Unavoidable Fate
I clung to the side of the wall for my dear life, tears pouring out my newly activated innocence eyes. I am an exorcist under General Cross's teachings and boy, was it hard. It is something no one definitely wants to be placed in. An exorcist is a warrior in the Sacred War that is about happening – no, not just anyone can be an exorcist – exorcist are the only ones who can battle Akuma – a living machine – made by a 'creator' – The Earl – for only exorcist are able to use innocence – anti-Akuma weapons – because exorcists are Apostles of God. Exorcists are chosen by God and given innocence. Currently, I am undergoing training with my Master, Cross Marian. Training with him wasn't easy, most people just train on working with innocence and how to use it to fight and stuff, but with Cross, that's not just what you get.
With Cross, one get more than what others get; one get the training that everyone gets along with wine, girls, pain, gambling, pilferage, anger, running, debts, near death experiences (not from Akuma), abuse, drunk, pain, money, paying for Master, debt collectors, and did I mention pain? I'd tell you, it's a lot harder to train with Cross than anyone else and I should know, I was there with my brother when he was under General Tiedoll, a rather kind yet strange artist, for a year before I made my way towards the Black Order and got paired up with Cross Marian. Tiedoll was rather upset that I wouldn't be his student either and at the time or now, I was thankful, the man's tendency to call his students his children is sweet, but unnecessarily. It creeps me. But recently, I've been thinking if I made the right choice – like now.
"No!" I gasped and pulled myself against the doorframe again. Maybe I should explain the situation.
It's like this, General Cross had borrowed money again from a friend of his or maybe this was the husband of one of the current female the redhead was 'in love' with. I don't know, but all I know was, I came here to ask for my Master's whereabouts when the male jumped me and tried to get me to pay for my Master which of course, I can't. If Master's out of money then I'm out of luck. Sometimes, I went into gambling and pick-pocketing and conning people out of their money (There wasn't much difference between the three after all.) to pay back for all that Master borrowed or to get some food into the house.
"I can't pay for all those zero's!" I shouted and my grip tightened. "I'm only twelve! How can I have that much money?" My struggling stopped and I hanged parallel to the ground as I spotted a light pink dress. It was another one of Master's rich lovers.
She smiled at me and petted my head, messing my hair. She reached into her little bag and took out the large sum wanted and handed it to the man, ignoring my glare. "I'll pay for the maid of my lover." Every one of Master's lover believed that I am the maid though I don't look like it. I wore my usual sleeveless dress that crisscrosses down the sides with the black tie under the collar and a black wrap over the white dress part with the same crisscrosses. My arms were covered with black gloves that started halfway up my arm, past the elbow. My blond hair was tied in a bun surrounded by a braid. Maybe it was the colors of black and white plus the alcohol they drank that made them believe I was a maid. Or maybe it was the fact that Master makes me do everything for him.
"You…" The voice of the woman grew strained after the man left. She hissed that word as if I was the monster to all her troubles. She looked at me, eye-level, with a glare though a forced smile still stayed on her face. "That was a whole lot of money that you owe me." I knew it was too good to be true for a lover to paying for me. "Here's the bill for what you owe me." It was the amount of money that Master owe including the amount she justified right as the fine for her act of kindness. Looks like I'm going to have to do some gambling, pick-pocketing and conning. Yep, all three.
"Bye now, maid." She waved lightly at me before clicking her heels on the pebble ground.
I balled the bill up in my hand and groaned before stomping my way back, muttering curses to my Master. I should have just gone with Tiedoll and trained with him, but no one else had two anti-Akuma weapons besides Cross. I had a parasite and equipment type innocence; my eyes and the fans that I kept in my boots.
"Thief." A crackling voice called followed by a clacking sound of metal on metal.
I stomped my leg down, the fan popping out of the boot. "Activate!" I shouted and the fan opened and blocked the Akuma bullets aimed at me. The force pushed me back, the ground ripped under me. I sighed, if it wasn't for the fact that I was a bit away from the Akuma, I would be dead right now.
The Akuma was a level one, meaning the level after level zero. Akuma have levels to tell how far in growth it has gone through. The more souls an Akuma kills the higher the level is. A level zero is when an Akuma is created when a foolish, depressed human calls on their loved one, placing their soul in a build. Level one is the stage after. It is mostly a raindrop body with a white mask with a purple star at the center, near the top and a bunch of tubes that extended from its body where bullets filled with Akuma virus are fired.
Little screams filled the street as the few people ran away. I was glad I didn't go pilfering at a busy street; I never do, in case someone sees.
With a flick of the wrist the bullets shot off my fan and the incoming bullets were sliced in two, the poisonous gas flooded the area. "Good-bye, One." I whispered and waved my fan.
I held cute golden golem, Timchampy – the only good thing with being with Master Cross – while the three of us glanced out over the town. I had found the two a bit near the edge of the town. "Master, where did you disappear to?"
"Komui called, I have another mission." His voice seemed flat. This mission was definitely different from the ones we had before.
"What kind of mission is it this time?"
"You're not coming. I'm done teaching you."
"What? That can't be, I'm not that well at using my eyes yet." It was true. I just gotten use to them a couple of months ago.
"You know how to use them just fine, Ju—Esme." Was he getting my name confused with one of his lovers? "I saw you fight the level one today."
"…" The tone of his voice was getting stranger. It wasn't as if he was in a trance, he spoke it normally but there was a hint of something else, something that I didn't see or hear before in the three years I've spent with him. (He doesn't like going to back 'home' lots.)
"Esme, remember what Hebraska said to you." It was an order.
"My synchronization with my eyes is 16% and my fans are 72%." Those were the numbers Hebraska gave me the first time we met. Now, I'm sure they're higher – especially my eyes.
"The prophecy, idiot!"
Hebraska, a large serpentine human whose body is covered mostly in her innocence, placed me down after reading my synchronization rate. The search, itself was pretty harsh; tentacles went under my skin from my upturn hands holding my fans, searching for something. The tentacles traveled inside my body and it shocked me, it was a sickening feeling and my body didn't respond well to it – my eyes started to bleed while my innocence stood out in two large arches before me, both impaled to the ground.
"I didn't mean to scare you." Hebraska said softly.
A hand landed on my shoulder to keep me from resisting more. I was still yet to be calm from what was happening. "So how is it, Hebraska, how is this Apostle of God?"
"In the black future, when all is dark… the 'Gracious Protector of Shade' shall guide us all… to our deathbeds." Hebraska foretold.
"I know twelve languages. You can't call me an 'idiot.' Mr. I-just-flirt-around-with-women-and-leave-my-student-to-the-bills." I wasn't scared of rising against my Master. I had to rise up against my brother at times and no matter the fatal injuries that I'd always come out with, I still argue against him and Master seems to have a soft side for women, maybe there's one for girls too.
"Just for that," A wad of bills tied together in a messy pile was plopped into my hand. He didn't have a soft spot to girls only to women where he could play with.
Master Cross's brown-red eyes met my own honey orange ones. There seems to be a message in those sad looking eyes. 'Don't forget who you are.' It seems to say. Maybe he does have a soft spot for girls.
The wad of bills seems to be burning a hole in my hand as it snickered its evil. Yep, there's no doubt, he has no place in his cold heart for girls.
"Go back to Black Order." Cross's voice seemed better. The little lining of something wasn't there anymore. "And don't forget what Hebraska foretold." With that, he disappeared and all connections were lost.
Where did you disappear to, Master?
The 'Gracious Protector of Shade' shall guide us all to our deathbeds.
That was my fortune and I was the 'Gracious Protector of Shade.'
Just what does her fortune mean?
What was that strange tone in Cross's voice?
What was the mix-up in his words? Ju-?
What is the meaning behind the silent order his eyes were saying?
Find out all this and more in Forever Trapped.
I hope that didn't sound like a commercial...