Panda WROTE something.

[Kentucky-Fried Panda]

This is, like, my first real try at writing something serious. I wish I could think of some ways to make it longer, but too much filler text makes things boring...

If you want to leave a review on FP: http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2367341/1/

Or if you wanna be lazy...

Mazami's Tower
Chapter 1: The Red Moon Festival


The sun hung low in the sky, spreading its pale morning glow over the sleeping shrine at the top of the hill. The heavy temple bells chimed to greet the morning, the cheerful tone echoing as far as it could reach. The normally tranquil area of this holy monument was soon to be replaced now by hordes of swarming people, all of them diligently preparing for the upcoming festival-- a festival to honor Lord Mazami, an ancient legend of the small town that was located about a 15-minute walk from the site of the shrine. The town, called Maroe, was built over the ruins of Mazami's kingdom. The massive tower where Lord Mazami himself resided so long ago remained standing, and even though it was well over a thousand years old, the bricks had not weathered and the painted decorations had not faded. The thing that puzzled the villagers most, though, was the fact that the heavy stone entrance was always locked from the inside, with no other known exits. Mazami's Tower was a mystery, inside and out.

Every year, the enigmatic citadel and the jubilant ceremony that honored it drew in tourists from far and wide. The dishonest local merchants sold enough cheaply made souvenirs during this season to afford spending night after night drinking themselves under the table. By now most of their shops were ready for the rush of people that would arrive. Many colorful booths and food stands crowded the area, leaving the managers with nothing left to do but sit and wait.


Of course, with such a celebration close at hand, the train station was bursting at the seams with visitors from far and wide. Residents of the village scanned the crowds for relatives, and newcomers milled about studying each sign carefully. Even the Mayor of the town himself was spotted sitting patiently on one of the train station's dusty benches with his stern eyes focused on the clock. He watched as the minute and second hands made their revolutions, and was momentarily drawn in by the motions. He snapped out of his daze when a laughing male voice called out at him.

His heavy-lidded eyes searched the crowd for a moment, then locked with the mahogany eyes of his grandson Kamati. Having made eye contact, his joyous shouts ceased and he broke into a sprint, his arms flailing. Another man, slightly rougher in appearance, and a ginger-haired teen holding a slumbering toddler followed behind him. The old man chuckled at how childish his grandson seemed to act, even being well into his twenties.

Wide brown eyes danced with excitement as Kamati threw his strong arms around his grandfather. He squeezed tightly for a moment, then loosened his grip and pulled away. An almost inhumanly large grin shone upon his face as he began animatedly chattering, his entire body gesturing flamboyantly.

"Ah, hi, Ojiisan! It's been a while, huh? I almost forgot my way around this damn train station, I had to-- Hey, wait..." He stopped abruptly, eyes darting in random directions. "Where's Jaren-kun? I haven't seen that brat in years, and he's not even here to welcome me home! Aaaah, why do I have to be stuck with such a heartless kid as my brother?!"

The outburst brought about a chorus of laughter, save for the redhead that had been trailing along behind the two men. At the mention of Kamati's younger brother, her features scrunched up into a look of disappointment. Kamati's partner raised an eyebrow at her as she began mumbling obscenities.

"Uh, Karie-chan? Are you okay? You're acting... um... scary." He eyed his little sister carefully, as if expecting a sudden explosion of anger from the fiery girl. Karie turned to face him with moist eyes and reddened cheeks.

"Of course I'm not okay, Raneru! I can't believe this! The nerve of that boy... It's an outrage! A TOTAL OUTRAGE! First he doesn't even send any letters, then he stays at home when he's supposed to be here!! I'll teach 'im a lesson when I find him!" The ginger haired girl's gaze made the men shiver. Raneru placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling the muscles underneath tense up instantly.

"Calm down, kid... Of course he's not gonna want to see you if you always act like you want to kill him," he scolded. She shot him a soul piercing glare and turned away with a childish pout. Kamati's grandfather chuckled and rubbed the top of Karie's head.

"I assure you, dear, Jaren did not intend to upset you. He just overworked himself the night before, so I let him sleep in," he said gently. "Now, why don't we all head to my house? I'm sure Jaren will be awake by the time we get there."

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Karie ran up the smooth, black cobblestone path leading to the Mayor's residence. She turned around for a moment, laughing as she saw that the men were lagging far behind. Turning back around, she skidded to a stop, almost slamming face first into the high wooden fence surrounding the huge house. Small hands fumbled with the heavy latch on the gate for a moment, then the gate swung open and the redhead ran inside. She stopped and took a deep breath, admiring the size of the old man's place. Walking up a small flight of smooth wooden steps, she paused again before rapping lightly on the door.

There was a muffled clattering sound from the other side of the large wooden door, followed by a few clicks and rattles. Finally the door was pulled back, and Karie came face to face with a groggy teenage boy. Her initial response was to laugh as she studied him. Fluffy black hair stuck out in all directions, a few stray locks hanging in his eyes. She looked him over again and wondered when he'd gotten so tall.

The two teens stood there for a moment, staring blankly at each other. A tiny stream of saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth. The boy wiped it away as his sleepy brown eyes drilled into Karie. The fiery girl began to get nervous. She ended their staring contest by delivering a stinging smack to his right cheek. His growl of pain was cut off by a yawn, and he sent her a tired death glare. She growled back in frustration.

"Dammit, Jaren-kun, wake up. Your brother is gonna be here any second!" She emphasized her point by flinging a hand toward the gate. Jaren blinked at her a few times, then looked over her shoulder in time to see the men approaching the house. His face remained blank for several long seconds as he appeared to be pondering an appropriate response. After nearly a minute, panic registered on his face.

"Onii-san is gonna kill me! I have to go get ready," the dark haired boy lamented, stumbling as he scrambled his way over to the stairs. Panicked footsteps made a resounding thump in the empty hallway, and Karie stifled a giggle at the mental image of a cartoony Jaren tumbling down the stairs.

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"...And then it let go of my leg and ran away," Jaren stated dryly, leaning back in his seat as his story was finished. Karie stared incredulously for a moment, and he flashed her a trademarked fox-like grin. Her expression turned into one of suspicion.

"Liar. Nothing that exciting would ever happen to you," she teased with a foxy grin of her own. "I think the closest you've ever gotten was the beating you got from Kamati-san this morning."

"Don't remind me, my head STILL hurts," the slim teen groaned, his facial expression turning to a look of horror, as if he were having a war flashback. The redhead giggled again and sipped the rest of her tea.

"Hey, shouldn't we get going? It's gettin' dark outside, so the festival will start soon. See, everyone else is already leaving," she remarked, gesturing casually toward the direction of the festival grounds.

"Yeah, we should probably start heading that way."

The two childhood friends walked side by side as the sun finally slipped below the horizon. Fireworks began to sound in the distance, popping joyfully. A few especially extravagant ones could be seen over the trees that obscured the teens' view of the show. Eyes turned toward the sky, they got lost for a moment in the peacefulness of the summer night. It was Karie's voice that broke through the calm atmosphere.

"Ack! I forgot my camera! Damn it, I can't believe I left it all the way back at the inn," she squealed, hitting herself over the head in her frustration. "I'm gonna have to go back and get it! You just go on without me, and tell me everything when I come back," the ginger-haired girl called as she turned and ran back into town. Jaren heaved a sigh and waved at her retreating form, walking down the winding trail alone.

"Still as klutzy as ever, Karie. Haha... Oh, ****, these woods are so creepy when you're alone," his harsh tone echoed through the shadows and reached his ears again as whispers that made his blood run cold. The lamps lighting his path were few and far between, and the light they provided did little good at penetrating the oppressing dark. He stopped under one of them and turned his gaze toward the moon, which lay half hidden behind milky purple clouds. It was full and bright, shining an eery crimson glow upon the treetops.

"...So pretty. Big and round and red like blood," Jaren froze as he heard a willowy female voice slice through the thick silence of the woods. He looked around for the source of the sound, and became increasingly nervous as he saw no one-- until he noticed the silhouette on the ground. He looked up and saw a dark form balanced precariously on top of the lamp.

"Excuse me, miss, how did you get up there? You really shouldn't be in such a dangerous place, you know," he called up to the mysterious girl, who let out a startled gasp and whirled around to gaze down at him. To his surprise, she jumped down and landed delicately on her feet with no trouble. Jaren scrutinized her appearance with some amount of caution. Her porcelain white face was framed with wispy raven tendrils, her golden eyes nearly covered completely by her bangs. Her tiny frame was nearly swallowed up by her clothing, which looked to be made for someone Karie's size. Upon closer inspection of her dress, he realized it was a maid's uniform.

"How old are you, miss? What are you doing out here alone?"

"I... I'm fourteen, sir. I got seperated from my older sisters... I was just on my way to the festival... but I stopped to look at the moon. It's just so pretty," her voice was airy and fragile. Plump, cherry tinted lips managed a sweet, albeit nervous smile.

"And what's your name, girl?"

"Jima Mazami, sir. And yours?" she asked with her tiny smile breaking out into a friendly grin, showing dimples at the corners of her mouth.

"...Jima Mazami? Y-y... you can't be serious!" Jaren looked over her with a look of absolute astonishment.

"Why can't I be serious, sir?" Jaren detected a hint of amusement in Jima's voice, and her golden eyes blinked as she waited for a reply. The dark haired boy's jaw hung open as he looked over this strange girl, who claimed her name was the name of a legendary maiden.

"I'm sure you know the story. No one will take you seriously when you're dressed in a maid's uniform," he laughed and mocked her with a Cheshire Cat grin. She looked back at him with a puzzled expression and cocked her head.

"I'm afraid you're not making any sense, sir. I don't know this 'story' you speak of, and I don't know what my state of dress has anything to do with it. My name is Jima Mazami, so please do not ask me to state it for you again," Jima sighed, her soft voice laced with light annoyance.

Jaren shot her a piercing glare and grabbed her wrist, pulling her in the direction of the festival grounds. There wasn't much of the trail left to walk down, and he could hear the pulsing music steadily growing louder. Ignoring her protests and struggles, he continued dragging her along the path until the festivity came into view. The entire area was lit with neon lamps and colorful fireworks bursting in the air. A strong breeze moved the hot air, carrying the scent of seasoned meat and fresh fruit. Jaren spotted his grandfather in the crowd and dragged Jima toward him.

"Ojiisan! This girl is being difficult, so I'll let you deal with her," he shouted exasperatedly, pushing the dark-haired girl toward the old man. He gave her a gentle smile, half hidden under his thick mustache, and leaned down closer to her face.

"Hello, there. My grandson is quite impatient, isn't he? Now, what seems to be the problem?" He pushed his rounded glasses higher up on his nose and stood by with his eyes twinkling merrily. Jima glanced sideways at Jaren with her brow furrowed, then turned to look up at the man who awaited her reply.

"He asked my name, and I told him, but he started to treat me rudely after that," she explained in her most delicate tone. Her eyes glittered as fireworks popped over their heads, and a tiny smile returned to her face as she watched them. She frowned at Jaren's mocking laughter sounding in her mind, and turned to look at the elderly man's face again.

"What is your name? I'm sure it's something lovely, so what reason does young Jaren have to be so offended?"

"It's Jima, sir. Jima Mazami. Jaren said some things about it that didn't make sense," Jima's expression appeared quizzical and frustrated at the situation. Jaren's grandfather's eyes widened and then crinkled into a smile again.

"I see... You must be so lost after waking up from such a long nap. Your sisters are waiting over there for you, so why don't you go sit with them now? Everything will be explained in due time, dear," He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, pushing her in the direction of the stage. Turning to Jaren, his expression changed to one of disappointment. The teen simply looked back with amazement.

"That... that was... She... That was the real deal?!" Jaren let out a low whistle, then frowned. "Didn't expect her to be a mousy little girl like that..."

The sound of excited feet thudding against the ground came rushing from the lonely trail behind the crowd, and Jaren's ginger-haired friend sprinted up to him with a bulky camera on a strap around her neck. Her freckled face was flushed from the excitement and her chest heaved as she felt her racing heart starting to slow back down. Jaren shook his head with a chuckle as she began snapping pictures of everything she could see.

"So... what did I miss?"

"Nothing much, but I think things are going to get pretty interesting," he said slowly. In the distance, under the dancing lights and glowing red moon, he spotted a porcelain face and a pair of golden eyes watching him silently.

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And that's that. Don't eat me.

[Demonlemon]

Very nice story Kfp.

Edit: I wonder why nobody else has posted yet.

This post has been edited by demonlemon on May 27 2007, 08:46 AM