Escape From the City

The sky was blue and clear. Or at least he thought. The magic dome always made it seem brighter than it actually was.

"Slide me another round, Culert!"

"Sure thing Mr. Yokoshima."

A small cling of a coin hitting the inside of a cup is heard across the room.

"Thanks for the tip."

"It's the least I can do for my favorite bartender."

Behind Yokoshima a glass gets smashed as a table gets thrown over as he thinks to himself. "What the fuck... I was having a nice time, asshole. Why'd you have to ruin it? He gets up and walks over to the man who threw the table over, noticing the table is digging into the chest of a man on the ground.

"That wasn't very nice of you. Now I'll have to punish you." Immediately the room becomes filled with a presence that can only be described as grey. Not white, not black, but grey.

"You don't have to-" The man's voice was cut off by Yokoshima's finger pushing against his throat.

"I do have to. Break my rules, you get punished. That's how it works around here." The finger at the man's throat moves down to his arm, revealing a small piece of clay clasped in his palm. The clay stretches itself thin, seeming almost alive, and wraps itself around the arm of the man who created the commotion, beginning to cut off circulation.

"Okay, you can let up on his arm. But tighten yourself if the man ever does anything against my rules again."

Yokoshima turns around to look at the man on the floor under the table, lifting the table off of him. He stands it back in it's original spot, looking at the young man getting up off the floor.

"The name's Fuzen, how bout you?"

"Peter." He stands staring at Fuzen in awe.

"Well Peter, have a drink with me, why don't you? You're old enough to drink right? Awwwwww, who cares? Drinks for everyone! On the house!"

"Well thanks... Fuzen?"

"Aye, no problem lad."

They both sit at the bar, taking drinks from Culert, the bartender. A few drinks and a few minutes pass before either one says something.

"So why did you help me out?"

"Simply because I could, Peter. That, and I needed some prep before I save the city." Fuzen gets up from his stool, walks to the door, and smiles back at Peter before he turns around to exit his own bar for the last time in a while.

*********

As he arrived in the square (ironically named considering it was a circle) he noticed that the air about the place was different. Then, people started pointing to the sky, no, the tip of the tower that projected the barrier.

There, at the top of the tower was a manticore. It had a lifeless body in it's mouth, probably some innocent bystander who had been along for a nice stroll through the square, much like Fuzen.

Without warning, the once lifeless body sprung straight in the manicore's mouth, causing the manticore to open it's mouth and drop the body.

"Take the bait."

As the body fell, it fell fast enough so the manticore couldn't catch it before it hit the ground. While the body was falling, Fuzen had moved very near where it was going to hit, clearing the area of people.

"I may be out of my league, but at least I'm not killing innocents." He draws his small mithril dagger, positioning it so that it might impale the manticore on it's way down to the ground.

As the impact happened, Fuzen pushed the dagger straight into the paw, which didn't phase the beast at all. Now he lay flat on the ground, face to face with a manticore of legend, on the brink of death, unless someone would have the courage to distract the beast.

Walking to the town square on what seemed like another day wasted in the dome. Everybody in this part of the city seemed to recognize him. Mostly because he's  in the bar by now. Not even always to drink, just to be there where nobody bothers him. To most he's a trouble maker, to some  another face on the street, and to very few is he called a "friend".

On the stroll to the bar, he hears a loud thud of impact not to far from his location. He began running to the scene to make sense of what it is. He hears people yelling for him not to go but ignores them until he hears something. His name. "Maikeru!"

He stops abruptly. Nobody has called him that since he was a child. He has gone by Mike for so many years he almost forgot it wasn't the name he was born with. He turns to see who said the name but nobody claims that it was them. He then turns and continue running to the sound.

When he reaches the square he finds a sight he never thought he would see. A manticore. He then sees a man under it's massive paws wielding a dagger. Before he can stop to process what's occurring, he creates a snowball in his right hand and throws it at the beast, hitting it in the eye.


The massive creature then glares at him and lifts it's paw, targeting it's new victim, Maikeru Sumisu, Man of Ice and Snow..

A snowball.

A man.

The things that saved Fuzen's body. He wouldn't forget this, and was now indebted to whoever this man was.

With the manticore distracted, he manages to pull his dagger out of the manticore, but stays with his back on the ground. His left hand is fiddling with something inside his robe for a split second, and nobody can make out what it is because the manticore is blocking their view.

The manticore sprints toward Maikeru, tackling at him, allowing Fuzen to get up. In his hand he holds his dagger, but it's silver sheen is gone, and is now a flat silver. Sprinting toward the manticore that just tackled Maikeru, he loses his thoughts.  

"..."

Maikeru is then tackled by the manticore, allowing the stranger to stand and run free from its grasp. He feels the impact from the beasts lunge, yet, it doesn't appear to phase him. He simply was knocked to the ground with a crash. The only sound that escaped Maikeru's lips was a gasp for breath. He laid there for a moment not realizing what was happening around him. He was in shock.

Maikeru thinks to himself while lying on the ground "why the fuck did i just risk my life for.. for a stranger?".. Feeling defeated under the weight of the manticore he lets out two words "not.. yet.." and he grabs the manticore by the leg that is atop his chest, then lets out a groan of pain as it pushes down on his rib cage.

All of the surrounding people are astonished to see that the young lad, Maikeru began to glow a faint blue as the paw that was crushing him was becoming encased with clear blue crystal.

Fuzen jumps on top of the manticore, plunging the small dagger in the small of it's back. When he pulls it out, the manticore rears back and knocks him off onto his back, while the manticore falls back onto Maikeru with an audible thud and the sound of shattering crystal.

The manticore roars with pain, and begins to fly away toward the peak of the tower. Fuzen extends a hand to help Mike up, and when he takes it, pulls him up forcefully to his feet.

"Thanks for the hand. I'm Fuzen Yokoshima, the main man around these parts. But you can just call me Zen. You?"

After he replies, Fuzen mutters under his breath, just barely audible to the people around him.

"Go for it's heart. Then crush it."

"Go for its heart?" Maikeru asked dazed and confused. He looks up to the tower to see the manticore fly inside, hidden by the darkness that lays within. Then, when he looks back at Zen, he begins to worry. "I have no idea what iv'e just gotten myself into.." Maikeru thinks to himself. But one thing is certain, there is no stepping back now.

Zen is looking at Maikeru, as if he expects something in return. Maikeru then realizes that after all they had been through, and after learning Zens name, he had never introduced himself properly.

"I apologize for my rudeness but i'm..." he pauses, not knowing what to say..

"Maikeru."

After Maikeru introduces himself, a shriek is heard from the part of the tower where the manticore flew in.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Maikeru."

He looks at the tower and smirks.

"We've got a new friend. He was just trying to kill us, if that's any hint."

The once golden manticore flies down and lands next to Zen, shining a silvery color. It growls at Mike, biting in his direction but missing by a few inches on purpose.

"I could go for a drink, what about you? Eh, who am I to ask you to get a drink with me? I'll just make you."

The manticore picks Maikeru up by the collar, following along behind Zen as he walks. They walk in silence until they reach Zen's bar, the one he wouldn't return to for a while

Zen sits down at his usual stool next to the bar, and the manticore sets Maikeru down to the left of him. The beast walks behind his new master, curling up and purring.  

"Well Culert, I wasn't ever going to come back, but here I am. Send down two of your strongest!"

"Draft with three shots of rum, sir."

"Splendid!"

The two beers slide down the bar, one stopping in front of Zen and the other in front of Mike.

"Enjoy, this would normally cost a fortune."

Emiko sat in the corner of the bar with her hood draped over her face just covering her eyes, but still allowing her to see.

She was more than content with her Black Guinness Lager when the two men, one being carried by a large, lion-like creature burst in making their presence known.

Because Emiko was part vampire, her senses were much stronger than that of any other being. When the manticore came into the bar, it brought along it's stench of wet dog and sweaty gym socks, which Emiko definitely did not appreciate.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." She mumbles to herself under her breath with a vexed look on her face.

She got up from her seat, lifting the hood off her face to expose her oddly evil yet beautiful appearance. She walked over to the two men and sat down in the stool to the right of Zen.

"Would you mind letting your beast outside? Not all of us appreciate it's um... Odor" she paused waiting for a reply and added "Because if you don't do it, I will" she said insistently.

Maikeru is set down on the stool beside Zen and handed a drink. He isn't sure what to make of the situation. Here he is, next to a strange man he met today and carried into a bar like it is the norm. Looking around he notices people looking at him, and who could blame them? He had just been carried into a bar by a massive lion like creature.

He looks down at the beverage in front of him and remembers Zen saying "Enjoy, this would normally cost a fortune". Just who is this guy? Why is it that he is now the proud owner of a manticore? All he knew now is that it would be rude not to drink this "liquid gold" in front of him.

"bottoms up" he mutters under his breath, yet right before he can enjoy it a woman appears out of what seams like thin air. He doesn't understand what she says to Zen at first but he doesnt care. right now he is too focused on his drink and the strange occurrences that had already happened today.

He takes a swig of the drink and slowly drifts off into a daydreaming state, ignoring everything that was going on around him.

"I can tell you have some que-"

He stops, slowly looking over at the woman. She was beautiful, devious, like Zen on the inside.

"Bitch, you interrupted me. And Maikeru, no less. What's so important that you have to interrupt two men enjoying a nice conversation and a beer?"

She mentions something about a beast, which sets Zen off. He mutters something incomprehensible to himself, quiet and slurred enough so even the most acute of hearing couldn't understand.

He looks back over at Maikeru, while the manticore gets up and starts rubbing itself on Emiko, purring all the while.

"Where was I... Oh yeah, you probably had questions. You already know my name. The manticore, however, is new for me too. But it's mine because I killed it, and brought it back. I'm a necromancer."

He chuckles wholeheartedly.

"This is my bar, and the alcohol is a bit overpriced, but something like that costs me almost nothing. I just charge too much to keep out the petty peasants. Anything else you don't understand?"

Maikeru suddenly snaps awake from his dazed state. Now looking at the man and thinking to himself. "The owner of the bar? I've come here for the longest time and not once seen this man." Along with many more confused thoughts.

He looks at the woman, seeing her attractive and young looking face, but something felt wrong about her. He looks back at Zen in question, hoping for an answer.

As the manticore rubbed up against her, Emiko's already piercingly red eyes glowed, making them difficult to look at. She stared into the beast's eyes in an attempt to make it back off, threatening harm if it didn't.

She looks back at Zen.

"As for you-" she winks at him "What was that you muttered to yourself? It's rather rude to speak to a woman like that."

She crosses her legs and places them atop of the bar, bumping Zen's drink deliberately so it almost spills. Emiko gives him a smirk and giggles to herself.

"Don't even ask me about her. She's a wildcard. Need another drink? Of course you do! Culert, another!"

Another, different brew slides down the bar and stops in front of Mike.

"That's really no use. It's not even alive, sweetie."

The manticore keeps purring and rubbing on her, despite the imminent threat of harm.

"My muttering is for me only. Don't want people to know how I control my pawns, now do I?" He laughs.

"Don't expect me to be a gentleman if you're going to be rude to me first. That's not a happening thing. Everyone is held to the same standards around here."

As she bumps into his drink, he puts just a tiny extra bit of tilt on it and spills a bit on her chest.

"Not so funny anymore, is it?" he says with a wink and a joking smile.

Mike looks down at yet another drink in front of him and put his hand around the smooth, clean glass. He had just finished his first and wasn't sure if he wanted another quite yet. Alas, he wanted to make a good first impression on this man. If he wasn't liked by him he would never again be allowed in this bar, and he felt as though this man looked down at him and he did not like it.

Before he realized it, in his thoughts he had forgotten that he was holding the glass. looking back down at it he realized it had a layer of frost around the glass as well as a thin layer of ice over the top of the liquid. He slowly lets go and looks back at Zen and Emiko.

Mike watches as the drink pours onto the woman's chest and he looks away instantly so that he would not appear to be viewed as a pervert. Looking at his drink again he presses his finger on the thin layer of ice and breaks it, allowing it to be drunk yet again.

He takes a sip and attempts to process the knowledge he has just acquired, Zen is a necromancer with an undead manticore controlled at his fingertips, a wildcard of a woman that sends a small shiver down Maikeru's spine, and a liquid that is slowly making he, himself drowsy.

"Cheeky aren't you?" She sarcastically says to Zen, wiping her chest off. "You're lucky you didn't stain my robe."

Emiko looks at the creature rubbing up against her and her expression towards it lightens. "I suppose you aren't so bad." She says to the manticore, stroking it's mane.

"So," she says to Zen leaning slightly forward, exposing her still dewy chest "I'd loveeee to know how it is exactly you know what kind of person I am."

She observes Maikeru seemingly lost in his thoughts, but also slowly dozing off. Emiko giggles to herself in her seductive and sultry tone.

Zen nudges Maikeru and whispers in his ear.

"Careful you don't freeze the bar, lad. If you do I might just have to kill you..." He leans back, keeping eye contact with Mike.

"Really though, don't worry about where you look, and you don't have to drink so much that you pass out!"

He leans back in his stool, hooking his feet on the bar and leaning upside-down. "........ I didn't need to see a manticore's man-parts today. Though maybe you might." he says looking at the woman who'd interrupted him.

He leans back up, noticing her wiping her chest off. When she leans toward Zen, he casually glances down making no effort to hide it. "I might be old, but a woman's body still hasn't lost it's mysterious attraction."

He smirks and takes the last swig of his drink, another being sent down as he finishes. "Many thanks, Culert! I don't know what you want me to say, lady. Mind telling me your name so I don't feel like a swine calling you something other than your name? I'm not quite sure exactly what kind of person you are, but I like you already!"

Maikeru snaps out of his daze and sits up straight, looking around as if he forgot where he was. He looks down at his hands on the bar that have slowly growing a thin layer of clear crystal like ice around them. He looks back at Zen, who is clearly glaring at him and lowers his head in shame. He should know better than to sit there freezing the place over.

He then looks at the woman, who finally appears to be getting comfortable around Zen, the manticore and himself and looks at her, waiting for her to answer Zen's request to know her name.

"Emiko. Emiko Utsukushi." She says to Zen, nodding ever so slightly. She suddenly notices the layer of ice beginning to build up on the bar where Maikeru's hands laid, and gives him a confused look.

"You can look but you unfortunately can't touch." Emiko says to Zen in a taunting manner.

"I'm curious. What brings you two to sit in a bar on such a beautiful day?" She looks at the two intently waiting for an answer.

She pulls a pack of chewing gum out of her left pocket and puts two pieces in, exposing her two fang like teeth where canines would be on any human. Hinting to Zen and Maikeru, the kind of being she is.

Zen chuckles a little bit at Mike's reaction to his joke. What was wrong with that guy?

"Mike, is this beer making you depressed? Cheer up buddy, I brought you here to have a good time!"

After she asks, Zen happily explains the situation.

"Well you see, I had this great plan to escape the city today, remove the seal I helped create. But somebody's manticore went and attacked us. I killed it, brought it back to life, and decided that one dance with death was enough for the day. Here we are. I wanted a drink, and you took offense to my new little buddy."

When she flashes her fangs, Zen suddenly gets serious.

"Don't think about doing anything funny. I've dealt with enough undead things in my time to fill up five novels."

He pats the manticore on the back, making it nuzzle him.

"So, do we have any ideas what this guy should be called? I'm starting to like him!"

Maikeru looks to Zen, drowsy from the alcohol he has already consumed and mumbles "I apologize, Zen but i cant help but feel out of place". He instantly regrets saying this because it only makes him feel worse on the subject. "And to you, Emiko, i am here against my will. You know, just carried in here by a manticore, nothing unusual." he says sarcastically and quite rude.

Deep down Maikeru doesn't know why he is acting this way because he is normally the quiet one minding to his own business. He apologizes yet again before he stands up.

"I think i just need a walk to ease my mind" he states as he places his hand on his temple and walks back out into the square.

*******

Back outside in the light and free from his new "friends", Maikeru walks over to the nearby fountain and sits on the smooth, circular edge around the water. He then thinks to himself "how the hell did I manage to get pulled into this mess?"

Maikeru looks up to the spiraling tower and thinks "And how can I be of assistance?"

"Adonis, that sounds like a good name for him. Representing masculine gorgeousness." Emiko said as she pet the manticore's nose.

"Don't mind the fangs, they don't do me much good. I'd much rather feed on your soul than your blood."

"I would love to sit and talk more about this seal of yours, but it seems as if your little friend had decided to wander off." Making note to Mike walking outside to the square.

Emiko turns to Zen with an adventurous look. "Soooo do you think we should follow him?"

"Adonis it is then!"

He slams his empty glass on the bar after Mike walks out, making a loud thud.

"Now that the youngin' is gone, how 'bout we get to the serious talking? I can't escape the city on my own. Do you want to join?"

He reaches back and aggressively pets the manticore. He gets up and walks out, acknowledging whatever answer Emiko gives.

*********
Mike feels a firm hand on his shoulder, then the other hand on his other shoulder.

"It's so nice out here, isn't it? You know, I once had a man walk into another bar of mine without a single penny. He ordered a drink, drank it, and confessed to the bartender that he hadn't a cent. That man proved to be the most useful person I've ever had in that bar. In return for the drink he offered his cleaning service. The bar was spotless after that. I ended up hiring him as the permanent cleaner of the place."

Zen starts to massage Mike's shoulders, trying to make him relax a little more.

"My point being, even if someone is seemingly poor and doesn't look like they can do a thing, they can turn out to be useful in ways you won't even begin to imagine."

Just then Maikeru realizes something. As if all logic had hit him square in the face. He had been gifted the power of controlling ice and snow. He could obviously use this effectively in aiding Zen with his plan.

Never before had this occurred to him. He was able to help a man from a manticore, there is so much more he could do with this gift.

"Thank you, Zen!" he says proudly. "I will do anything to help you in your quest, even if it means keeping your drink cold!" He then begins to laugh at this sudden outburst due to it's funny but true meaning. Maikeru has never felt this obligated to do something but it felt good to finally put himself to use.

"Well, I have nothing better to do so I suppose I'll help you in this quest of yours." Replying to Zen's request. Moments after she answered, Zen storms out of the bar following Maileru like he's on a mission or something.

"Great. What in God's name have I just gotten myself into. I have so little knowledge of this whole seal thing he was talking about. Nor do I even know much about these two men..." As Emiko got carried away in thought as she usually did, she realized that maybe she should go out to the square with her two new friends.

********

When Emiko got outside, she heard the end of the two men's conversation. She picked up that Mike was now part of the trio that would escape the city, and embark on an uphill battle together.

After Emiko gets outside, Zen deliberately leans over to whisper in Mike's ear. He breathes slightly heavier than normal while he whispers, being borderline sensual.

"Anything? Then why don't we take a little break before we start this quest, eh? You and I can share a room for the night."

He walks to the front of Mike, taking his chin with his right hand.

"You know how to treat a woman in bed, right? Then you can treat me like one."

Zen's lips come within a half inch Mike's before pulling back to smile deviously before walking back toward the bar. As he passes Emiko, he stops to whisper into her ear as well.

"You know, I wouldn't mind actually sharing a room with you... But I won't force anything upon you."

Before he goes through the door he places a light kiss on her cheek, letting his hand hit hers, catching her finger with his.