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Nikholas "elf" F. Toledo
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DiScLaImEr!!!
RAYEARTH is the property of CLAMP/ Kodansha
elf is a semi-delusional, often frustrated, and all-around schizophrenic
denizen (read: property) of the infamous NFTZu.
If you're thinking of suing me for this fic
then you guys are worse off than I am.
;p elf
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Reunions and Tragedies
CHAPTER VII
Of Sciamachies and Masks
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The brass doors, regardless of their gargantuan size,
hardly made a sound when they closed behind him. The
cavernous hallway was soon plunged into darkness. He was
about to reach for his sword when a voice thundered within
the crystalline hall.
"WELCOME, KAILU LANTIS." The torches lining the
passageway suddenly came to life. The glassy gray-black walls
reflected the flickering blue flames.
His hollowed footsteps echoed eerily down the lighted
path. At the end of the hallway, he came upon an archway that
led to a cylindrical room. Ancient writings, arranged in
concentric circles, were carved into the floor. At the center
of these scripts was a stone pedestal, on which sat...
"Puupupu!"
____________________
The Twin Blades inn was one of the more respectable
haunts in town. But even respectable haunts like this one has
its own share of brawls every now and then...
"... and don't even dream of coming back!" Presea
hissed as she booted what she hoped to be the last batch of
troublemakers out the back door.
She slammed the door shut and marched back to the bar.
_What a great time for my bouncer to be calling in
sick,_ she thought grimly. This was the second fight she had
to break up this evening.
Unknown to her, her bouncer was currently resting six
feet under an unmarked grave just outside the city. His body
parts were found this morning in some conveniently dark and
filthy back alley where he was hacked to pieces for his
attempt on the Pillar's life yesterday afternoon.
"Illana!" she practically growled as she approached the
bar, "Pour me a drink!"
The busty green-haired barmaid looked at her mistress'
dark scowl. "Miss Presea, I don't think..."
"Don't! I didn't pay you to think!" she cut her off
ruthlessly. "Just pour me that drink, and be quick about it!"
"Y-yes, Miss." Illana did as she was told. After
sneaking a peek at Presea's moody expression, she decided to
leave the bottle on the bar as well.
Just then, the door opened to admit a cloaked figure.
The man scanned the crowded hall, his eyes coming to rest
upon the blond woman who was tossing off a drink near the
bar. His right hand tightened unconsciously on the hilt of
his sword, his golden eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
Presea felt a prickling sensation at the back of her
neck. She carefully placed the empty shot glass on the bar
and turned around, her eyes locked with a pair of golden orbs
glinting within the shadow of a cowl. She experience a
momentary wave of panic as the cloaked figure made its way to
her, those golden eyes watching her with piercing intensity.
"Good evening, my lady." The figure bowed down and
flipped back his cowl.
Presea wanted to sigh with relief; she almost expected
to see silver tresses framing a delicately handsome face
graced with a thin smile. Instead, she got a rich thatch of
blond hair atop a rugged but openly smiling face.
"I must say, it is truly an honor for a military reject
like me, to find himself in the esteemed presence of the
Mistress of Armors," he said, bowing down with flourish.
"You seem to be mistaken, my good man," she said,
mentally forcing herself to relax and explain. "Sierra, my
twin sister, was the Mistress of Armors - she died in a fire
a few years back." The bitterness in her voice lent a gloss
of credibility to the lie.
The man looked at her with surprise. "The Pharle...
dead?!" He shook his head dejectedly. "I'm truly sorry to
hear that, miss. Your sister IS a very fine woman."
"Yes, she was," Presea wistfully said, pouring two
shots of whiskey. "Here, this one's on the house," she said,
placing a shot glass filled to the brim in front of him.
The ex-military soldier grinned sheepishly. "I don't
mean to be rude, Miss -"
"Call me Presea - everyone does. And, by the way, I
also run this place."
Then, as if on cue, another brawl erupted between a
group of traveling merchants and a pack of mercenaries.
"Aww, hell! Not again!" she cursed under her breath.
She was about to draw her sword when he placed a hand
over her own and smiled down at her.
"Allow me, my lady."
Presea simply inclined her head. "Be my guest." She
took a sip off her glass and settled on the barstool to
watch.
The man was either stupid or had no sense of self-
preservation whatsoever. He simply stepped into the fray and
immediately had his face punched in.
The swarthy mercenary who delivered the blow soon found
out that he picked the wrong guy to trifle with. Presea
flinched at the sound of shattering glass as the mercenary
sailed out of her front window.
She was halfway through her drink when he leveled
another guy with a mean right hook and delivered a roundhouse
kick that sent another one crashing against a nearby table.
Twirling the remaining amber liquid in her glass, she
mentally tallied the cost of damages and decided to add a
whopping 30% of the original expenses to the final amount.
She finished off her drink just as he was kicking the
last of the troublemakers out her front door.
After that, he came back to the bar, took the seat
beside her and casually said, "I actually wanted to ask if I
could rent a room here for the night."
Presea nodded. "You can have one of the rooms here,
downstairs."
"Is it always this rowdy around here?" he asked.
"No." She placed her glass down on the table and
grinned at him. "It's usually much worse."
She frowned when she noticed that he did not come out
entirely unscathed from the ordeal. "You're bleeding." Her
fingers reached out and wiped the thin trickle of blood from
the left corner of his bottom lip.
_Why does this feel so familiar?_
His eyes widened in surprise. He immediately caught her
hand before her touch turned into a caress. "It's nothing,"
he said, taking in her bewildered look. Then, as if he could
not help himself, he gallantly brought her hand up to his
lips for a kiss. "Thank you, Miss Presea."
"Don't thank me yet. Wait till you see your bill in the
morning!" She turned and motioned to the barmaid, "Illana,
kindly show this gentleman his room."
The man brought out a small pouch and placed it in her
hand. "If this amount should fall short of the expenses,
kindly inform me tomorrow. For now, I must bid you good
evening, my lady."
"You haven't touched your drink," Presea pointed out.
He brought the drink up to his lips and eyed her over
the rim of the glass.
She met his golden gaze without wavering.
He placed the glass back on the bar and said, "Sorry, I
don't drink."
Presea sat there, watching his retreating back as
Illana escorted him down the hall. She stared at the shot
glass filled to the brim and muttered, "No sense in letting
such fine damn whiskey go to waste." And with that, she
tossed it down her throat before she had a chance to change
her mind.
______________________
"Gryff, what is wrong with you?" Fuu whispered,
balancing a tray on one hand and holding a mug of ale in the
other.
"Hmm?" He blinked and smiled down at her. "I was just
wondering how much that glass window cost," he said, pointing
at the mess behind him.
Fuu frowned. "There wouldn't had been any problems if
you didn't flirt with those drunken mercenaries in the first
place."
Gryff managed an unladylike snort. "Hmph! It's not my
fault that I'm too sexy for my own good," he said, thrusting
his ample, but fake, bosom out in profile.
"Hello, Cutie! Care to share a drink with me?" A beefy
fellow from a nearby table grabbed hold of Fuu's apron and
gave her a rakish grin.
"I don't drink. And please do let go. I have other
customers to attend to," she replied politely.
"Ahh, so you like to play hard to get." He grinned at
his cohorts, who were obviously enjoying the exchange. "Good,
I've always liked a challenge," he said, his grin turning
malicious.
Fuu was starting to get annoyed. "I said--"
"Really!" Gryff said in his shrill falsetto,
unceremoniously plopping down on the guy's lap and slapping
his hand away from Fuu's apron. "So, tell me big boy...," he
crooned, batting his eyelashes and rubbing his 'breasts'
against the guy's chest, "am I big enough a challenge for
you?"
Ferio watched the whole scenario in tense silence, his
hand now slowly moving away from his dagger hidden under his
cloak. It was a pretty close call, he almost revealed himself
because some bastard dared to touch his prey. He was sitting
near the windows, the ones that survived the past ordeal,
with the wall behind him; one can never be too careful,
especially in a place like this.
Fuu placed the ale and the platter of food on the
table. Holding the empty tray to her chest, she forced a
smile on her tired face. "Will that be all, sir?"
In the depths of his cowl, Ferio stared at her,
transfixed by her tired but sweet smile. Something tugged at
his memory - it was vague and intangible but it was there
nonetheless.
"... you alright?"
He mentally shook himself, angry at being distracted by
nothing more than a smile from a slip of girl.
"I'm fine," he snapped.
She frowned then, clearly affronted by his abrupt tone.
She was about to turn away, only to have someone grab her
wrist and jerk her back. Something fell out from her skirt
pocket and clattered to the floor. It landed between the
stranger's feet.
He never meant to reach out. Hell, he never even
thought of doing it! One moment he was sitting down, the next
thing he knew, he was towering over her and absently noting
how fragile her wrist felt in his grasp.
He looked down and watched the seemingly unaffected
expression in her green eyes.
"Let go."
The words had nothing to do with it -- it was how she
said them. Her voice did not have the shrill of panic nor the
cold tinge of threat; it was the calm of reason.
Calm. The word echoed in his head and brought him back
to reality.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, letting go of her hand.
Ferio bent down to retrieve what she just dropped. He
stared at the earring in his hand and was instantly filled
with uncertainty.
"Here," he said, placing the earring in her hand and
closing her fingers around it.
_Why do I feel like I've done this before?_ he asked
himself, looking at the girl warily.
Fuu accepted the stranger's apology and the earring
with a nod of her head, and then finally turned to leave.
Ferio watched her cross the hall. He reached deep
inside his shirt pocket and brought out an exact replica of
the girl's earring.
His forehead creased in a frown as he stared at what
was obviously the other half of the pair. He came here to
carry out the Pillar's orders, not to find out about his
forgotten past. The sooner he gets the job done, the sooner
he can get on with his life.
____________________
Lantis frowned, "Mokona?" and stared at what could
probably pass, by a great stretch of the imagination, as a
rotund white rabbit.
"Pupupuupuu!"
The creature started bouncing around. It leapt in his
arms and started motioning towards his sword.
Lantis drew his sword, the blade flashing to life.
The bluish-white energy from the blade triggered
something inside the stone pedestal, causing a light to
appear and shimmer along a narrow crack on the center of the
stone surface.
Mokona jumped back onto the pedestal and pointed at the
crack, "Pupupuuu."
He lifted his sword and thrust it down into the
opening.
Light spilled down the pedestal and flowed into the
strange writings on the floor, making them glow. Mokona
scampered away from Lantis, who was standing inside the
circle.
A blue shaft of light shot up from the perimeter,
surrounding Lantis with a wall of crackling energy.
"STATE THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISIT, KAILU," the voice
demanded.
"I've come to awaken the Guardian," Lantis answered.
The light flickered for a moment.
"FOR WHAT REASON?"
The voice seemed to have taken a life of its own,
swirling around him like a tangible force. It took shape
before his eyes, absorbing the light that radiated from the
circle, as though an invisible mould was being filled with
energy.
"DO YOU THINK YOURSELF WORTHY OF ITS POWER?"
It became a man made of golden fire with wings of
light. The magnificent being turned its head. Its beautiful
blank gaze fell on Lantis and studied him carefully.
"YOUR WILL IS STRONG LIKE THE OTHERS BEFORE YOU. YET -
LIKE THEM - YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY CERTAIN OF WHAT IT IS YOU
ARE SEARCHING FOR. YOU HAVE YET TO KNOW YOURSELF AND YOUR
PURPOSE. I AM NOW ASKING YOU TO LEAVE THIS SHRINE."
Lantis felt a surge of anger at its words. He took a
deep calming breath, but it did little to ease his temper. "I
refuse to leave without being heard. And just who are you to
dismiss a Kailu that easily?"
"I AM HILUX," it declared in a thundering voice. "AND
YOU ARE JUST WASTING MY TIME."
____________________
Presea reluctantly let herself out of the tub, toweled
herself dry and slipped into her robe. It had been a hell of
a night and all she craved at the moment was sleep. She shook
her hair loose from its knot and went out of the bathroom.
No sooner had she passed the door when a hand suddenly
clamped around her mouth and she was bodily pinned against
the wall.
"I won't hurt you. Promise me you won't scream."
Presea nodded as she desperately tried to gather her
wits about her. Outside, the moon emerged from behind the
clouds, its hazy light creeping into her room, chasing away
the shadows, showing her the face of her assailant.
It was the man from the bar.
She stared into his golden eyes reflecting moonlight,
as his features transfigured into the face of her beloved
enemy.
_How did he find me? And how could I have not known
that it was him all along?_
He slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth. His eyes
falling on her lips, down her throat, watching her muscles
work there as she swallowed her fear. His gaze finally rested
on the upper slopes of her creamy white breasts, where her
birthmark was there for him to see.
He heard her sob and immediately looked up to see a
single tear streaked down her left cheek.
"Did you think I wouldn't have known?" he whispered,
wiping her tear away as he lovingly cradled her jaw in his
hand. "How you carried yourself as you stood there, the arch
of your throat as you drank that whiskey, the way you turned
your head to look behind you -- to look at me." He shook his
head and laughed bitterly. "I knew it was you even before you
began to speak, my dear, even before you can tell me those
lies."
"What do you want, Innova?"
"What do I want?" he repeated incredulously, he placed
his hand over her left breast, rubbing his thumb against her
birthmark. "This, Sierra,..." He started kissing her neck,
working his way up to her ear and whispered, "... This is
what I want..."
______________________
A bolt was slid and a stable door was opened. The horse
neighed, rearing back a little from the glare of the lamp.
"Easy, easy now," a soothing voice whispered as it led
the horse out of its box.
With a sharp slap on its rear, the horse was sent
galloping into the night.
"That's the last of them," the voice murmured to
itself.
The young assassin glanced at the second window on the
first floor of the inn. No lit candle, no flashing light from
a mirror -- nothing. There was nothing but blackness.
He looked up at the sky. The moon had almost reached
its zenith, and Lord Innova has yet to give his signal. He
found his thoughts wandering back to the serving girl at the
inn and immediately squashed the memory with a muttered
curse. He was getting impatient, he realized, which was not
like him at all.
"Another fifteen minutes," he murmured to himself,
walking back inside the stables to wait.
______________________
Lantis glared back at Hilux. "You know nothing about
me. I'm not leaving this place until I've proven you wrong."
"EVEN AT THE RISK OF YOUR OWN LIFE?"
"If it need be," Lantis answered flatly.
The being's eyes glowed malevolently. "THEN HOW ABOUT
HERS?" it asked, touching the wall of light, causing it to
flicker.
Lantis blanched as he stared at the scene before him.
"Hikaru."
"YOU SEEM TO KNOW HER WELL, KAILU."
"Leave her out of this."
"HOW ABOUT HIM?" Hikaru vanished to be replaced by
Zagato. "YOU DESERTED YOUR OWN BROTHER, BACK WHEN HE NEEDED
YOU MOST."
"The land demanded that I kill the Pillar. I left
Cefiro back then so that he and Emeraude might live."
"YOU LEFT BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T FACE UP TO YOUR DUTY!"
Hilux accused. "THE LAND SUMMONED THE MAGIC KNIGHTS TO TAKE
UP WHERE YOU LEFT. YOUR BROTHER DIED TRYING TO SAVE THE WOMAN
HE LOVED AND SHE DIED TRYING TO AVENGE HIS DEATH."
"Zagato and Emeraude knew the consequences," Lantis
said bitterly. "It was inevitable."
"INEVITABLE, YOU SAY - IS THAT WHY YOU DECIDED TO
MERELY WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES BECAUSE THE WHOLE TRAGEDY WAS
INEVITABLE?"
Lantis seethed in silence.
"AND HOW ABOUT YOUR DEAR FRIEND, EAGLE?"
"Stop it." Lantis whispered icily.
"HE SAVED YOUR LIFE, DIDN'T HE? AND YOU FAILED TO
RETURN THE FAVOR. YOU WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM FROM
DYING. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT
HER?"
"I said, stop it."
"THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT?" the being taunted him in a
jeering voice, "YOU KNOW THAT YOUR POWERS AREN'T ENOUGH - NO,
WAIT - " It swooped down and hovered in front of him, face to
face. "YOU'RE AFRAID - YES! AFRAID THAT YOU CANNOT KEEP HER
SAFE."
"That's enough!" he grated between clenched teeth.
But it simply ignored him and continued on with its
tirade. "THAT IS WHY YOU CAME HERE, THINKING THAT, IF YOU
COULD AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN, YOU'LL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT
HER AND HER FRIENDS FROM THE PILLAR."
"That is--"
"THE TRUTH!" Hilux shouted, ruthlessly cutting him off,
pointing a finger at him. "I DARE YOU TO DENY IT, LANTIS."
______________________
He eased his weight off her and shifted to his side,
taking her with him. Still intimately joined with her, he
rested his chin atop her head, reveling in the sensation of
being held within her and the feel of her lips as she brushed
a kiss against his collarbone.
"Why, Sierra?" he whispered, "Why did you let me go on
believing that you were dead?"
"I thought it was for the best."
"Best for whom? You or me?" he asked, trying to keep
the anger from creeping into his voice.
Sierra heard anyway and chose her words carefully.
"There are people who wanted Princess Asuka dead, people who
wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who got in their way. I took
over my sister's identity after the fire. It was the only way
I can keep Princess Asuka safe, as well as myself."
"I don't understand it." Innova shook his head and
frowned. "What would that Autozam spy gain by doing all
this?"
She leaned back to look him in the eye. "Innova, that
'Autozam spy' risked his own freedom to save our lives. Gryff
would've gone back inside the burning workshop to save
Presea, but the roof collapsed and-"
"Hush-" he whispered, stopping her words with a finger
against her lips. He knew that she and her sister were close
-- twins usually were, but he couldn't help being selfish and
thankful that Sierra was alive in his arms. "I saw it happen
and thought it was you." Tipping her face up to his, he
angled his head and kissed her lips. "But that's over now.
And as far as I can tell, you're very much alive."
"I could very much say the same for you," she sighed,
loving the way he felt under her hands.
"Come back with me, Sierra," he whispered in-between
moist kisses. "We'll bring Princess Asuka back with us."
The words hit her like a douse of cold water. She
immediately broke away and turned her back on him.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. And Asuka is not with me."
He was silent for a long time. His voice was devoid of
all emotion when he finally spoke. "Would you care to explain
why, Sierra?"
"I broke my vow of loyalty to the Pillar the moment I
entrusted Asuka to Gryff." She looked at him defiantly. "I
will not have Asuka cheated of her legacy, nor of her
rightful place as the heir to the Dragon Court of Fahren,
Innova."
Innova contemplated everything she just said and simply
held out his hand to her.
"Come here, Sierra."
He could see that she was very reluctant and very much
afraid.
"Look at me."
She shook her head, "I don't-"
"Forget about them for the moment, this is just between
you and me," he pleaded. "Please, won't you at least meet me
halfway?"
She stared at his outstretched hand and slowly placed
her hand in his grasp.
"I love you, Sierra," he reverently said. "We may not
agree -"
He would have said more, if circumstances allowed it.
Unfortunately, the explosion that shattered the peace was
just too near for comfort.
"The stable is on fire!!!" someone shouted from below.
Sure enough, Sierra and Innova could see the fire from
her bedroom window.
"Damn it! I told him to wait for my signal," Innova
cursed under his breath as he absently waved his hand and was
immediately clothed.
He turned around to see her, still standing by the
window, clutching the thin blanket to her breast in horror.
"Sierra! Sierra, listen to me! You've got to--"
It was only then when he realized that she didn't hear
him, that she was staring at the flames paralyzed with fear.
____________________
"SAPPHIRE WATERSPOUT!"
Umi summoned forth a whirling funnel-shaped column of
water above the flames. She closed her fist and the column
collapsed, raining down on the burning building and
extinguishing the fire.
"Too late," she muttered to herself, staring at the
charred remnants of the stable.
Gryff, now dressed in his own clothes, felt the urgent
need to leave the place as soon as possible. He placed a hand
on Umi's shoulder, "At least you were able to put out the
fire before it spread. But I doubt that this was just an
ordinary fire."
"You're right," Fuu stated, looking at the jagged edges
of the wooden posts that lay broken on the ground. "This was
caused by an explosion."
_And whoever did it, wanted to lure us out,_ Gryff
silently concluded.
Dark clouds drifted across the starless sky, obscuring
the moon. Gryff felt the hair at the back of his neck rose,
his eyes narrowing into hazel slits.
"Look out!!!" he warned, bringing Umi down on the
ground with him.
A great force, like an invisible claw, plowed into the
earth, missing them by mere inches.
"Fuu, get out of the way!" Umi screamed.
But Fuu decided to hold her ground.
"GUARDING WIND!"
The air barrier was ripped apart, but it managed to
stop the attack.
_That was close,_ Fuu thought to herself.
"Impressive," the attacker murmured to himself as he
watched the blond girl from his high perch. Moonlight slowly
filtered through the clouds, illuminating her worried but
beautiful face.
"Show yourself!" the blue-hair challenged. "Only a
coward would attack an opponent from behind!" He realized
that the one speaking was actually a girl in boy's clothing.
"So, she's a Magic Knight as well," he said, watching
her extract a thin-bladed sword from the smooth, round stone
at the back of her hand.
He had no intention of revealing himself just yet. It
would be better if he could manage to take them out one at a
time. He waited for the moon to disappear from behind the
clouds before making his move.
"I heard something!" Umi cried out and pointed at the
moving shadow, "THERE! It's heading for those trees!"
Fuu, who was standing near the edge of the clearing,
was the first to give chase, followed closely by Umi. Gryff
heard something whizzing by his ear and struck the bark of
the tree beside him with a thunk.
"What the-?"
Something managed to wrap around his left leg. He saw a
shadow, then as the moon once again emerged, a flash of
silver.
He fell to the ground, then, just as quickly, he was
hoisted up into the air.
Bending from the waist, he tried to reach his leg. But
his assailant managed to knock the saber out of his hand
before he could cut himself free.
"This is quite a surprise, Gryff. I didn't know you
were with the Knights."
"Innova!"
___________________
"Presea!" Hikaru pounded on the door. "Wake up! The
stable is--!"
It suddenly swung open. Hikaru almost lost her balance
and stumbled inside. She saw Presea wrapped only in a
blanket, sitting on the floor, huddled in a corner near the
window.
She knelt beside Presea and shook her out of her
catatonia. "Presea, please, try to snap out of it! We have to
move somewhere safe!"
"Hikaru?" she hoarsely called out, turning to her with
a lost and haunted look. "Hikaru, is that you?"
Hikaru's brow knotted with worry as she stared at her.
"What's wrong?" She could clearly see that Presea had been
crying.
"It's nothing, I'm fine. But you and the others will
have to leave. Now. The Pillar's men might be arriving any
time soon. Take what you need from the cellar... food,
supplies; there's bound to be enough there to last you at
least a day on the road to Eterna."
"B-but, we just can't leave you here!"
She pulled Hikaru into a hug. "Don't worry about me.
I'll be alright."
"We really appreciate everything you've done for us,
Presea."
"Don't mention it." She smiled, wiping the tears from
Hikaru's cheeks. "Promise me that the four of you will take
care of each other. And, whatever happens, don't ever lose
hope."
Hikaru nodded.
"Good." She stood up and turned Hikaru towards the
door. "Now, go and warn them."
Hikaru stopped at the door and looked back. "Thank you,
Presea. I hope to see you again, sometime soon."
"Yes." She nodded.
Then, she was alone once more.
_I'm sorry, Innova. It would seem that I've betrayed
you once again,_ Sierra thought to herself as she lay down on
the bed and started to cry.
____________________
Moonlight pierced through the leafy canopy of the
woods.
He crouched low behind the dense undergrowth, using the
shadows to his advantage. Reaching behind him, he unsheathed
his huge scimitar from his back. He took out the glass sphere
that Innova gave him; he broke it and retrieved three paper
talismans hidden within. There was no room for error and he
was determined not to make any.
"Where'd it go?" Umi asked, skidding to a stop behind
Fuu.
Fuu motioned for her to keep quiet and just listen.
The two girls turned around, keeping their backs
against each other. They stood, swords ready, searching for
any signs of movement in the trees that surrounded them.
Behind them, the leaves rustled, but there wasn't any wind...
"Umi, move! It's--!"
No sooner than Fuu called out her warning when the tree
behind them toppled to the ground. Fuu came out in a sideways
roll, only to be narrowly missed by another tree that came
crashing down beside her. The branches tore away at her
sleeves.
Fuu felt a searing pain against her arm; she touched it
and felt something warm and wet.
_I'm bleeding._
"Fuu," Umi called out from beyond the foliage. "Are you
alright?"
"Yes," she lied without hesitation. _No sense in
letting the enemy know the extent of the damage,_ Fuu thought
grimly to herself.
The hunter saw his chance; he gripped his scimitar with
both hands and launched himself at his prey. She must have
heard him move, for she was able to turn around just in time
to parry his strike. Still, she was no match for his strength
and the momentum behind the blow; her sword went flying out
of her hand and struck the ground behind her.
He took out one of the talismans and approached her.
< FUU >
< Windham, is that you? >
< YES. DO NOT LET HIM TOUCH THE CRYSTAL ON YOUR HAND
WITH THAT SEAL. IF HE SUCCEEDS IN DOING THAT, YOU WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO SUMMON ME. >
"Give it up," he said, glancing at her injured arm, "If
you value your life."
Fuu glared at the unseen face behind the cowl. "I will
not let you seal Windham from me," she said. Lifting her hand
she called upon the power of the wind: "JADE GALE!"
A strong gust of wind shot forth, reducing the paper
talisman to tatters and forcing her enemy to back away.
He felt a sharp stinging sensation against his cheek.
But he didn't even flinch nor bother to wipe away the blood
from the cut. He simply swung his scimitar and unleashed a
force to counterattack her spell.
Fuu quickly cast a spell around herself: "GUARDING
WIND!"
"Do you honestly think that this barrier can stop me?"
he asked, taking out another talisman from within his cloak.
"Maybe not. But I will," Umi declared. "BLADES OF ICE!"
A cold blast of razor-sharp icicles tore at the shadow,
shredding it to pieces. Umi soon realized that she had been
tricked. It was just a cloak.
The attacker deftly wove through the torrent of
icicles that streaked pass him.
"No one can move that fast!"
Apparently, this one could. From a flat run, he
launched himself into the air, sailing through it, with his
huge scimitar ready to deliver the final blow.
But it was not directed at her.
"Fuu, behind you!" she screamed, but it was too late.
____________________
Innova looked at his handiwork and smiled coldly.
"You've been a thorn in my side for far too long." He held
the sword to Gryff's neck, applying just enough pressure to
stress his point. "Tell me where you hid Princess Asuka and I
just might find it in my heart to grant you a quick, painless
death."
"What heart? The one you keep in a jar hidden under
your bed?" Gryff snorted. "Go to hell, Innova."
"No, thank you," he said, sliding the blade and
watching the blood drip out from the small cut. "You, on the
other hand, may want to see it for yourself."
"BLAZING ARROW!"
Innova was forced to leap away as a torrent of fiery
shafts flew straight at him. He landed on top of a boulder
and regarded the Fire Knight carefully.
The young woman placed herself between him and Gryff,
clearly intending to take him on, if necessary.
Gryff finally managed to untie his leg and deftly
landed on the ground. He picked up his thermal blade and
glanced at Hikaru. "Stay out of this."
Umi's scream split the night. A sudden blast caused the
ground to tremble followed by a flight of birds coming from
within the woods.
"Umi!" Gryff glanced towards the path at the edge of
the clearing and cursed under his breath.
Hikaru turned pale. "Fuu could be hurt."
"Looks like my apprentice seems to be handling the two
Knights quite well," Innova smugly supplied.
"Damn you, Innova!" Gryff grated, brandishing his
thermal blade. He managed one step forward before Hikaru
barred his way.
"No, Gryff." She shook her head. "I need you to go help
Umi. Fuu might be seriously injured."
Gryff scowled. "I can't leave you here to fight HIM!"
"Trust me." Hikaru summoned a double-edged sword from
within the red crystal at the back of her hand. "I can take
care of myself."
Gryff briefly remembered Fuu telling him that Hikaru
happened to a kendoist and an excellent one at that. He
studied Innova's guarded expression as the man watched
Hikaru.
"Alright, but you'd better be alive when we get back."
Hikaru smiled, "Thank you, Gryff."
_The Pillar was right. The Knights should not be taken
lightly._ Innova could sense the immense power within her and
had no doubt that she was very much capable of wielding that
power as well.
"Finally, a worthy opponent," Innova said, drawing
forth his blade. "This would be a very interesting duel,
indeed."
___________________
Lantis had always prided himself on his impeccable
calm. Most people find it quite unnerving, and would rather
describe it as an austere indifference. Now, standing in
front of his imperious anthropomorphic prosecutor, he was
feeling anything but calm.
"WELL?"
Lantis was almost at the end of his proverbial rope and
was slowly slipping down an inch at a time. Mentally tying a
knot at the end of that line, he managed to hold on to his
temper and quietly admitted, "Yes. That is the truth."
Hilux's smooth forehead creased in a slight frown, the
only indication that it was caught totally unprepared by the
Kailu's answer. It sat at the edge of the pedestal, propped
its elbow on the sword's hilt and regarded Lantis
thoughtfully.
"AT LEAST YOU'RE MORE HONEST THAN MOST."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, careful to
keep his expression blank.
"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING," Hilux stated, gesturing at the
battle scene that suddenly appeared on the wall, "THEN AGAIN,
IT COULD ALSO BE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING -"
____________________
Innova's sword flashed down even as she escaped it,
unleashing a power that sliced in a full killing arc.
Hikaru ducked and kept her distance. He may have a
farther reach but she was willing to bet that she was faster
on her feet.
Hikaru tried to keep her balance, focusing on his
intent instead of his blade. He lunged, thrusting his sword
forward. She twisted sideways, narrowly escaping his blade,
and brought her sword down his back.
Innova hissed in pain and quickly fought to regain his
center. He blocked her next strike with the flat edge of his
sword. Sparks flew as steel gnashed against steel. Hikaru
flinched as the sound grated on her nerves.
Innova noticed her momentary distraction and
immediately took advantage of it. He shifted his weight
backwards, rendering her off-balance, and slashed upwards
with his sword.
She barely managed to pull back as Innova's blade
sheared a few inches off of her bangs. _He almost got me
there._
Innova smiled coldly in spite of his bleeding back.
"Next time, it will be your neck."
"You can try," Hikaru threw back.
Innova launched a series of attacks that placed Hikaru
on the defensive. She zealously parried each of his fatal
blows, intending to draw it out until she found an opening.
It was, however, a serious oversight on her part. One
that eventually cost her the result of the match. She grimly
noted that she was now backed against a huge boulder with
nowhere left to run.
"SCARLET LIGHTNING!"
Innova merely summoned a shield to deflect her attack.
He pointed his sword at Hikaru and regarded her with a
reluctant admiration of one swordsman for another. "I have to
admit, you handle that sword quite well. Pity, that I have to
end--"
"CHRONOS!"
A sudden flash of crackling bluish-white energy cleaved
through the darkness. Hikaru closed her eyes and willed
herself to block out her enemy's cry of pain...
____________________
Umi rushed to Fuu's side, her eyes narrowing in anger
at the sight of her friend's wounded arm. "He'll pay for
this!" she vengefully swore under her breath. She quickly
tore off her own shirtsleeve and began to bind Fuu's wound.
"Umi! Where the hell are you!" Gryff called out.
She looked up to see him emerge from the shadows. "Over
here, Gryff!" she said. "Hurry, Fuu's badly hurt."
"Umi," Fuu whispered, "H-he sealed...," and flinched in
pain as Umi tightened the knot to stop the bleeding.
Gryff knelt down beside Umi to check Fuu for any other
injuries. "Don't talk, Fuu. Save your strength."
"No," Fuu implored urgently, shaking her head, "you
have to listen to me!"
Umi felt her friend's desperate grip on her hand, her
nails digging into her palm.
"It was Ferio--" Fuu whispered brokenly, tears of
anguish pooling in her leaf-green eyes. "--it was like he
never knew me at all, Umi." She held up her left hand to show
the broken crystal. "He sealed away Windham."
- end of chapter vii -
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find previous parts at http://nikholas-f-toledo-zu/reunions.html
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