Morning light shines in Guards-hold, the town in the center-most of the Kingdom, with people of different races going about in their mundane lifestyle with different ethnicity living like one, like brethrens, peace reigned in Arienne - crimes are low but not entirely non - existent. The spring air fresh and natured, blended with the smell of bustling fresh foods which further brought and stamped the reign of peace and prosperity even further. The morning air invites people in the park, the green floor of grass, tress full of live dictates the central theme of it. Guards in the tall outpost were too - filled with the scent, their strict daily routine started fresh and warmed them up for the rest.
There directly below - below the outpost - below the gate stood three young lively tourists or so, "I've never smelt morning air as juicy as this!" Lu sniffing the air.
"Sometimes I forgot... it's your first time in a town" said Szlick, taking a bite of what he called his breakfast(tacos).
"People are friendly, I like towns!" said Lu, smiling.
"I've always wondered.... that old man,what does he look like?" asked Szlick looking at the old milkman, who standing - with his cow in front of them.
"Who?".
"The old man who taught you how to speak!".
"Ohh!! welll he looked old, that's for sure" laughed Lu annoying Szlick, "And a beard, white and beardy!".
"Beardy ain't even a word!!" Szlick squabbled with Lu.
Listening the duo's conversation was Sako quietly standing behind them - with a straight face and fingers on her chin, "An old man with a beard -- I know him" she said, gaining Szlick's attention, "Rightt! You're an assassin!" he said with curiosity consumed.
"In fact! He's here, close, I see him right now master" said Sako, still with a straight face, her eyes gazed at none but the little crowd decorated horizon.
"huh?" Lu with a doubt.
"Where?" Szlick with anticipation.
"There!" Sako pointed.
Immediately the duo looked towards - immediately they looked and saw the assassin was way off the mark. They turned at her she was in a stature of confidence and again immediately the duo looked dumbfounded in her stray confidence.
"An assassin huh?" Lu remarked private and quietly at Szlick.
"that's the old milkman?" Szlick does the same.
They both turned at Sako, the latter looked quite prideful. Her blossomed enjoyable face quote, 'Look how grateful I make my master', seeing Sako they turned around to discuss this issue.
"She looked happy!" Lu continued their whisper
"Is she for real?" remarked Szlick
"Let's just let this slide" said Lu.
"Are they alike at all?" asked Szlick.
"Kindaaaa?!!! no not at all!" Lu looking at the old man.
"This is depressing man!" Szlick remarked, "And she called herself an assassin?!" he added.
They take another look at Sako, she still was in a bliss. The vibe of pure satisfaction in doing good.
The duo returned to turning the other way.
"What now?? do we tell her? She's wrong?" said Szlick.
"Just ignore what happened bro,.... ju- just say something else" said Lu. Their faces looked worried and grim, that of a person knowing - the wrongs - but preserving the dignity of the person.
Suddenly, "There you are!" a voice amidst the crowd, Lucy with her blue uniform, accompanied by her brother Pay.
"What's with your faces?" she asked- which the duo shrugged off.
"How are you misters?" said Pay with a greeting.
"You know her?" Szlick asked Pay.
"Duh! She's my sister?".
" Ohhh! right!" said Szlick.
"Your sister's a liar!" said a childish Lu.
"YOU STUPID IDIOT, I TOLD YOU TO WEAR A SHIRT!" hot headed Lucy spew fire at Lu.
"Watch your tone!" threatened a loyal, protective Sako, interfering in between.
"Clam down! Ako!" Lu said to Sako, with a sinister smile and a hug from behind, that made Lucy step aback a little in surprised, Sako's face went fire red looking at the arms of her master in her waist.
'Huh? a-are they?', 'nevermind!' Lucy spoke in her mind.
"A--are you meeting the King half naked?" she asked Lu.
Suddenly she *gasped*.
'Half naked?, Don't tell me they?' she thought for a moment, quiet all of a sudden and -BOO'ED- the crowd with a loud "BABY!??" Lucy shouted she stood frozen and in place.
"Eh?" said the crowd confused.
'oh right he's always been shirtless no way did they do that plus Szlick and the rest are always with them yeah its just my imagination just my imagination!' Lucy in her thought, rumbled lightning fast.
"LET'S GO, GO GO GOOOO QUICK!" with a loud wake up talk she leads the way, confusing the rest but without a question they followed her lead.
They took a caravan outside the gate,
"Pay get on!" said Lu
"Nah, I need my warm up" Pay said, stretching.
"What ever you say, you're majesty!".
The caravan moved, so did Pay, Lu and the rest were awed by Pay - who ran like the wind, fast and furious. The group took in with joy - the scenic lands, they past a village with field of crops and arrived at the Merchant's guild, a building -huge with walls of fine architecture - guards maybe knights even patrolled the infrastructure. "Oh!" Lu remembered, he brought out the Golden badge, "Let's go here after" he said, to which Szlick and Sako agrees. Lucy still not herself - sulking all the while, quiet she was and in her own mind but she neither think nor talk she was blank all around, "Well I'm needed here, guys I'm off" said Pay, the kid ran all the way from Guards-Hold to the Guild it was far far away, neither did he tire nor sweat drizzled his clothes, a warm up he simply said and amazed were the folks.
"Okay, be safe" Lucy simply said, not even looking at Pay, the latter though he understands his sisters mood but still too young to catch the truth, 'Is she on her period thing again?, I swear I'm never marrying a girl!' Pay thought and he waved goodbye, Lu and the rest still on the caravan, they continued their trip to the Palace, to the King.
In the caravan unbeknownst to Lu and Szlick, Sako noticed Lucy's downed mood and a girl understands a girls mood, "Listen rival!" Sako said with a most serious of face, her seductive lips and her simply attractive face draws Lucy to blush with a little disdain, "Rival?" Lucy questioned, "Yes!" Sako replied.
"I know the way you look at Master!".
" Pfft! You're insane" Lucy brushes off Sako and she thought, 'Wait. Is she thinking that I'm stealing his man?' and she blurted out, "Don't worry, you look good together, I'm happy for you two!".
" Yes we do but we're not.... lovers!" Sako shyly answered.
"Wh-what?"
"Yet!",
The two girls conversed, leaving the boys to wonder what're they talking about. The girls noticed this, and with a quick 'hmph' they ignored their presence.
"But earlier he hugged you" Lucy expressed her own private issue.
"That was like a dream, I want more of those" Sako blushed a bit.
"Umm!.. You guys haven't done it?" Lucy asked - shy and nervous.
"Whatt? N-no" Sako her face bright red pink, 'cute and Sexxhy' Lucy thought literally dropping her jaws.
"I'll get to the point Mucy"
"Lucy!"
"Lucy" Sako still blushing but serious.
"Listen Lucy, *ahem* I am not losing to you, I recognize you as my Rival!" She declared her grey eyes showing an indomitable will.
"Rival? losing?" Lucy quoted weakly and thought, 'chance' her mind cheered and her grim and dim expression suddenly flipped, she somehow resembled Wu-kong in his fight with the gods - all fired up - that was her expression but, "I- I am not interested!" she said - a blatant lie, her poker face was weak that even a child could call her out.
"You're thinking shrewd!" Sako called her out, "Hmm! I like that, then that settles it, all's fair in love and war" Sako declared their standings and she thought, 'Maybe this is fate? ! , explains why I was sent to kill her in the frist place!?!!". Before Lucy could spew another slander , the caravan stops and the driver said, "The Palace! Here we are".
"That was a long butt ache" said Szlick rubbing his buttocks with his palms.
Immediately, "Miss Lucy Bellgarde!?" said a single maid her voice -showed-years of service and discipline, who was patiently waiting for the group.
"If you would kindly follow me!" the maid paved the way her arms directing up the curvy -snake like- pave way.
"Yes we would!" said Lucy and leads, the rest walked along.
Lucy looked at Lu -without a thought- absentmindedly she asked, "What's wrong?", Lu looking like he got something wrong in his mind.
" Ii-it's nothing" said Lu still wondering, 'So regular guards wear simply awesome helmet and a lame shoulder armour thing, the Knights( Captain rank or higher ups) wear no awesome helmets or lame ass shoulder armour thing*Lu thought of Mustang, Khadami, Barrone and Bartholomew* and these palace asses are wearing Apes armour with still a lame fucking ass shoulder armour thing, so where are those cool knights???'*Lu remembered times when people particularly Lucy kept mentioning how cool knights were*.'Liar, she's a liar but at least I think before talking now, take that Szlick' *He remembered when Szlick slightly told him to think before he speak -in a flashback when Lu made a child cry with his words*.
'he looked agitated' Lucy wondered and, 'Maybe I should try and ease him a bit' she thought, "Are you alright?" Lucy asked as she leans a bit with the brightest of smile. Lu startled a bit with Lucy's bright smile, he took a minute in pause, her eyes, lips -her cute yet lustful - un-characteristically voluptuous body and her face -in overalls- caught Lu's moment and puts him on hold.
"I-i'm fine" said Lu without a thought, -with a blink- immediately disenchanting himself from her spell,caught in a state of unfamiliar experience he looked away, "Liar" he said,
with a, "hmph!!" Lucy looked away with a snap and on they go on the appealing -pleasing- path way -on to the King's palace-.
On observing the open scenery and the pillars and such, Lucy looking around perceived Sako walking behind, the latter fixing her gaze at her -scowling a bit- likely caused by her and Lu's little commotion earlier or so Lucy thought.
Lucy slightly smiled at her and turned away showing her intense fighting spirit and grinning wide - sinister, dark black goes her face.
"Woooooo-ww--! These are cool!" said Szlick , drawn in by the pillar's inscriptions.
"Yes! This is the works of Sir Shah Sena after the great Trân war, these are all monuments, each pair of pillars shows the first Knights, counting in a pair there are 12 pillars but in total there are 24. As you can see, In each pair there are different knights and their loyal men, their names are inscribed on the top. Each is different from the rest, it took Sir Shah a whole day''.
"That one reads Sir Uther Earthbringer" Sako looked at a pillar in front of her.
"Sir Nakamura Genji?!" Szlick slowly read one, unsure he asked the maid and the maid confirms, hearing the name Lu sadi, "Woah! bro that's a bad ass name!". "Bro!!! Right?" replied Szlick, 'when did I start saying bro?' he asked himself.
"Wassup with this,this...bro!!Lu?" he blamed Lu as he picked up from him, "Whacha mean?.. shit's cool to say bro, bro!" Lu countered with a wild bro. The duo got into a spoken heated -Bro Fist- fight.
"We're here! Please enter" said the maid. Lucy crept close to her and whispered with her hand covering her mouth " Do you have any shirt for him, his very poor and he can't even buy one ".
"We have dried sheets!" said the maid.
"perfect" said Lucy, thinking of wrapping it around Lu's body but before she gets the chance the others entered the huge -heavily derailed in patterns- decorated door.
"Nevermind!" she said getting grumpy, she followed the rest.
Not long after, "Ho-ho there they are!" said Sir Barrone excitedly.
"Well well well! If it ain't Lucy my favorite secretary, where's your brother?" said Dekadora with open arms he welcomed the group.
"What nerve!" said the three old ministers looking at Lu.
"No ones that poor" said one of them.
"Have some decency!" said another.
"Secretary have you no manners in bringing in shirtless guests?" they scolded the poor girl.
"Fuck's your problem geezers! I'll wear what I dead gum want to" said Lu, again he puts on his - bossy delinquent - expression.
Lucy felt warm having Lu indirectly fending for her.
"How dare you utter----" with one hand raised at -chest level- the King halted his three ministers.
"Ho-hoho!" laughed Sir Barrone. Ahu kept himself absent in another petty - excuse- matter.
"At least he's got the little pecker covered" heartesly said the King.
He walked next to Lucy grabbing her by the arm and dragging the poor girl to a far corner and whispered, "I got a promotion for you, you see this new Guild, it heavily needs a direct subordinate of the King - 'me', so I'm putting you in charge as the manager, you can't say no to this,,, well it's already decided anyhow, also.... you'll get higher wage and freedom too, sweet deal right?",
"u-uh but Sir Mustang he---".
" Enough, it's an order straight from the King, denying it will be a crime punishable by death!".
"We'll that's that! Congratulations!" said Dekadora, "oh and slip this in one of his drinks!" the King handed Lucy a shady little package, 'Mustang you shit, I'll take your prized possession too' the King thought with an evil smile.
"So you've finally come!" said Dekadora walking back towards Lu and the rest.
"Mus- Sir Mustang" with a quick turn and a quick whisper "*that shit*" also a quick wink at Lucy the latter slightly shook still grabbing the small package he handed her, the wink clearly signified,'you're gonna do it right?' and he turned forward and continued " has already put you on high regards, however he said you need discipline, however -however I was once your age too, so enough with this chit - chat" he pauses a bit, his words seemed rush 'we haven't even talk to him at all' Sako thought.
"First show me your strength!" said the King excitedly, "RATAN" he shouted and within no wasted moment a tall 6'6 heavily buffed man, with wild spiky hair and a brown mean eye with looks to match came forth.
"By this I meant you to show me loyalty and Strength, for we men shows our nature only in a fight! So you'll fight my personally trained protege..... Ratan the endless".
" Fight? Just like that?" Lucy expressed her worries, but on contrary to her Lu and Szlick we're itching for it.
"It'll be a one on one, so one of you will be talking with me while the other fight, and vice versa when the first fight's over, now choose boys who'll fight or who'll drink with me" The King briefly declared his verdict.
When the word drink was heard, Szlick immediately made up his mind, "Lu beat that gorilla up but don't go full savage mode" he very well knows Lu won't lose, or at the least he can make it a long fight.
"Why is it always gorillas?" Lu asked.
"You scared?"
"Fuck that, Let's go!" said Lu ready and excited.
"But no killing!" Szlick gave Lu a request which Lu nodded to.
"So you?" said Dekadora to Lu.
"You two head down the court arena!" said Dekadora pointing at the vast small private arena inside the palace.
"Come come, Lucy, come all of you!" hurriedly the King went and called everyone present to the gallery for the viewing of the show, "Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the main event!" said Szlick aloud, making the ministers except Barrone look st him in disgust, Lucy showed awareness at that and was uneasy, Sako was already pissed from their distasteful negativity at Lu earlier.
Ahu, however was still in hiding, this time close round he was close, and behind a pillar he stood, he watched the group walking and talking towards the gallery, and a shocked expression when - he saw Szlick talking to the King.
Down the private court arena, Lu and Ratan stood ready, Ratan cracked his neck and said, "Will this be a bully, boy?".
" We'll see!?" sneered Lu
"Attitude!, don't let me down now" a short challenging introduction from the two. Shirtless the both of them.
"Here I co---" said Lu, almost charging instantly but,
"Wait"
His stance and - intent- halted by Ratan, "The King must say 'fight' first!".
" Oh sorry!?" said Lu simply complying.
"Look at that manners!".
"Shirtless and now this, how dare you continue your disrespect?!!"
"Ratan would smack him good just watch!" said the ministers, unbeknownst to them Lucy was holding back Sako - who was ready to do her job. "Assassinate" she said.
The King stood up, with his golden cup of wine, much beloved by Szlick - fawning over it.
"Are you ready?!"
Ratan took a stance for a straight power charge - like an *american football* starting stance.
Lu skip and skip, his eyes stared ready.
"BEGIN"
Lu still skipping up - down and in place, with a sinister grin, he said "Let's go".