucked the garment from her neck and stepped out onto the dusty
soil, effectively crunching the rocks beneath her. Nel squinted, shielding her
eyes from the sun with her free hand and tried to spot the man in the
over-grown weed covered field
Nel�s ears perked at the steady
beat of chopping and she turned her head in its direction, catching sight of
Albel the wicked. He didn�t seem to notice her presence and she watched him
raise the ax he held in his good arm and swing it back down upon the wood with
a feral growl. His hair wraps smacked his bare back with each strike, soaking
the cloth completely. He kicked the splintered pieces aside with his shoeless
feet and hurriedly prepared another set of four logs in a row. His sarong, the
only clothing on him, clung to his legs from the moisture and she watched as he
swiped his hand across a thigh, leaving behind a smudge of mud and sawdust.
It was quite odd not to see him in
his armor she noted as she approached him but noticed the metallic collar still
clamped to his neck. The dangled chain bobbed as the man started his hacking
once again only for it to suddenly halt.
�What do you want?� he snarled
evenly through his teeth.
�I�ve come to apologize.� She
responded and laid her eyes upon his wrapped elbow. The bandages already
reddened at the bottom were smeared with dirt while a few splinters stuck out
dangerously. �Shouldn�t you take better care of yourself?� she questioned
folding her arms.
He ignored her at first and refused
to return her gaze. His arm rose high with the weapon and swung down upon the
hapless wood, causing the pieces to fly. �That
is none of your concern.�
�Fair enough.� She tucked a
moistened strand of hair behind her ear. She didn�t even give a damn anyway.
The only reason she remained civil was because of that stupid treaty. Otherwise
she could care less if he developed gangrene and they had to chop the rest of
his arm off. �You should know I didn�t mean for that to happen.�
�Yes, yes, Aquarian,� he grumbled
tiredly and planted a log upon the ground a little too harshly. �Are you done?�
Nel clenched her jaw at him. Her
fingers curled into a fist and it began to tremble under the force. �Is there
anything I can do?�
�No.� He simply stated and slammed
his ax into another piece of lumber, this time leaving the blade jammed into
the dirt. The man rose to full height, planted his hand on his diminishing hip
and jolted his waist forward, eliciting a boney crack with the stretch. He
wiped his brow and tossed the sweat into the thirsty soil.
�Do you want me to pay for a
replacement?� she questioned, tracing her eyes along his wrappings as he gently
dusted them.
�I�m hungry,� he stated still not
returning her gaze and tilted his neck to crack it.
A loud pop echoed in her ears. �I
can cook you something,� she offered. Not that she wanted to make anything for
the evil bastard anyway�
The crack of wood caused her to
jolt and she blinked, watching him return to his work once again. �No, that�s
what the chef is for, fool.�
�I know that!� she snapped, folding
her arms, and wondered briefly if he imagined each piece of wood as her. She
felt like cutting something up herself�
The man swung down with far more
force than needed and caused one of his hair-wraps to swing over the shoulder.
His lip suddenly curled as her ears registered a low growl and he smashed the
ax a hair away from her boot. She instantly stiffened and he shot up to full
height. The girl swallowed. Nox squinted down at her through the curtain of his
bangs and leaned forward tickling the hair against her forehead. He brushed his
damp nose against hers.
She held her breath. Her heart
began to pump as she caught sight of his hand clutching the weapon and nearly
jumped when he ran the heated edge along the skin below her skirt. His red eyes
ignited like fire and that wide full-tooth grin of his appeared as he opened
his mouth to speak, causing her to shiver at the feel of his breath.
�Understand this, Aquarian. My match with you is far from
over.�

xxx

Author�s note:
Okay that�s just the beginning! More to come people! I hope this turned out
okay. And yes I know that battle was really short. There will be quite a number
of fights between the two and I just wanted to start off slow and pace myself
to much longer ones. (That and I haven�t written an action scene in like five
years). Hehe. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I�d love to hear them!
Please give me a review! Btw, I update monthly (if you�re lucky) to ensure that
I�ve gotten the chapter exactly the way I want it. Quality over Quantity! Sorry
guys I�d write faster if I could!
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Necklace of Fear