The portal dropped them off on the shore of the Southern Continent. It was morning now, and the waves quietly splashed against the sand. Kifka was unconscious. Senny examined him and found no wounds. Wizards had a tendency of fainting after using too much of their magic - or mana - in battles. Senny put her ear to Kifka's chest. She could hear his heart beating. He was alive. The halfling breathed a sign of relief.
The winds arose around them, making Senny shiver. She dragged Kifka to a tree and sat next to him. She couldn't leave him like this. The wind blew harder. Senny snuggled up to Kifka and pulled his greatcloak over them. They were going to live through this night.
The Rogue felt Kifka stir. She opened her eyes. He was about to wake! She jumped to her feet and took off. Kifka opened his eyes and sat up. He heard Senny's quick footsteps along the wet sands. He stood up to chase her, but dropped to his feet. His head felt like it was swinging in circles, his vision blurred.
"Senny…!" he groaned as he fell facedown in the sand. Senny froze. She didn't quite hear him call her as much as feet him. She took another step to run away, but could not. She turned around and raced back to Kifka.
He was sitting on the ground, coughing. Senny rushed to him and pushed him back to the ground. "Senny…" he whispered and reached for her. She took his hand into hers. "I think I'm going to die…" he told her. Sennymay's eyes widened.
"No… no, you aren't!" she screamed with tears in her eyes. "I won't let you!"
"There's nothing you can do." He smiled. "I love you and always will."
Senny froze. More tears rushed to her eyes. She shook her head violently as she crawled away from him, trembling. "You… you said you loved me. If you really do, you won't leave me!" she told him in a stern voice.
"I'm sor---," he didn't finish the phrase. His eyes closed and he head fell to the side as the last breath of life left him. Senny's heart skipped a beat. Kifka was dead. She poked him. Nothing. She sat on him and started shaking him. That only made it worse by proving that he really was dead.
"NO!" she cried out.
"Wake up, woman!"
Senny opened her eyes. Kifka was shaking her.
"Are you alright?" he asked with a concerned look on his face. Senny blinked at him. It was all a dream.
"Get off me!" she pushed him off and stood up with a disgusted look on her face. Kifka grinned. She gathered her weaponry and belongings and headed towards the forest.
"You're forgetting something," Kifka said. Sennymay didn't pay attention to him. "You belong to me." He snapped his fingers. Every muscle in Senny's body jolted and came to a halt. Sennymay stopped, paralyzed. Kifka walked up to her and looked her in the eyes.
He sighed as he saw the horrified look on her face. "Answer this one question truthfully and you are free to go."
Senny tossed her hair and gave him a defiant look. "Alright," she said.
"Do you love me?" Kifka asked. Senny opened her mouth, but he put one finger to her lips. "Answer truthfully."
Senny was quiet, thinking it over. Did she really love him? Of course not! He was the enemy! But, what was it that said she couldn't love him if he was the "enemy"? There is no law that one can't be in love with one's nemesis. Still, she did feel something for him. She looked at him again. There he was, that gallant young man! No, she was wrong. She didn't hate him! But, what should she tell him?
Kifka turned away from her. Senny felt her body relax. She could move again.
"I see." Kifka hung his head. He rose his hands to the sky. Sennymay narrowed her eyes at him. Shadows began to form around them. "Omega Fire!" Kifka called out and hurled a fireball into the sky. The Rogue watched with horror as the flame arched around in the air and raced towards Kifka. The wizard didn't move. He was pushing it. The fire neared him with death-defying speed.
It now loomed over him. After beating herself up emotionally, Sennymay lunged forward towards Kifka. Her tackle knocked him down to the ground, the fireball just missing his left ear. The wizard stared at her. Sennymay wobbled back up to her feet, carelessly brushing off grass and sand.
Kifka was about to thank Sennymay, but thought again, for a strange grin suddenly appeared on her face. There was something mischievous in that ear-to-ear smirk. Kifka tried to get up; as soon as he did, he felt something missing from his belt. He looked up at the Rogue. She stuck her tongue out at him in a playful way, holding up that missing item - a small green pouch. Senny undid the ties on it and pulled out a small iridescent globe. As she hurled it to the ground, a small puff of smoke surrounded her. That was the last time Kifka saw her. He dropped to his knees again, furious at losing her again. She could be anywhere in Etrion now. The only way of finding her now was if she activated his box.
"If she didn't love me," he told himself as he walked towards the nearest town, "then she would run away the fist chance she got." He smiled at the thought. "But" - he frowned again - "why did she steal from me? All I wanted was… was…"
Kifka whirled around, for he felt someone walking behind him. As he did so, he nearly bumped into a tall, handsome man with a colourful ribbon in his long, brown hair.
"Devyd!" the wizard exclaimed.
"She's a Rogue, one would expect her to steal," Devyd answered. He was a Bard; his earthy green outfit marked him as one. A large harness slung over his right shoulder contained a guitar. He would often pay for his meals by providing entertainment for people. Devyd shared Kifka's house, which was almost never used. Once in a while one of them would spend the night there. These two men were the traveling types, never staying in one place for long. The same could be applied to women in Devyd's case. He changed between them practically every month. At one time a small bet was started between Kifka and a Prince. Kifka would owe that Prince a considerable amount of money if Devyd ever settled down.
"I guess you're right," Kifka sighed.
"You have to use the tricks, boy," Devyd continued. "Then you would be irresistible to every woman you met!" Kifka shook his head in response. It didn't seem right to him, somehow.
"I only want Sennymay," he answered, at which Devyd's jaw fell agape.
"You amaze me sometimes, although I do have to admit that she's a babe." He stared off into space, "With a figure like hers-"
"Let's go, shall we?" Kifka interrupted and started walking.
"She does want you," Devyd grinned in response.
"What?!" Kifka whirled around and grabbed the bard's green collar, lifting him off the ground. That was a rather tricky thing to do, taken into mind that the bard was considerably taller.
"I bumped into her in one of the towns," Devyd reassured him. "She stole a whole chunk of chicken right out of my hands." He sighed at the memory of how tender the meat tasted.
"And…?" Kifka peered at him quizzically.
"I followed her around, until she got to the temple. She kept thinking about you."
"How do you know?"
"I can pick up people's thoughts once in a while, if they are extreme." He walked closed to Kifka. "You know, if I was a woman, I would be in love with you myself." Devyd swooned and fell into Kifka's arms, at which the wizard stepped back, dropping the swooning bard to the ground. "By the way, she's in the Strawberry Trace right now," he mentioned.
"Thanks!" Kifka exclaimed. He took hold of his gold teleport ring and twisted. He soon found himself in a street full of strawberry colours and stands selling strawberry jem and ice cream. He turned away from the tavern and was met by an impact that almost knocked him off his feet.
"Outta my way, civilian!" that person yelled. It was Senny. She was caught in the moment, not realizing nor caring about who it was that she bumped into. She took off and ran into the tavern.
Kifka was once more pushed aside. This time by a red-haired guard who ran into the tavern after her. There was a loud shriek. The glass in the right window shattered and Senny fell out. She fell to the ground, landing on the pieces of glass. The guard jumped out after her and landed right on the Rogue. He backhanded her with his metal gauntlet, making her scream. She leaned forward , grabbed his surprised face, and delivered him a head-butt that sent him backing off her. The halfling jumped to her feet and grabbed the guard around the waist from behind as he staggered. She lifted him, bent backwards, and was about to slam him into the ground, but he shifted his gravity. Sennymay didn't know what hit her as she sailed up into the air. The guard grabbed her again, but she kicked high, catching him in the jaw.
Kifka stood in the middle of the street, not daring to move. He watched the Rogue fight, but could not help her. Thoughts ran through his mind, but all were unsuccessful. He thought of casting a spell at the guard, but that would affect Sennymay too. He though of just plain fighting, but was too weak and would probably get himself killed. So, he just watched.
Senny landed on the guard. She grabbed his neck and started choking him. He did the same to her. Senny drove her nails into the nape of his neck. The man drew his left arm back and punched her in the face, which sent the half-conscious rogue rolling to Kifka's feet. She shook her head, her lip bleeding, got up to her feet and charged the guard again. As she ducked from a punch, she met a kick. It landed in the Rogue's stomach. She fell to the ground, coughing up blood and gasping for air. The guard drew his foot back and kicked her again, hard. Senny was knocked back by the impact and fell on Kifka.
Kifka caught her. She was unconscious. The guard limped towards the wizard and reached for Sennymay. Kifka swung and delivered the guard a blow so strong, it sent the poor man flying back to the tavern door.
"What in Kai's name do you think you're doing?!" Kifka screamed. "She's almost dead! Haven't you had enough?" The guard only looked back at him idly as he wiped his face.
Senny coughed and opened her eyes. She drew back as soon as she realized that she was held. The leather that she was leaning against was smeared with her blood.
"I am so sorry about your leather," she gasped. She gasped again as she saw who it was. Kifka smiled at her. Senny threw her arms around him. The wizard froze momentarily. Maybe, he thought, that kick in the head dislodged something. Why was she suddenly so affectionate to him?
The guard tried to stand up. "Drekore, are you all right?" asked his companion.
"I'm fine, " Drekore growled. He got up and walked over to Kifka. The guard grabbed Senny's arm and jerked her towards him. She screamed and grabbed her shoulder. She brushed her other hand against Kifka's cheek before she was knocked unconscious again by the guard.
Kifka crossed his arms. "Let her go," he commanded in a calm voice.
"This knave stole a hefty amount of money from some very powerful people in the town!" Drekore countered. "She is wanted by the law!" Then he paused. "Plus there is a 2k reward on her head."
Kifka dug into his dark hooded cloak and pulled out a small pouch. He threw it at the guard. Drekore opened it and counted the silver in it. It all amounted to two thousand gold pieces. He shrugged and pushed Senny back to Kifka.
"If she's worth that much to you, you can have her." Drekore threw the pouch back to Kifka and walked away. There were still kind people in this world.
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Etrion, "Four Gems," and its characters are Copyright © Sennymayy 1997 - 1999.
