Chapter 2

A new hero in an unlikely place

  Eric had been ridding for a while and had passed through a couple of towns the guards that was behind him was still on his trail and were neither gaining or falling back. "to be expectected. The finest shallops for the guards to catch the bad guys. Were almost to where we seperate. lose them and and do as I told you before. We will meet again my good friend" he said before giving the horse like creature a couple soft kicks in the side. The creature snorted as Eric lossened his grips on the reigns. With one hand still lossely holding them he gripped the bag. a couple more minutes passed and the two turned a sharp corner folled by another, that took them completely out of the guards line of sight. Eric knew this road twisted and wined through this forest and and he knew that this was the perfect place to lose the heat for himself in this plan. "its time. see you again my friend" he said before swinging one leg around the Horse like creature he had been riding. The creature had been his trusty steed and great friend though the many years of his previous life and was there for him in his lowest parts of his life. He owed this creature his life on many occasions. "good bye for now Natsu." he said before timing his jump to land inbetween the trees instead of in the side of it. The creature bellowed out with a sound that would be closely related to a high pitch whistle being blown really close to your ear and the sound of a moose, as it continued down the road this time not stopping like it had in the many practices Eric had done. It continued to race forward leaving a large purpously made trail of dust in its wake.

As Eric crashed into the brushes he heard a shattering sound that sent a seperate jolt up his spine from the harsh landing he had Just tooken. The sound sounded like the statue he had just stolen had broken. "NO! NO,NO,NO,NO!" Eric almost shouted before he heard the hooves of the guards finally arriving at his spot. He froze the dread and anticipation growing inside of him to look in the bag. Praying his worst fears for the moment weren't true. After the dust settled and the forest returned to its silent state, only then did Eric dare to move. At this point the dread was eating at him and he was scared to look. 

Eric slowly pulled the bag into his lap. He closed his eyes as he opened it "I'm going to open my eyes and the statue will be in tact and not broken into a million peices." he spoke his hopes out loud before opening them. Tears came to his eyes as a wave of defeat washed over him "The gods are going to kill me!" he said as he stared at the many peices of the statue. Eric sat for several minutes praying to every god he could think of and every element he could think of asking for forgiveness and to make his death quick and painless. After he finished his round robin of prayers he waited for a couple more moments to make sure his doom wouldn't fall on him instantly.

"At least i should make do with whats left of my life" he said as he stood up. He looked in the bag once more "please at least let the gem be ok... that was my main goal." he reached in and pulled out the small red gem that had once been embedded in the statue's forehead and a sigh of relief passed from his lips "at least your safe" he said with a small chuckle dropping to his knees and offering one prayer of thanks to whatever god watched out for the gem.

A burning sinsation then came to his mind he opened his palm once again to look at the source of this pain to ensure it wasn't some insect or something. The burning started feeling like a pinprick where the gem rested in the palm of his hand. It then started growing slowly at first but quickly picking up speed causing him to out of instinct clench his fist around the gem so he didn't drop it in the blindness of the pain as it traced blood vessels through his entire body he let out the loudest scream of pain he had ever let out. The many cuts, stab wounds, arrows, bullets, and whatever else he had experienced on the battle field had never been this painful. He fell back where he landed his arms and legs spread apart as his vision turned red from the pain that was now in his eyes his vision slowly dimmed "looks like you finally decided to lash back fire god" his voice was a broken whisper "This is the end of the Great Guardian Force. The last of us wiped out not by a mortal but by devine retribution for a touch to much blasphomy." he snickered a little unsure if it was from him finally loosing it to the fire that had ignited in his brain or the way he was sure he was going to leave this world. His vision darkened then blackness.

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He wasn't sure what stirred him but he felt something was wrong. Wait he felt, this couldn't be he was sure he was dead. His eyes slowly opened to see light shining brightly through the forest roof "I'm still a live..." he mused as he sat up. In his daze he moved his hands freely not gripping anything. opening and closing his hands while looking at the back of them, wiggling his toes his legs, arms, elbows, shoulders, neck, he then popped his back first to his left then to his right "Yep everything working and not broken." Then it hit him like a slap in the face "Broken... Th...The statue!" he looked around frantically for the bag gripping it and ripping it open with the hope in the back of his mind that what he had experienced was a bad dream and he had just been knocked out from rather harsh landing. He looked in the bag only for his hopes to be shattered. All the many peices still remained in the bag. "D****t!" he yelled then remembered the Gem and the burning sensation he had felt. "S**T!" he exclaimed realizing that he had released his grip and had been moving his hands with out thought in his self examination. He frantically rolled to his knees and started to roughly and quickly brush the forest undergrowth away where his right hand, the hand that had been gripping the gem had been. He saw nothing, He then searched where he was sitting and again saw nothing "D****T!" he punched the ground dropping back to the sitting position. He placed his hands over his face with his eyes closed "The gods really are punishing me and drawing out my death... should of figure they would have some enjoyment from torturing me..." he said before opening his eyes. Something was off. Over his right eye he saw something firey red really close to his face, with a small gold frilly trim around it. it was between his hand and his eye. he pulled his hand way. As his hand moved away the colors did to and a shape took form. The shape was that of the gem embedded into his hand ever so slightly bulging from it.

Excitement and shock over took Eric he stood up and cheered. He hadn't of lost the gem it was just embedded in his hand. "Okay so now to figure out how to use this thing. That is what the dream wanted me to do. Didn't tell me I would go through all the pain of it connecting to me though. Damn that hurt!" Eric looked up and spoke upward to the sky that was beond the Forest's roof "Don't you think you went a little over bored on making sure I didn't lose it!" a sharp pain of burning shot from his hand up his arm "OKAY! OKAY! I deserved it!" as soon as he said that the pain vanished. He looked at his hand "I guess this means I'm your right hand... huh fire god. Thank you for choosing me... I'll collect the other stones and seal away the demon king for all eternity" after he spoke he felt a warm soothing sensation resonate from his hand through his entire body. He felt like any cuts or scrapes he may have received had been healed from the power of the gem. "Time for a celebration!" he said with a grin on his face, which quickly faded as suspicion crossed his mind. He looked at his hand again, "your still going to torture me for the hole statue thing arn't you" when no sensation came to him he sighed. "I guess that means your not telling."

Eric looked around after a shadow passed over his body. He started getting that same feeling he got when he woke up that something was wrong. He heard a large crack of a branch break from deeper in the forest. "Thats my que to get out of here." he said as he quickly scrambeld to grab the bag of the broken statue. "I'll give you a quick burial to send you back to the gods for repair" he said frantically digging a small hole and dropping the bag in. "that should some what attone so the toture isn't to bad." he said before hearing a loud screech comming from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see a black creature with glowing red eyes staring at him, oozing an over bearing since of aggression towards him. Eric slowly reached for his sheathed gunblad gripping the handle tightly. 

The creature resembled a mountain lion. Its muscle tone and body structure is simular however it had two rows of spikes, that were roughly six inches long and a couple centimeters around, running down its back on either side of it's spine. Its tail was about a foot or two longer making it about the same length as its body, at the end there was a sharp barb on the end that looked like a scorpion's stinger. The tail swayed up and down fluently reminding Eric of the waves of an ocean but was sure with out a doubt creature could use the tail like a whip. A rather painful one that he would prefer not to feel. The entirity of the creature was blacker then the darkest night except the glowing red eyes that was peircing through Eric's soul. 

"So this is what had been following me since I left the city. I guess my nap gave it plenty of time to catch up." Eric unseathed his gunblade, He prefered to keep it in its blade form, for the simple fact he prefered the hand to hand combat, and the fact that if he absolutly needed to in a pinch, although the balance would be off and recoil would be great he could use it for range in an instant. The long slender blade glistened in the patches of light that broke from the forest's roof. the shine followed from the pistol handle to the lever Eric could press that would disengage the locks that held the blade in place. at this point the golden locks that carresed the base of the blade on both ends would release it allowing the blade to either flip back and rest along side the barrel of the fifty calibur pistol the blade would lock infront of. On a standard Gunblade this would disable the pistol function with a safety lever automatically flipping into place to protect the weilder from accidently blowing up the weapon. However, In Eric's which was bestowed upon him upon entering the rank he held before his kingdom was overtaken. It was the kingdom's specialty gunblade that had been specially made for the Elite knights and guards. Upon the overthrow of the kingdom it is said that all of these special gunblades were destroyed. Eric had kept his and this special gunblade there was a barrel that ran inside of the blade, Reinforced by an alloy only his kingdom had discovered and was now a long lost secret so the barrel didn't dent in and cause the bullet to damage the weapon. This gave him that special ability to fire if he needed to. The technique to accuratly fire in the sword form has never been mastured however. 

The light followed from the lever to the locks along the blade and along the sharp end of the blade as it came out of the sheath. "I don't have time to deal with you!" The creature opened its mouth and let out a loud scream. The scream sounded as if a woman had just screamed from complete Terror of discovering her children were murdered and the murdere had turned onto her. It sent chills down Eric's spine. The cougar like creature lept forward claws extended pouncing for Eric, who just stood in position till the last moment. Eric then sidestepped to dodge the claws that was aimed for his throat. He swung the gunblade and heard a PING before realizing the tail which was his first target was still attatched but instead of falling off like he planned was recoiling behind the creature as if some one was swinging a whip while the creature spun to face him. At this moment everthing seemed to be moving in slow motion even himself, however his mind was moving on fast forward. He looked around quickly formulating several senarios in his mind and plans of action for each that would end with him on victorious. He decided on one just as he did it seemed as if time suddenly seemed to start syncing back up. The tail whipped around the back of the creature and the barb whipped forward towards Eric once again. Eric spun to dodge the barb and swung his blade in a wide circle. he felt the blade make contact with the tail cutting off the barb the creature letting out another chilling shrill. This however sounded like the howl of the wind mixed with the same scream as before. Eric assumed the howl of the wind portion was the creature's scream in pain it lunged forward towards Eric's back for he had stopped with his back to the creature. Eric dropped to one knee raising the blade, sharp end facing the creature the point going through the creatures throat and the momentum driving the blade through the body of the creature, as long as Eric could hold the blade steady. Eric closed his eyes hoping he had chosen the right course of action and he wouldn't feel the claws taken off his head. After he felt the weight of the creature leave his blade he opened his eyes in time to see the creature's body land and collaps splitting appart along the slice and rolling on the ground to a stop before disintegrating into a plume of black smoke like substance.

Eric sighed and stood up with one swing of his sword as if he was flinging off the creatures blood he twirled it once before sheathing it. "lets go before something else decides to delay my well deserved drink. Eric climbed out of the forest to the road and looked up and down the road attempting to decide which way he would want to go. He heard the sound of a wagon moving towards him. He hid behind a tree from the direction the wagon was comming to see it being drawn by a Shallop the same creature he had been riding some unknown time earlier. An elderly man sitting on a bench that was engraved into the wagon holding the reigns of the Shallops and softly talking to them. The horse like creatures were obviously spooked Eric assumed from the creature's screams that he had just killed. "The gods smile on me." Eric thought to himself as he stepped out from behind the tree holding his hands up to show he ment no harm. "Hey there good sir!" Eric called out.

The man pulled up beside him and stopped the wagon "What do you want!" the old man snapped. He looked anxious to get out of the forest, Eric couldn't blame him. 

"Nothing much good sir I just wish to ask for a ride to the next town in whatever direction your going. My shallop bucked me off into the forest when the screams of a demon rung through the air. I will promise you safe passage and to defend your wagon to the next town from that creature or any bandits that might show their heads in return for your generousity till the next time." 

The old man seemed to think really hard about it as he looked Eric up and down, now that the man was close enough Eric made it a point to hide the palm of his right hand but adopting the technique of slight of hand he hid that fact by resting it on the handle of his gunblade. "What do you got there" the man nodded Eric's right. Panic attacked Eric as the thought that he might have noticed the gem already but he decided to play as if he was talking about his weapon and see where that took him. 

"Oh this? This is a gunblade. Got it from my service in the royal guard before I was released for exempilary performance. It was my gift on the way out the door." Eric had partially lied, unsure where his loyalties laid between the old kingdom or the new. He knew the man was had lived through both especially since the overthrow was only five years ago, The subjects of the kingdom had mixed feelings about their new rulers with small resistant fractions popping up here and there through the boundries of the old kingdom the loyalties were really closely devided.

The old man seemed to relax at hearing that he had been in the royal guard and didn't seem to care what side he had been on. "very well but I ask you sit up here with me, I don't want any misshaps happening to my cargo" Eric smiled and nodded. He didn't want to steal from this old man, infact he rather hated stealing. Judging by his most recent heist one would argue that fact rather forcefully, however Eric had vowed since he couldn't bounce back from losing his status that he would only steal to survive and be able to do a greater good from the act, or to be able to allow his plan's work with out an issue. The two exchanged names and shook hands before wagon started moving

Eric rode next to the old man for about what he figured to be an hour at his slow and steady pace. Allowing the old man to do all the talking about his past and fondest memories Eric half heartedly paid attention to the old man, just enough for him to keep the old man talking and keep him from asking about himself. Upon arriving at the town center the oldman stopped "Well Eric, This is your stop I guess. Thank you for keeping this old man company this past little bit" Eric jumped off the side of the bench he had been sitting on and stretched. "It was my pleasure my good sir"

Eric bowed, "I pray to the gods that the rest of your journey is a safe and fast one."

the man laughed "At this age it will be anything but fast. may our path's cross again with good fortune shining on both of us."

"Agreed" Eric said waving. He had a date with the tavern that they was just down the street. The old man started moving again in the direction he had originally been going while Eric walked the oppisit direction towards the tavern. as he walked he unhooked a pouch of sniocs that he had lifted off one of the guards he encounted a few days before this heist. Hearing the sound of the coins in the pouch hitting each other he smiled stepping into the tavern.

The atmosphere was slightly smokey and laughter. Eric looked around the common area he stepped in. He saw a group of men he would assume were guards off shift sitting in a corner laughing and talking annoyingly loud. A person with a bow slung over their back he could tell by the person's body outline even though it was an apparent attempt to hide it that she was female he noticed the tip of a sheath peaking out from under the hooded cloak indicating she also had a sword, being that he didnt see a quiver under the bow he assumed it was on the otherside hidden by the cloak and the stool she was sitting on, something seemed fishy about the little bit of the sheath that he could see but couldn't put his finger on it. being that there was silverware infront of her he assumed she had just ordered food and was waiting for it. continued his surveillance of the room before proceeding in. He saw a group of civilian males sitting at a booth a pair of men at the far end of the bar seemingly staring at the hooded woman and talking amongst themselves. a couple were playing a game in one corner of the tavern where they were shooting balls into pockets carved into the table. He knew this game but wasn't very good at it, the rules were similar to billiards however the conditions of winning were diffrent and based on a point system. You also need to knock the balls in a certain order and if you diviate from that order you lose points. he smiled since it seemed like the male was obviously trying his luck with the woman he was playing with attempting to teach her. directly to his right there was a group of men playing a card game that was similar to texas holdem. He enjoyed that game but didn't exactly know when to back out or go all in and would end up losing all his chips. he however played for fun these men seemed as if they were intense into the game.

Eric stepped into the tavern and sat at the bar with one stool inbetween him and the hooded woman. She had the hood pulled over her face so only way someone can look at her face was if she looked up and towards them. He scanned her out of his peripherals she seemed a bit tense like it was her first time in this kind of place. Laughter errupted from the corner the guards off shift sat as the bartender walked up and spoke to Eric "What will ya be havin good lookin'?" she asked with a wink this broke Eric out of his observation of the mysterious woman. He was attempting to figure out what was so off putting about her. "huh? Oh! hmmm give me some mead, corn but hardcore, but not enough to put me on my butt I still have some traveling ahead of me today." He then leaned in closer lowering his voice and pointed to the hooded woman "and some information" he hid his pointing so it wasn't obvious and it would look like he was flirting with the bar-maid. 

"her. she just walked in not to long ago and asked for a meal fit for some one with a lot of money. Although she seems a bit troubled and is obviously new to this scene. I believe she is a runaway and wants to hide that fact, but thats just my oppinion. she does have a really pretty face however. she giggled not as good as mine though a girl might get jealous if a man talks to much about another lady"

Eric smiled sitting back "well I'm very sorry my fine lady I didn't mean to undermind your beauty just trying to know as much as I can about people. Maybe on my next time here you can tell... or show me more about you." he winked at her as she blushed and giggled making his drink and setting it infront of her "On the house you naughty boy." Eric smiled "much appreciated I might order another one when I finish this one then... and to se you some more" The bar-maid giggled again before walking into the back. Eric noticed the two men that were once at the far end of the bar now occupied the stools on both sides of the hooded woman. The bar-maid returned and placed the Woman's food infront of her. She reached out and started eating.

"hey good looking. You know my friend and I have been talking and we think you might need to relax a bit. Why don't the two of us help you with that." The man furthest from him and on the woman's right said. Eric could tell she was tensing up a bit more although he pretended not to listen in and sipped on his drink. The man closest to Eric reached out and touched her exposed for arm carressing it. "ya babe, lets get out of this joint and we will show you around the town, and all the good spots of your body that even you may not know about." 

She jerked her arm away and almost growled at the two "don't touch me, and I wouldn't even if you were the last two men on this planet, now get the hell away from me." The men seemed to get really agitated by her words and looked at each other before leaning in closer to the hooded woman.

"Now then that wasn't very nice. Don't you know who we are?" the man on her right said anger in his voice

"Yeah! were the leaders of the biggest baddest gang in this town. Nobody! Tells us 'no' so you will come with us!" the man in between Eric and the woman said

Eric sighed "thats my que." he thought to himself as he took a large drink from his large glass of Mead leaving about one-eighth of the golden liquid at the bottom of it. "Well then apparently she is the first." Eric said staring at his near empty mug. "I suggest the two of you go back to your corner before things get ugly for you both. Not like your not use to it with your ugly faces and all."  

Both men glared at Eric the one furthest from him leaning forward to do so "What did you say!" the furthest one scowled his lips seemed to curl up showing his teeth like a dog would when cornered and about to attack.

"You better take that back or else!" the one closest to Eric growled

Eric smirked "your right... I appologize and I take it back..." both men smirked like they had showed dominance over Eric "All of you is ugly! LET ME FIX IT!" gripping the handle of the mug he had drunk out of he swung at the man closest to him smashing the see through glass in the guy's face the glass cutting it a bit and the alchol that was remaining getting into the cuts causing it to sting. the man fell out of the barstool onto his back holding his face. Eric quickly wirled out of his stool ready for the fight that was comming his way. The man on the other side of the hooded woman whirled out of his chair.

"You don't know what you just started f*****g peice of s**t. Were going to kill you!" Eric glanced at the group of guards who were not looking towards them seemingly still dilberating on weather or not they should step in on their time off. The man standing launched forward his arm cocked back ready to put his full weight into his punch. Eric just stepped to the side simply dodging the punch. The man realizing this swung with his other hand. Eric leaned to the side allowing the fist stop by his face and pull back before leaning to the other side to dodge the next punch this time taking a step back. "D****t stand still!"

"No!, You cool off and have a drink!" Eric exclaimed before catching the next punch and spinning sending the guy in a forced run around in a circle. Eric ment to release the man to the bar where he had been sitting but the man pulled and slipped out of his grip slightly two early. with the momentum he stumbled forward kicking his friend and tripping. he fell forward grasping at anything and bumped into the hooded figure grabbing her cloak and pulling the hood down a bit he revealed her long bright pink hair as he fell to the floor. The sound of a plate crashing and breaking on the other side of the bar seemed to echo through the bar.

"That was my FOOD!" she yelled kicking the man that had just hit her in the face knocking him out cold with one kick "How dare you scum mess up my meal!" At that moment Eric realized why the sheath of her sword seemed off to him, the tip had a golden embrodery indicating that she was royal, this  realization came to him finally getting a good look and realizing  instantly who the woman was. "that was my last bit of money and I'm still hungry! YOU WILL PAY!" She screamed pointing at Eric. A large Ice cycle four inches in diameter and atleast a foot long shot out of her finger flying towards Eric. Eric instinctively covered his face with his left arm bracing for pain while extending his Right arm with his hand extended in the motion of stop revealing the gem in the center of his palm.

No pain came to Eric after a few seconds for this realization to sink in he opened his eyes to see that a sheild of fire had formed infront of him causing the ice to instantly shatter and  evaporate as it collided with it. The woman who Eric realized as the princess stood infront of him shocked. "p...princess Mariah?" he cautiously asked which seemed to be the wrong move. 

"God d****t! go figure I would run into another elemental here and he blurts out who I am right on the spot... ugh I'm going to take your gem then get out of here" She scolded anger filled in her voice. she snapped her lower arm back towards her pulling in her finger so she formed a closed fist then snapped it back forward opening her fist pointing her palm at Eric.

A steady stream of ice smashed against Eric's shield of fire "Oh, now thats just cold Princess!" Eric called out. This turned to be his second mistake. Mariah, felt her anger explode she hated it when people called her "Princess" and the fact this random guy not only reconized her off the bat despite her attempts to disguise herself as ne of the commoners and ruined her meal she had bought with the last of her money she had when she ran away, now he was calling her "Princess". Oh she swore she would show him.

"Never call me that!" she screamed as a large ice chandelier formed above Eric's head then dropped. Eric Lept out of the way "What the hell! Are you trying to kill me!" He yelled  as the ice beam followed him and his sheild "Thats Enough!" he shouted as the Icebeam was pushed back quite a bit shocking Mariah till the beam of fire and beam of ice were in the center of the two 

"Oh no you don't!" she screamed focusing on the ice beam to increase its strength with her will.

"your not going to freeze me Princess!" Eric growled "let me heat things up just a touch" the sheild faded as the beam of fire intencified as well. A large ball of energer started forming inbetween the two. The witness' could fear something bad was about to happen and got down onto the floor as the ball of energy grew.

Shards of ice started to fly around the room embedding into the walls, tearing apart booths and shattering glases, while small fire balls shot out burnning holes into the walls, breaking their on share of mugs, and starting a few small fires. Both of the elementals screamed focusing all their energy in overpowering the other. A pillar of light shot out of the ball of energy straight through the roof, puncturing obliterating any obstacles that stood in its way as it shot into the sky. "NOT GOOD!" Mariah shouted distracted by this pillar of light, she knew from her studies what came next and she scrambled to leap behind the bar laying on the floor.

A sudden sence of danger flooded Eric causing him to stop and stare at the pillar of light. "Oh s**t!" the pillar then quickly before he could react expanded enveloping everything in its path as it expanded blinding Eric. The pillar encompassed Eric then for him nothing but white filled his sences.

The sound of large exposion rocked the small town the two were. The tavern where their first fight had taken errupted into a large collumn of an explosion destroying only the tavern, but causing its debris to catch fire. Eric had been sent flying into the sky from the energy that surrounded him. his body was limp and lifeless as it fell from the sky outside of the town and into the forest.

A small dome of Ice had covered Mariah to protect her from the explosion and debris. The dome Errupted outward clearing the Debris that was ontop of her as she stood up lifting the hood back over her head "D****t... I lost him!" she exclaimed kicking the remains of the bar. "well better get out of here before more people notice me." she said running off into the forest that was just behind the tavern. After a couple of minutes of running she came to a dead stop in her tracks.

She had found the landing zone of the man she had just faught. There was a large creator with him in the center of it. "He has to be dead!" she said as she cautiously slid into the creator pulling her bow off of her back. once she was close enough she extended the bow and poked him "Hey... Idiot... You alive?... just lay there quiet and dead if your dead and I can take your gem."

Eric groaned to the feeling of being poked in his ribs, he was enjoying his nap. Wait when did he fall asleep. Memories of his fight crossed his eyes. "thats right I was in a fight... I can't be asleep." he thought just as he remembered the light. His eyes snapped opened as his body took over jumping to his feet. He quickly looked around taking in his surroundings "I'm alive but where am I? What happened? Who was poking me!" he asked out loud not noticing Mariah who was still squatted shocked that he was a live. 

Mariah sighed "looks like I still have to take it by force" she thought to herself as she reached to her right side grabbing one of her arrows out of her quiver, hooked it in to the string of her bow and drawed the string back as she rose pointing the arrow at Eric's chest. "I'm poking your suppose to be dead body to see if i can get your gem... now deny the gem's acceptance into your body and give it to me, along with any money you have to pay for my food"

Eric laughed "you have to be kidding me. shouldn't I be holding you up princess for your money. after all..." An arrow whistled past Eric's cheek hitting the dirt of the creator behind him. Her movements were so quick there was already another arrow drawn and pointed at his heart again.

"Next one won't miss and I wont tell you again. Don't ever call me Princess and give me your gem, and money"

"Look! your Mag..." he stalled finishing his word noticing her drawing back a little further as a warning "Mar..." he started a new word watching her reaction as it relaxed a little bit he continued "...iah, I don't know how to give you my gem, you see its embedded in my hand." he held up his hand palm facing her to show her "And, even if I knew how to as you said deny it entery into my body I wouldn't do that anyway" he said lowering his hand resting it onto his gunblade. He had been in hold-ups before and mostly by guards attempting to arrest him and bandits when he was on the other side, so he was use and calm to this situation. "so the most I can do is give you my money to pay for your next meal." He spoke his voice calm and soothing as he tried talking his way out of the situation, he was ready however ready to react if he needed to. 

Mariah contemplated what he was saying she was really nervous because this was actually her first time standing up for herself alone much less holding somebody up and demanding things from them. "Fine I'll just have to cut it out of your hand" she said. She was surprised by herself. "maybe that was to forceful" she thought to herself, she was new to this and had heard stories, so she was attempting to sound like the bandits from the stories she heard. she had to be ruthless inorder to get what she wants when she isn't royalty anymore. She doesn't live that life anymore, she refuses to!

Eric sighed inwardly. This is nothing like what he had heard about royal princess the of the kingdom that took over his. Readng her body language however he knew saw she was nervous "she's acting... she has to... time to call her bluff" he thought to himself. He drew his gunblade spinning it infront of him cutting off the tip of her arrow before spinning around to dodge the shaft which was released in reaction to his sudden movement, then before she could reload he continued to spin slidding his gunblade the sharp end pointing towards Mariah's throat and held it there spinning around behind her and pressing his body tight against her his left hand reaching around her body holding her arm which had grasped the next arrow in the quiver where it was. His hand that was holding her arm was what was forcing her closer to Eric's body.

Mariah couldn't help but blush she had never been this close to another man before, and he was suprisingly quick and angile. Plus he was rather good looking if she had to say so herself, and gentle even when he was being forceful towards her. "What the hell am I thinking" she screamed in her head as her face blushed a deeper red when Eric started whispering into her ear.

"I'm going to let you go, I dont want to hurt you in any way, however these are my conditions when I'm done all I want you to do is nod in agreeance with my demands, If you shake your head or speak before I release you then I know a certain guard which would kill to return you to your family. That would mean I would have to tie you up and put a gag in your mouth so I can use you as a bargining chip. That is the hard way the easy way as I said just listen to my demands and agree to all of them. Now nod for easy way or shake your head for hard way." Eric couldn't help but to admit she smelled really good and would have a hard time getting this moment out of his head, but he had to focus. Once Mariah nodded Eric smiled and let out a soft sigh of releif "Okay then, first! you give up on trying to get my Elemental gem for now, you can hunt me down in the future, I don't know what you want your reward to be from the gods if you were to succeed however it's quite apparent your not getting mine today." He paused to see if there was a responce seeing she was being a good girl and listening he continued "Second I'm no longer going to give you money for the food that was ruined, you should of taken that offer while it was on the table. It's off the table now so you will give up on that as well and accept my appology for playing some part in your ruined meal. Third I want to hear a 'thank you' from you." Mariah opened her mouth to protest Eric however interupted "before you go the hard way the 'thank you' is for saving you from the two creeps in the tavern." she closed her mouth "last and final demand is we go our seperate ways, I'm going to the north to follow rumors on a gem that controls metals "you can go anywhere you want to go but don't you dare follow meal. do we have a deal?"

Mariah nodded then upon Eric removing his sword from her throat and releasing her arm she reluctantly took a couple steps forward, she didn't know why her body wanted to remain pressed against him but she continued to curse at that part of her body as He was just some commoner and eventhough she refused to accept her royalty blood line she still viewed herself on a higher level then most people. she spoke a bit softer since her facade had been shattered but still had some confidence "I agree to your terms and thank you for saving me from perverts in the bar. I will not follow you I have better things to do than follow the likes of you, Our paths will cross again however because I do need your gem to finish my quest."

Eric smile and nodded with a bow "You are very welcome for the rescue my fair Princess it was a pleasure to be a service." Mariah upon being called a Princess again closed her hand into a fist and while Eric was bowing punched him as hard as she could in the back of the head. This caused Eric to lose balance and fall onto the ground infront of her

"I told you to never call me 'Princess' you jerk!"

  pulling himself together to stand back up rubbing the back of his head Eric spoke "That hurt!" he exclaimed "by the way just so you can find me later My name is Eric. Your parents might of heard of me several years ago during the take over..."  he then turned and started climbing out of the creator "Well I'll be leaving now. Again pleasure to help you in the Tavern." Once getting to the top of the creator Eric started walking towards the nearest road a good distance away from the town but still heading to the north leaving Mariah in the center of the creator.

Upon hearing his name shock struck her body temporarily paralizing her. Memories of when she was younger and the war was in full swing many of the royal guards would talk about the Guardian force of the kingdom they were at war with, and upon her consistant poking and prodding against her parents wishes, she learned that the leader of the Guardian force was a little older than her and his name was Eric. They told her that there was a rumor saying that he was more then just a tainted that he was actually part demon, it was the only explination for them as to how he could take down entire platoons of their army by his self. That if she wasn't good he would show up in her dreams and kidnap her and after doing several terrible things to her would kill her. she always laughed the last part off as the guards trying to help her parents keep control of her.

After the war she asked about the Guardian force and what would happen being that she knew a great portion were either killed or locked in their dungon. The guards said that all of them would be killed and that they think they have the infamous Eric even though they were never to sure. There he was however, in the flesh and he even mentioned her parents. He didn't seem like a tainted or even a demon. He just seemed like any other human. She shook her head free from these thoughts "Whatever, He is human and the guards were just trying to scare me. Plus if he really was like they said he would of killed me." she spoke her thoughts out loud. By then Eric had been out of earshot and started on his way through the forest then she realized she was a lone and didn't know what way to go. "I'll follow that rumor he talked about... about the gem!" she nodded in agreeance with herself "Just cant let him see me. Then at the last moment I'll swoop in and take it for myself!" she smiled "Perfect... now where did he go?" she looked around then noticed his foot prints climbing out of the creator and ran to follow them. Once at the top she saw him then hid behind a tree and let out a sigh. "he didn't get to far. I have to find out if he was in the Guardian Force though... I'll do it later... Gems first!" she thought to herself to scared to speak in fear he would hear her.

Eric continued walking through the forest having sheathed his gunblade imidiately after releasing Mariah he sighed "Gods that could of ended badly..." he said quietly to himself the memory of her pressed against him flashed through his mind causing him to blush slightly "never have I felt that way to anyone especially a princess... Its impossible that anything like that would happen" he thought to himself "best to forget it." he thought before giving himself a slight nod. "I'll probably never see her again" he thought chuckling at himself as he continued through the forest.

After several minutes Eric finally emerged onto the road he had been walking to and looked up and down to make sure it was safe for him to start walking on the road and no guards were riding one way or the other. With a sigh of relief he stepped onto the road and started walking north. Mariah was still right behind jumping from tree to tree. Now that he was on the road she would have a harder time hidding. "I'll just walk a good way behind him. he probably wont notice" she nodded "Not like I really am following him anyway. I just so happen to be going in the same direction doing my own thing.

The two walked a distance a part for several minutes. Eric had his arms behind his head he had noticed her following him the moment she stepped out onto the road, The sences he had honed being a guard warned him that he was being followed and was screaming at him a while ago. Only reason he didn't react was because he knew who it was however his sences started to get on his nerves so to calm them he decided to comfront her dispite the rational part of his mind screaming that its only a coinicidence and we could lose her in the next town if we wanted. "would be nice to talk to someone while I walked" he thought convincing that part of his mind to quiet down. He then cleared his throat and spoke up so she could hear him "I know your there Princess! Mind as well come up here and talk with me while your following me."

"The nerve of this guy!" she screamed in her mind forgetting the fact that he knew she was following him she clenched her fist and ran forward her hood falling off as she ran forward growling. When she finally caught up she lept up and punched him in the back of the head as hard as she could before landing behind him. Eric stumbled a couple steps forward before regaining his balance and stopping his back still to her. "I told you never call me that! how dare you not listen to me! I how many times do i have to beat it into you!" she was yelling her fists clenched by her sides her body tense

Eric just smiled "But I think it suits you Mariah. Plus how else was I going to get you up here to talk to me instead of following me from back there"

"I'm not following" she continued to scream at him "I just so happen to be going in the same direction as you! I have things to do up to the north anyway its not like you own all of the north!"

"Yeah, Sure whatever you say Princess." Eric laughed and braced  for the impact that followed right on que

"Stop! Calling me that you worthless worm! I swear if I was in my castle I would have you chained up and torched just for thinking of calling me that! If you weren't so stupid! Since I cant punish you like that I'll have to do it myself and pummle it into you not to call me Princess!"

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Author's Note

Ignore Grammar and misspellings these will be fixed at a later date