Chapter 2 : Trudid

“Ni-chan. I’m dying..” Ryoko whispered as her body began to shudder. Ren could relate, after all the midday sun was getting to be unbearable. They’d only been walking for five minutes and he could feel the sweat rolling down his legs in long thick trails.

“I know, I know. Let’s step inside for a moment. This looks like a general store up ahead.” Ren said as he pointed to a nearby log cabin. It looked exactly like all the others, save for a small wooden sign out front which had a symbol of a leather pouch etched on front.

Within minutes the heat weary pair found themselves inside the store. The interior had a certain quaint appeal, and though it was warm within they already felt much cooler.

“Oh.” A young woman’s voice said, presumably the young lady at the back of the shop. She was sitting behind a long wooden counter, a book in her hands as the two entered.

“Hello.” She said as she shut the book and slid it to the side. The woman had sandy brown hair, round spectacles and she wore a loose fitting, long sleeved, shoulderless shirt. Purple and lavender colors made up the striped pattern to this particular fashion piece.

“Welcome to the general store. Let me know if you need help finding anythi--”

“Water!” Ryoko shouted as she trudged towards the counter with her arms outstretched.

“Yes, we have water over-- OH MY GOSH! Are you, are you!?” The bespectacled lady shot up from her chair as she took a gander at Ryoko, who was now only a few steps away from the counter.

“Huh?” Ryoko said, confused by the sudden commotion.

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“I’ve never met a real life Homunculus before!” Hannah said as she ran her fingertips through Ryoko’s fine red hair.

“Ah. Yea, they are pretty rare. Even in the world of alchemy.” Ren replied as he sipped on an ice cold milk tea. Ryoko sipped her water from a cardboard carton, flavored with a taste of lemon -- or so the packaging said.

Hannah had been stroking Ryoko for the past five minutes, ever since Ryoko gave her permission to do so.

“You may pet me human. In return I require sustenance.” Ryoko said, her arms folded as she awaited the “lovings”.

“Spoiled.” Ren whispered as he cut his eyes. He knew she heard him, and she completely ignored him, choosing to revel in the moment.

*Nobody ever massages me…* Ren thought as he pouted to himself.

“So you have an interest in alchemy Hannah?” Ren asked as he finished his tea then grabbed another drink, this time the same flavor water as Ryoko, from the nearby beverage cooler.

“Y-yea. I would go to the city and learn from the greatest of alchemy masters if I could. It sounds so great!” Hannah’s face practically lit up for a moment as she imagined her dreams coming true. Ryoko on the other hand seemed discontent that her head pats stopped momentarily.

“It may not be all it’s cracked up to be…” Ren replied as he started on his second drink. He had to make good on the offer, after all Hannah was gracious enough to give them free drinks for just the chance to stroke Ryoko’s hair and play with her ears. This was little trouble to his sister, for she loved praise and attention of all types and she would rarely ever turn down a scalp massage to boot. This was basically what was happening before his eyes, Ryoko’s expression was that of pure bliss as her pupils rolled back into her eye sockets and a relaxed expression took over.

Hannah too had a very peculiar expression which puzzled Ren, though he didn’t put too much thought into it. If he could read minds, he’d know that Hannah was thinking something along these lines:

“Yes.. if I spoil her with massages she’ll always come back for more...then I can.. He he, touch and feel and...sniff and..”

Ryoko, sensing danger , opened her eyes and gazed around for a moment.

*I know my hentai senses kicked in…* She thought to herself before once more succumbing to Hannah’s clever trap.

Ren just sighed, having noticed the perverted expression betrayed by Hannah in that split second.

*Poor Ryoko. She’s practically a pervert magnet.*

“So what brings you two to Trudid? It’s obvious you’re from the city.” Hannah asked. She sat on the counter top with Ryoko positioned between her thighs so that she could use both hands to play in the latter's hair.

“Oh. I’m going to be living here. Well, sort of. I purchased the tower in the hills. We’re here to move in.”

“Really? That place has been run down for as long as I can remember. No one’s been there in ages! Why would you want to buy that place? You could buy three cabins for the price of that run down tower.”

“Well, that’s because Alchemists aren’t allowed to work inside city limits without a permit. Besides I have very particular--”

“WHAT!?” Hannah hopped off the table and was next to Ren in an instant.

“You’re an alchemist? You look like you’re barely sixteen!”

“Gee thanks.. No, I'm 22. Could you...backup a bit?” Ren said as Hanna crowded him.

“Oi.” Ryoko said, her arms folded. Her expression suggested she was less than impressed with her lack of head pats.

“Ha. I’m sorry, it’s just I’ve never met an alchemist before. What’s your focus?”

“Hmm? Well….” Ren pointed to Ryoko as he shrugged.

“You mean your focus is making HOMUNCULUS? THAT’S AMAZING!”

“Ha ha. Well..praise me if you must..” Ren said as he tilted his head downward slightly and struck a pose.

“Oi.” Ryoko said once more, this time more loudly. She tugged on Hanna’s shirt sleeve insistently as she did so.

After filling up on refreshments and buying a few for the road, Ren and Ryoko finally left the general shop.

“I’m the cute one. I get the attention, remember. Don’t steal my thunder.” Ryoko said as she puff punched Ren’s shoulder.

“Alright alright. Yes, you’re the cute one. You deserve all the attention, Ry-Ry-chan.” Ren said as he put an arm around his sister and hugged her tightly.

“Mhm. Get it right, baka.” She said, blushing slightly as the two continued on their way towards the tower.