Chapter 2 - Albel Nox

Chapter 2

Albel Nox



Nel didn't even bother trying to strike up a conversation with the soldier that walked alongside her all the way to Airyglyph. They hadn't run into very many monsters on the way to the castle, and when they had, Nel had ended up doing close to all of the fighting!



-“Some soldier you turned out to be.” she had spat at him once she landed on the ground from a finishing blow and swiftly placed her daggers back in her side pouch, a dead monster falling to the ground behind her, making her hair fly around her face in the gust of air that followed.



The soldier had instantly peaked out from behind his shield and tried to defend his pride, not that Nel was listening to his blubbering, her thoughts were elsewhere. `At least Albel is more useful in battle then this all-powerful-soldier-of-Aquios!...Waidaminute. He's the enemy! Well, not anymore really...but still! I can't loose my edge on him, or he'll probably slice me to shreds...' She grimaced at the thought.



The two of them got to the Airyglyph castle and strolled in soon after, Nel getting more and more tense by the second. `Oh Apris, I don't want to be here...'



-“Um, Lady Nel?”



She turned to see the soldier standing behind her. “Yeah, what now?” she asked, irritated. Nel had had quite enough of this man, and she wouldn't be too upset if he suddenly disappeared and reappeared on the moon.



-“I was just thinking, maybe I should stay here and wait for you...” he trailed off, seeing Nel turn on her `Oh-my-gosh-you're-annoying-me' face. She sighed.



-“Yeah, okay. You stay here while I venture off into a hell hole to retrieve Satan himself and face off against certain death, sounds like a plan to me. Next time you get a bright idea, make sure the whole Kingdom hears what you've got to say.” Nel snapped and turned back around in a huff and took a step down the corridor before turning and facing the confused soldier once again. “And I order you to watch that pebble very closely, it looks like it's up to no good.” she added, pointing to a very small stone that was beside the soldier's shoe. Nel was having a crap day, you couldn't blame her for messing around with the soldier's brain a little...



The soldier looked blankly down at the little stone that was sitting innocently beside his boot. He then gave the pebble a fierce look and drew his sword with one swift motion, pointing it's tip at the stone.



Nel turned around again so the soldier couldn't see her chuckle to herself and started walking down the castle's corridor.



She turned the corner to go to the King's Throne Room and collided with someone. She gave out a startled gasp and almost fell backwards, luckily the person she had bumped into grabbed her wrist and stopped her from falling. The thing was, the hand was made of metal and it's fingers resembled claws.



Nel's head shot up and she came face-to-face with none other then Albel Nox. Both her and his eyes widened.



-“You!” they both exclaimed in unison and Albel quickly let go her wrist, as if it was poisonous.



-“What are you doing here?!” Nel exclaimed without thinking and instantly regretted it. Albel smirked.



-“I live here, fool. Unless you forgot that little fact.”



Nel glared at him. `Oh how I hate your guts...' “I know that. I came here to get you. You're coming on a mission with me so let's go.” Nel muttered and turned to leave, only to be jerked back when Albel grabbed one end of her scarf, nearly choking her.



-“Slow down maggot. What did you say?”



Nel yanked her scarf out of his hand and adjusted it around her neck so it was loose again. “I said `You-are-coming-on-a-mission-with-me-so-let's-go'!” she spat out and started walking away from him again, only to be yanked back yet again as Albel pulled on her scarf.



-“That's what I thought you said. And why exactly do you think I would be going on a mission? With you none the less?”



Nel retrieved her scarf and quickly explained the situation to Albel, except she replaced the blueprints with an all powerful amulet so he wouldn't find out that he's actually helping her retrieve blueprints for weapons that might be used against him some day in the future. She knew that he'd eventually find out, but that wouldn't happen until they were knee deep in dragons and he wouldn't have any choice but to help her. `Who's the fool now, eh?' she thought to herself smugly.



When she was done, she saw that there was the smallest of smiles on his face.



-“Let me get this straight. You need my help to find some under aged, amulet stealing, little maggot, because of some little dragons that are standing in between you and him?”



Nel huffed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Basically.”



Albel's smirk widened. “So, the Aquarian scum is calling for help from the enemy. How predictable.”



That was the end of the line.



-“Look here Nox,” Nel snapped impatiently, wiping the smile off Albel's face. “We are no longer enemies. And we're not asking your whole army for help, just you.” Albel snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now you listen up and you listen good. I don't like you anymore then the dragons in this uncharted cave we gotta go into,” Albel muttered a “Likewise.” under his breath but Nel chose to ignore it. “But I still respect you as someone who I fought alongside against Luther 3 months ago, and I know that you understand dragons a lot better then I could ever hope to...” Albel looked her in the eyes, speechless. “I just want you to help me out this once, just this one, and then I'll make sure we stay as far apart from each other for as long as you want. Deal?”



Nel put out her right hand and gave him a determinated look. Albel observed her for a moment before reaching out with his good hand and shaking hers.



-“Deal.”



Nel smiled in victory. They broke hands and simply looked at each other for a few moments before Nel spoke up .



-“We'd better get going. Fayt and the others won't wait forever. You ready?” Albel shrugged.



-“Yeah, let's go....maggot.” he added under his breath and walked past Nel and towards the castle entrance way. Nel smirked and followed after him, wondering if her soldier was still watching the suspicious pebble...



~X~



Albel and Nel walked to the castle entrance and stopped abruptly when the Aquarian soldier came into view. He was rolling around on the ground with his sword laying a little ways away from him. The soldier was thrashing around as if he was in a life threatening fight with some invisible foe.



Albel leaned in ever so slightly towards Nel. “What the hell is he doing?” he asked in an amused tone. Nel watched the soldier roll around some more and sighed.



-“He's fighting with a pebble.” she moaned in embarrassment and walked over to the stressed soldier. Albel smirked and followed after her, a single thought running through his mind: `Like soldier, like subordinate.'



The soldier didn't see Nel coming and rolled towards her, fidgeting with the pebble that had found it's way to the middle of his metal chest plate. Nel lifted her right foot and placed it down on the soldier's chest as he rolled under her foot. He stared up at her blankly as Nel leaned her elbow down on her right knee and stared right back at him.



Albel came up beside Nel so his feet were beside the soldier's head and stared down at him as Nel spoke.



-“What so you think you're doing exactly?” she asked and tried her best to keep a straight face. The soldier stuttered for words, thinking he was in some kind of trouble with his superior.



-“Well, uh...I was doing like you told me! I did watch that pebble, just like you ordered me to, and then it just attacked! I couldn't defend myself and it-”



-“Soldier, were talking about a pebble here, and as far as I know, they don't usually attack people.” Nel cut him off and Albel snickered.



-“But Lady Nel! The pebble, it-”



-“It's a rock! An inanimate object! It doesn't attack people, because it can't!” Nel snapped and picked the small rock up off the soldier's chest and threw it over her shoulder. “When I told you to watch the pebble, I was being sarcastic you big oaf. Can't you take a joke?!”



The soldier stared up at Nel for a few seconds before frowning. Apparently it took a few seconds to sink in. “That was not a very nice joke, Lady Nel.” he said as she lifted her foot off his chest and backed up so he could stand up. Nel shrugged.



-“I didn't think you'd take me seriously enough to try to kill it.” Despite all her efforts not to, Nel smiled.



The soldier then noticed that Albel was standing beside him and quickly saluted.



-“A pleasure to meet you Mr. Albel Sir.” he said and Albel crossed his arms over his chest, turning away from the soldier.



-“Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Let's just hurry up and get to the `dragon cave' of yours so we can find this blasted kid and I can get back to my own affairs.” he said in his `I-really-don't-like-you' voice.



-“Ye-yes! Of coarse! Right this way!” the soldier said hurriedly and ran over to retrieve his sword before walking away.



-“Let's go.” Nel said and followed after the soldier.



Albel just glared at their Aquarian backs for a moment before deciding that he should follow them.

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