Chapter 1 (Part 2)

There it was. On the longest table I've ever seen - food. 

All kinds of food - soups, appetizers, main course and dessert made out of vegetables, fruits, and fish. The centerpiece of the banquet was the biggest multi-flavored loaf of bread I've ever seen.

I think I'm in heaven. If this is a dream, nobody wake me up.

I drooled as I reached out and dramatically grabbed a piece of that fluffy loaf, savoring the moment. And when I was about to put it in my mouth, it vanished into sparkles, no less. I looked back at the whole loaf and it was vanishing into sparkles too. I panicked and tried to grab any food on the table as fast as I could and eat something quick but all I felt was eating air.

"Lady..." I could hear a far off whisper say. I wanted to glare at the voice but I don't know where it was coming from. All I know for sure was that it was the one causing me agony right now. Back off! You're dragging me to hell! 

"Lady, lady..." I could hear him more clearly now. I tried my best to ignore him but it was too late. I'm awake. And as if he wasn't satisfied with dragging me out of heaven, I could feel him shaking my shoulders.

I woke up, like he wanted. Livid.

I opened my eyes and immediately attacked the guy, whoever it was, that tried to wake me up. I grabbed his neck and used my whole body weight to push him on the floor. I ended up sitting on top of my 'assailant' who lay choking on the floor trying to pry my hands from his neck. Apparently, it was the hooded traveler from before and strangling him now, with his hood undone, I see he had a pretty handsome face. He had long black hair and gentle black eyes, black not dark brown, I must clarify; alabaster skin and definitely handsome features. He's like a... hmm, how do I put it…a celestial being, perhaps? In any case, he was definitely other worldly. I mean how could this kind of beauty exist? Luckily, I'm immune to that. It took me a moment though to recover from the shock of his beauty.

Do I forgive him or not? I looked at him again and compared him to my multi-flavored loaf. Definitely not. I resumed strangling him.

"Please wait," he said with a choked voice. "I meant no harm." I lightened my grip in response but not quite taking my hands off. In a clearer voice he continued, "I only woke you up because you looked like a fish out of water, gasping for breath. I thought you were suffocating."

I wasn't suffocating, you moron! I was hungry! 

Now that I remembered, this guy was supposed to treat me food. I immediately let go of his neck and looked around. The hooded traveler apparently carried me from the place I fainted from to another location in the forest. It was an unknown clearing and a fire was burning in the middle of it. Above the fire was a black pot simmering with something. I finally found what I was looking for. I walked towards the pot and peered in it. Although it was rabbit again, (Ugh) it was stewed this time.  I noticed a bowl and a spoon were set on a rock beside the fire. I looked at him with expectant eyes and he just waved his hand toward the pot as if saying 'go ahead'.

I didn’t hesitate. I picked the bowl and dug in.

That was the best damn rabbit I had in a while. In all honesty, I don't know how to cook. Master usually handled the cooking so I never learned how. I just knew how to roast things and I fail at that too. So during this week of traveling, I am reduced to having half of my meals charred and the other half barely edible and bland. Tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered Master. Oh how I miss his cooking so very much.

Damn Master. He kicked me out just like that! 

"How is it?" he asked me looking at me expectantly.

"Good. The best I had in a while," I said while giving a smile.

"Do you travel alone?"

"Not since last week." I put my rabbit down, feeling a bit down myself.

"Where is your traveling companion now?"

"Don't ask." I resumed eating my rabbit stew.

He nodded courteously. I like this guy. Polite to everyone, even to his muggers and stranglers! "Can I be your traveling companion? If you don't mind that is,” he continued.

I thought about it for a while. My profession is an 'alone' type of work. But I guess a cook isn't that much of a burden. "Alright. You can come with me. Where is your destination anyway?"

"Anywhere," he answered. "Or nowhere. I just want to travel. I don't have any particular place to go to."

"Do you mind being a mercenary? Can you fight?" Being a mercenary was one of my money earning sidelines. Of course that meant I chose high-paying missions with a certain level of difficulty that demanded action. I can't have a dead weight on me if I could help it.

"Not at all. I'm quite a skilled swordsman myself, if I could be of any use," he offered.

Somehow, I seriously doubt that.

After eating and feeling alive and renewed once again, I wanted to test his so-called swordsmanship skills. It might be non-existent after all since I found him helplessly complying with muggers. "Would you like to spar with me?" I challenged.

"You just ate. You might have a stomach ache."

"Don't worry I'm trained." Master never gave me breaks even after meals. 

He smiled at me. "Then it is my pleasure, Lady."

I was stunned but not to the point of gaping. I just felt my brain freeze for a while. He had a dazzling smile coupled with a handsome face. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn he came from the heavens. I had to slap myself to restart my brain.

"What's the matter?" he asked confused.

"Nothing. A bug, that's all. And don't call me Lady. Call me Chryisle." I said in short, brisk sentences.

"Then I am called Noirxus."

I nodded in acknowledgement. Without further ado, I grabbed my own sword; the one Master gave me. It was a special sword, or at least that's what my Master said. It had six holes on its long hilt which I have no idea why and a very white, bone-like, double-edged blade. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a very good, well balanced sword. The type of blade that I can easily perform my sword tricks with. So far, I haven't found a sword as good as this one so I use this one.

"Don't underestimate me even if it's just a spar," I warned him.

"Please do the same here," Noirxus replied reaching for the hilt of his own sword. As he pulled the sword from its scabbard, I felt the air around him change.

Huh. So he really was a skilled swordsman. And a good one at that. This is going to be fun. 

Author's note: Noirxus name is pronounced as Nor-sus or Norsus