One-on-One: Hunter Phoenix and Sophidian

[Hunter Phoenix]

"Nice to meet you too Shie"

Lièrén shook his head

"Sorry, I don't really carry them around with me, give me a second though, I have a flint kit in my pack....which is currently back in the inn"

He ran to the inn, found his pack and took the flint kit out of it and ran back to Shie.

"Here we go, I'll have a fire going in no time now"

He gathered up wood and put it in a small pile and then got a fire going with the flint. He then picked up the demon body and dumped it on the fire and watched as it burnt, thick black smoke billowing up into the air.

"They sure do burn nicely don't they"

[Sophidian]

Shie covered her nose and mouth, the smell of the cooked flesh making her stomach uneasy. She watched the flames consume the beast, turning it into nothing more than a pile of ashes to join the rest. The beads around her neck gave her little comfort as she ran her fingers along them.

"Straight back to where they  came from," she said, turning to him for a moment. "We can give you a room at the inn. I'm sure Father has some sort of work for you." She ran her fingers over the beads once more. "The inn needs many repairs now. Shutting it down for a few days may be the only option..."

As the fire begans to die down without anything to feed off of, she turned away.

[Hunter Phoenix]

"Thank you, it means much that I can work for your father, he has a nice inn and it would be a shame to see it fall into ruin"

Lièrén followed Shie back to the inn, looking at her father, the owner, he bowed.

"The creature has been taken care of kind sir, I seek a room for the night and the possibility of temporary employ, I know that you inn needs repairs after what the creature did, I offer you my services as a helper for as long as you need me to be able to make these repairs without losing too much of your business"

Lièrén then waited to see what the old man would say, he hoped he could get some work, he was starting to get low on money again and he felt like he should help because he had been around when the demon struck.

[Sophidian]

Tanaka-san bowed his head, giving a quick look to Shie. The conversation between them took place in gestures and looks before Shie nodded as well. "Fine," he said, motioning toward the hallway. "The inn will be closed temporarily in order to be repaired. It would be an honor if you would assist us."

Shie gave him a small smile. "And if any other demons come, I do hope you'll be able to help me. I've managed well on my own for the past week but I doubt I could last much longer."

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén nodded back to her

"I would love to help you out, it isn't everyday I get the chance to fight demons, hopefully we can get rid of them once and for all and return this village back into its former, peaceful self"

Lièrén stifled another yawn, he had forgotten all about sleep when he had been after the demon but now tiredness crept up on him once again and he was beginning to find it hard to stay awake.

"I am tired, may you show me where I am to stay for the night please? I will begin working on the repairs bright and early in the morning"

[Sophidian]

Shie bowed to her father, then to Lièrén. "Of course. If you would follow me, please." She slid the door opened, waiting for him to exit before sliding it closed once more. The hallway stretched in front of them, dark and shaking with the heavy breeze. The scent of the burned body, as well as the burnt grass, wafted in as she passed by opened windows.

Coming to a room that looked to be well-loved, she knelt and opened the door. "This is our best room. While the inn is closed, it shall be yours. Mine is there," she pointed to the one down and to the left, "and my father's is connected to his office."

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén bowed in deep thanks

"Thank you, it looks lovely, sleep well Shie, I shall see you in the morning no doubt?"

He watched Shie leave him and go into her own room, then he walked into his room and placed his pack on the ground after shutting the door, he released the yawn he had been holding and then he got ready for bed, laying down under the soft covers, he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pilloww.

The next morning:

Lièrén awoke bright and early, before the morning bird sounded, rising and wiping the sleep from his eyes, he dressed in light clothes and stretched, did a few morning exercises and then walked out of his room, it was still pretty early so Shie and her father would be asleep, so he looked around for tools and nails and wood he could use for the repairs and once he had everything he needed, he set to work silently, building up new foundations for the walls and fixing anything that could be fixed without having to be completely rebuilt, the work was slow, and he had loads to do, but he took it easy so that he didn't really strain himself too much, he almost had half a wall completed by the time the morning bird sounded.

[Sophidian]

Yawning, the sounds of hammering comes through her sleep, rousing her from her dreams. She turned onto her side, murmuring, "Tsai," before the bird wakes her completely. Her frozen fingers struggled with putting her dress on before she made her way downstairs, grabbing the two buckets by the door. Barefoot, she moved down toward the river, Jade and knelt, filling them with water.

She rose again, wool wet with dew as she lugged the water back toward the house.

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén was busy hammering away when a sleepy looking Shie exited from her room, he stopped hammering away and wiped sweat from his brow and worked the stiffness and fatigue out of his aching muscles before continuing with his work.

He heard Shie exit the inn and then come back later on and by the slopping sound that accompanied her, she was carrying a lot of water, putting down the hammer he was holding, he headed downstairs and lifted the water buckets out of her hands

"Here, let me help you with this, you look half asleep, go sit and I shall take this through, where does it need to be taken too?"

He held the heavy buckets in each hand, waiting for her to respond.

[Sophidian]

Shie rubbed a hand over her face. "Uhm, the... The washroom upstairs. It's at the end of the hall, past our rooms." She yawned into her hand, shaking her head. "There's a big basin." She outlined the shape in her hands. "I can take one."

She held her hand out for a bucket, forcing herself awake. She looked him over, then turned to the inn. Her eyes widened for a moment before she brought back her calm expression. "You were up awfully early. Do you normally rise before the cock crows, or is it just to fix the inn?"

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén shrugged and handed the lighter of the two buckets back to her and then followed her up the stairs to the basin she had talked about

"I have always been an early riser, even back in my own village I would be up before the cock crowed, working on something or other and since I have been travelling a lot, I make the most of the sunlight and travel as much as possible and since I was awake, I thought I would get started on the repairs, I will be much quieter in the future for you"

He emptied the bucket into the basin as Shie emptied the other one.

"I also don't want to overstay my welcome, so the sooner I finish the repairs and help you get rid of these demons, I will be on the move again, I never stay in one place for too long, incase anyone comes looking for me"

[Sophidian]

Placing the bucket to the side, she leaned against the heavy post and shook her head. "I'm used to the sound of work in the morning. It's just been a few days since I've heard it."

Shie took his bucket and placed it in hers, carrying them toward the stairs. "You don't need to leave here if you don't wish to. No one comes to investigate our town. We've had our fair share of problems with authority over the years." Replacing the buckets, she rose again and gazed around the room with the broken floor, vines now flowering, creating an indoor garden.

"As you can see, I've been blessed by the Gods, but I'm not registered with the government as such. Things like this," she motioned around the room, "aren't good for hiding."

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén thought about this

"I shall have to think about it first of course, after travelling for so long I fear I may find it hard to settle down in a village again, but of course I shall think about it"

He looked down at the plants that were sprouting from the floorboards

"You have indeed been blessed, it is not a curse as many people think it is, you truly are blessed, what other things are you able to do apart from create plants?"

He was intrigued by the prospect of magic and wanted to know more, he was also wondering if he would be able to learn from her so that he could use magic himself and use it in defence.

[Sophidian]

Shie tilted her head as she thought about it, resembling the sparrow on a branch. She shrugged her shoulders once. "I can glow. I can heal. I can grow plants. I've accidentally lit a bottle of sake on fire once, which my father has still not forgiven me for."

Bending down, she touched the edges of the flowers that bloomed. "But, I've gotten a hold on such things. Though it's mostly an offensive use against these creatures, I'd prefer not to have to use it at all." The flowers began to edge away, creeping back under the floorboards.

"Now. How do we fix a floor?"

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén crouched down and looked at the broken floorboards for a moment before straightening

"I'll remove them and then put some fresh new boards down and nail them down good and tight so that they won't come up again as people tread on them, don't want people getting hurt now do we"

He ran upstairs and fetched some wooden boards, nails and the ever trusty hammer and set to work on the floor, after about an hours work, it looked like there had never been plants tearing the place up.

"There we go, good as new, what's next on the list?"

[Sophidian]

Shie, who had watched him work the whole time, shook her head and moved toward the bar, taking out some chilled water. "I think you've earned a break. The inn already looks so much better." She moved to a table, testing the new floor as it sprang beneath her feet. Grabbing two glasses with her fingers, she set them across from each other.

Pouring first one glass, then the next, she took a seat and began to sip on the liquid. "So, you're a criminal?"

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén nodded in thanks and took a sip of his drink

"Thank you, yes rather unfortunately I am a criminal in my old village, caught stealing bread for my starving family, I used to be a tradesman, a blacksmith as well, I was pretty much a handy man in my village, doing whatever job needed doing, but since I stabbed those guards and fled, I have not returned to my village for fear of what would happen to me, which in itself is a selfish act, but while I am away, my family cannot be prosecuted.....I hope"

Lièrén took anothe sip of his drink

"So how long have you been able to use magic for? It is quite an interesting subject and you are the first person I have come across who can control such wonderful powers"

[Sophidian]

Shie looked at him for a moment, finishing most of her water before shaking her head. "No. No, there aren't many of us." Contemplating the glass in her hands, she forced herself back in her memories to when she first learned that her own body was a weapon.

"It was a few years ago. Maybe three or four. I can't remember the date, but I can remember what happened. I was with... With Tsai, the man who used to do repairs around here. We were down by the Jade," she motioned toward the river, "finding clay for some project he was doing. It was getting dark, so it must have been evening.

"We couldn't see after awhile. Clay is easy to find when you're groping around, but good clay is very hard to find even when your eyes are open. So he kept trying to use some flint to light a bundle of sticks to use as a torch." She refilled her glass, hand shaking. Water splashed around the table which she mopped up with her sleeve. "He was getting irritated. Almost angry, really. Kept muttering and swearing and I kept praying that I could do something to help him.

"I prayed and prayed and as I did, my hands began to feel warm. Then they began to tingle and burn. I glanced down and they were glowing." Swallowing another gulp of water, she shook her head, banishing the memories. "Needless to say, since then, I've been trying to figure it out."

[Hunter Phoenix]

"Thats deeply interesting, one minute you were praying, next minute you were glowing, sounds to me like your prayers were answered, how long ago since the demons started invading the village? How long after you gained your powers did they start appearing?"

Lièrén now had this theory forming in his mind that the demons started coming down into the village because of her powers, he hoped he was wrong, but if so then it meant that they would have to either leave the village to keep the remainder of the people safe or the demons would keep on going and getting more and more vicious until they overrun the town and slaughtered everyone.

"How many come down at a time, is it just the one or do they come in groups?"

[Sophidian]

"A week, perhaps." She rose, needing something stronger to drink, pulling out an old bottle of rice wine. She took a smaller glass from the table and began to fill it. "They come one at a time, usually. We've had one group and..." The shot warmed her as she took it. Another followed moments later. "And Tsai and I took care of it. That's his sword that you used."

After her third shot, she paused and let it sink in. "He died in that fight."

[Hunter Phoenix]

"I am most sorry to hear that, what happened?"

Lièrén now had a firm belief that the demons were after Shie or more importantly, the magic she possessed, if they grabbed hold of it, no doubt something terrible would happen.

"From now on, I will be your protector from these demons, I won't let anything happen to you or the towns people here, if I have to stay awake night and day to keep everyone safe, I will do until these creatures are either destroyed or we are all dead"

Lièrén placed his fidt over his heart and bowed to Shie, showing his sign of allegiance to her.

[Sophidian]

She blinked, forgetting her story to tell and leaned back, watching him. "You...have no loyalty here. None at all. I...can't expect you to do such things."

Almost as if she were affronted, she rose and placed both hands on the table to keep herself straight. A lithe girl, she couldn't hold her liquor quite as well as the rest of the patrons. "We are taking care of it. It's slow, it's hard, but we can manage it. You have your own life to live..."

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén shook his head

"I live my life day by day and take whatever it can throw at me, this is something I feel I need to do, I will stay here as long as it takes so long as you will have me around, I can help around the village, I can teach the people how to use a sword, with the correct tools I can even create them, I used to be a blacksmith when I was younger, let me help you, you cannot fight these things without help"

Lièrén reached out and took her small smooth hands in his own large rough hands and looked into her eyes

"I will do whatever it takes to return this village to peace, it is a lovely place and I will not see it fall into ruin because of some creature that has no place in this world"

With that he let go of her hands and picked up the hammer and the rest of the wood and nails that he had not used on the floor and went back upstairs to continue work on the wall.

[Sophidian]

Her hands remained in the place that he'd held them, shaking since that the heat was gone. She watched him go back up the stairs after his promise. How could someone give in so easily? Just up and settle somewhere else?

With a shake of her head, she cleaned up the downstairs and acquired the permission to open the bar from her father. As soon as she opened the door, the regulars who were used to the demons came back in, smiling and asking for a drink.

"Just keep it calm," she said to them. "Our new laborer does not need to fix broken tables as well." Calls to buy the man drinks came, growing louder and louder til she swore Lièrén would come down to yell.

[Hunter Phoenix]

Lièrén heard people coming into the bar but he just kept on working on the wall, repairing it section by section, he was pleased that everyone was continuing like normal, it must be hard for them with demons attacking all of the time and taking away people they have probably known their entire lives. He heard people calling out to buy him a drink as well, so he laid the hammer down and left the wall to go downstairs.

He walked down the stairs into the bar and bowed to everybody.

"Hello to you all good people, I am Lièrén, I have kindly been given work by your innkeeper and his daughter so I am working on repairing the inn and making it stronger and more durable than ever before, I heard the calls to buy me drinks, I will join you for one or two, but please, not too many for I still have a lot of work to do"

Lièrén then sat down at a table with some of the villagers and smiled to them and then he looked up and smiled to Shie as well.

"I also have something I wish to talk to you all about, but it can wait for now"