ext_158887 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2007-12-20 01:53 pm
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-12-20 01:53 pm
[Dec. 20, 2007][Suikoden] Beasts in the Dark
Title: Beasts in the Dark
Day/Theme: Dec. 20, 2007 "Beast versus beast"
Series: Suikoden
Character/Pairing: Rosalie, Franz, Wednesday, Hasseln
Rating: PG
"General?" Rosalie questioned, watching her superior slink around the tall rocks of the dark canyon. He was acting a little odd, which was not saying much. Her meanderings into the historical records of the inquisitors seemed to indicate that being abnormal, if not a prerequisite for the job of inquisitor general, was at least a helpful bonus.
"You shouldn't stay down here past the sunset if you know what's good for you," Wednesday told his subordinate. He didn't stop poking around the stones or turn to face her. It seemed as though he was looking for something.
She thought about what she knew of the area. This was a breeding ground for giant snake-turtles, a common foe of the local mercenaries, but nothing she couldn't handle with a little help from the dull-eyed guides from Le Buque. She glanced back over her shoulder at the two scrawny men. Franz fiddled with his goggles, waiting for the Harmonians to finish up whatever they had wanted to be led down here to do. Hasseln stared silently his boots. They didn't look like much, but they did know everything to known about following the tiny paths down the steep cliffs.
"The sun is almost down already," Rosalie reminded her commander. Long, dark shadows were sliding across the stone, masking the inquisitor general in a cloak of ebony.
"That it is," he replied, unhelpfully, continuing to run a gloved hand around the rough rock surface.
"If there were something to be so feared here at night, wouldn't the guides be frightened to stay?" Rosalie insisted, unable to believe that something could pose a danger to her that wouldn't even stir the lazy locals.
"It was left here by the Flame Champion," Wednesday explained, "It wouldn't harm them...Unless, I suppose, they'd become Harmonian enough that it couldn't tell the difference between them and us."
Those last words bounced dully off Hasseln's ears, but Franz dropped his goggles, letting them hang loosely around his neck. He didn't believe in the fairy tale creatures his grandmother had told him of as a child. His grandparents claimed to have seen such monsters, but that didn't mean they existed.
The light reaching the floor of the canyon was fading quickly. Rosalie turned to go. She told herself it was not out of any fear of the strange beasts that might lurk in such a place. She was merely following the general's orders. "Let's go," she waved to the two villagers. They came quietly to lead the way back up.
After a few yards, Franz looked back over his shoulder at Wednesday. "Ah!" he gasped, pointing down to where the cold-eyed man was being circled by the shape of a black beast, camouflaged well by the night.
"General!" Rosalie squeaked, her voice coming out embarrassingly weak and high in front of the locals.
Wednesday could not hear her, but he did see the monster. He loosed the mace hung over his shoulder and swung it about. Rosalie hoped he only meant it as a threat, for the mace touched only the cool night air. With his other hand he drew a dagger, ready to stab when the beast attacked.
"We shouldn't stay," Franz urged, shaking Hasseln's shoulder to break him from the fear that made his knees weak and his teeth clatter in his mouth.
Seeing that Hasseln had regained his composure, he turned to Rosalie. He hoped the haughty Harmonian would not be angered by his presumptuousness due to the situation. "Ma'am, we shouldn't stay," he said firmly.
"No," she agreed, "She should not."
They hurried their ascent out of the darkness to lands still touched by fingers of fading sunlight. The last of Wednesday Rosalie saw before he vanished entirely into the blackness was his gloved hand swinging the knife high. The light glinted on the cruel blade, and then it disappeared into the impenetrable depths.
Day/Theme: Dec. 20, 2007 "Beast versus beast"
Series: Suikoden
Character/Pairing: Rosalie, Franz, Wednesday, Hasseln
Rating: PG
"General?" Rosalie questioned, watching her superior slink around the tall rocks of the dark canyon. He was acting a little odd, which was not saying much. Her meanderings into the historical records of the inquisitors seemed to indicate that being abnormal, if not a prerequisite for the job of inquisitor general, was at least a helpful bonus.
"You shouldn't stay down here past the sunset if you know what's good for you," Wednesday told his subordinate. He didn't stop poking around the stones or turn to face her. It seemed as though he was looking for something.
She thought about what she knew of the area. This was a breeding ground for giant snake-turtles, a common foe of the local mercenaries, but nothing she couldn't handle with a little help from the dull-eyed guides from Le Buque. She glanced back over her shoulder at the two scrawny men. Franz fiddled with his goggles, waiting for the Harmonians to finish up whatever they had wanted to be led down here to do. Hasseln stared silently his boots. They didn't look like much, but they did know everything to known about following the tiny paths down the steep cliffs.
"The sun is almost down already," Rosalie reminded her commander. Long, dark shadows were sliding across the stone, masking the inquisitor general in a cloak of ebony.
"That it is," he replied, unhelpfully, continuing to run a gloved hand around the rough rock surface.
"If there were something to be so feared here at night, wouldn't the guides be frightened to stay?" Rosalie insisted, unable to believe that something could pose a danger to her that wouldn't even stir the lazy locals.
"It was left here by the Flame Champion," Wednesday explained, "It wouldn't harm them...Unless, I suppose, they'd become Harmonian enough that it couldn't tell the difference between them and us."
Those last words bounced dully off Hasseln's ears, but Franz dropped his goggles, letting them hang loosely around his neck. He didn't believe in the fairy tale creatures his grandmother had told him of as a child. His grandparents claimed to have seen such monsters, but that didn't mean they existed.
The light reaching the floor of the canyon was fading quickly. Rosalie turned to go. She told herself it was not out of any fear of the strange beasts that might lurk in such a place. She was merely following the general's orders. "Let's go," she waved to the two villagers. They came quietly to lead the way back up.
After a few yards, Franz looked back over his shoulder at Wednesday. "Ah!" he gasped, pointing down to where the cold-eyed man was being circled by the shape of a black beast, camouflaged well by the night.
"General!" Rosalie squeaked, her voice coming out embarrassingly weak and high in front of the locals.
Wednesday could not hear her, but he did see the monster. He loosed the mace hung over his shoulder and swung it about. Rosalie hoped he only meant it as a threat, for the mace touched only the cool night air. With his other hand he drew a dagger, ready to stab when the beast attacked.
"We shouldn't stay," Franz urged, shaking Hasseln's shoulder to break him from the fear that made his knees weak and his teeth clatter in his mouth.
Seeing that Hasseln had regained his composure, he turned to Rosalie. He hoped the haughty Harmonian would not be angered by his presumptuousness due to the situation. "Ma'am, we shouldn't stay," he said firmly.
"No," she agreed, "She should not."
They hurried their ascent out of the darkness to lands still touched by fingers of fading sunlight. The last of Wednesday Rosalie saw before he vanished entirely into the blackness was his gloved hand swinging the knife high. The light glinted on the cruel blade, and then it disappeared into the impenetrable depths.