Chapter 3 ~ Set in Motion
IS MAGI PLURAL FOR MAGE? I DON'T KNOW! SO COMPLICATED! D8
…. Anyway. Two words: writer's block. REALLY bad writer's block. Yeah I know, shitty excuse, but still – it's hard to go somewhere when I thought I had an idea of where this story was going, but then I realized I was up-creek without a paddle (I sound like my southern family o.0). So anyway, rest assured (I can tell you're all so relieved), I know where the story is going now, and I have journeyed deep into the caverns of my mind and have returned with the willpower necessary to write more often.
In other words: enjoy this chapter. The next one will be up soon.
!WARNING! – rated 'M' for language and (in later chapters) gay smut. I can't wait. If I had my way I'd have people going at it like rabbits now, but alas – I'm too damn traditional, and have to wait for the stupid story to get to that point :/
"That. Was. Horrible." Roxas Golding stated. His face deadpanned as he sat on the grass of the field. The boy was rubbing his clean face and arms as if he was getting grime off of them. Sewers, as to be expected, were nasty places. The two had walked – or in Roxas' case, ridden – through the conveniently located sidewalks along the river of waste for almost two hours. Despite never actually touching the slime, Roxas was still scrubbing himself just to be sure.
"Ah, come on Roxas," Axel urged him, shoving his side lightly, "I don't get a tip or anything? I came with my own upholstery!" The red-head appeared hurt.
Roxas rolled his eyes, shoving his companion in return. "You said it would only be an hour," the blond frowned. The two rested in the rolling plains south of Lorellia, where sunny farms dominated much of the landscape, saving the lines of paved roads.
"I said an hour by feet – I had something slowing me down, ya' know," Axel raised an eyebrow in defense. "Besides, don't complain: I got you out of Lorellia."
The Golding looked behind him, towards the north. There, governing the view in all its glory, was the mountain of Lorellia – and the towering city that was named after it. Its walls stretched high, yet since the city was built on the sides of the peak, its buildings could be seen. The poorer districts of the city, the ones Roxas had never been acquainted with (thankfully), were all that was to be seen, as the Orchid District and royal palace were on the northern-facing plateau.
The spires and towers stretched high, with the banners of the kingdom lining the entire sight – on flags, banners, and murals: a red and gold image of a tigress' head. The evening breeze was calming, and Roxas easily forgot his troubles as he sat with Axel, enjoying the fresh air.
"So," Axel started, a cheerful smile on his face, "where are you off to, exactly?"
The blonde winced slightly. 'Come on, Roxas,' he told himself, 'it's time to go on your own.'
Getting to his feet, Roxas brushed his trousers off. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said flatly, hoping that the red-head would get the hint, and he wouldn't have to use any persuasion techniques again.
"I'm pretty sure I'd believe you, Rox."
Roxas sighed, looking away from Lorellia: to the southeast. "Rimptin."
Axel practically choked on his own spit.
"What?" Axel nearly shouted. He stood up, tall over the startled boy. "You left the capital of Renne to get to the kingdom that's been at war with us for over four centuries?"
Roxas turned back towards his companion and glared. "That's none of your business."
The red-head snorted. "Maybe not, but you owe me for smuggling you out of Lorellia. What are you? A spy? Should I even let you leave the capital?"
"It's not like you could stop me," Roxas retaliated stubbornly.
"So you're just gonna find a boat and expect the Rimptian navy to let you cross the Green Sea? Or were you planning on swimming?"
"I was planning on figuring shit out when I had to." The blonde desperately wanted to flee away from Axel along the southern road – a path which led downwards into more rolling hills, and eventually, to the shore of the Green Sea.
Axel shook his head to himself, rubbing his temples. What was he even thinking? He didn't even know Roxas that well. Not his family name, nor where he came from, or even why he needed to leave the city. He was still a stranger. He had given a stranger a piggy-back ride out of Lorellia. And Leon would probably be worrying why his squire hadn't returned all day. Yuffie would be demanding why he took a break and left her with all of their duties.
Something didn't feel right to the red-head. He was feeling more and more light-headed, and was shocked when he abruptly realized that he had been light-headed numerous times for the past two or three hours… ever since he saw the blonde boy in the streets of Lorellia.
'Damn it,' Roxas mentally cursed himself as he felt the snap of a mental cord – again. This was the seventh time the spell had failed. No matter how much he prepared Axel's mind for his domination magics, they just wouldn't take 'hold.
The red-head looked up at Roxas with a bewildered expression on his face. Something in his emerald eyes told the blonde that he knew something had come over him. 'How could that have failed?' The blonde was still amazed. He was an expert at mind-controlling lesser beings such as the squire. People were his puppets, for the Gods' sake. But somehow Axel had broken away from his hold after a mere few seconds.
"You…" Axel began, but couldn't grasp the right words from his brain.
Roxas turned away, towards the direction of the sea. With a flicker of his fingers, his golden aura flared to life around his hands - wisps of sun-colored smoke weaved its way through his fingers and up his arms, and filled the air with the smell of crisp cinnamon: sweet, yet fiery. His eyes, once sky blue, became clouded over with the same color of the smoke around his hands: a bright gold, gleaming in the sunlight.
When the mage spoke, his voice echoed out of sync as if there were many Roxas' talking at once. "Go back to Lorellia, Axel," he coaxed, "forget you even saw me."
Axel blinked. Unaware of the magic that was racing through his brain and corrupting it, twisting his own free will against him by the blonde's powerful voice, he abruptly felt a great need to turn towards the city. Roxas sighed, his aura diminishing and his eyes returning to their normal colorization. With nothing left to do, he pulled his eyes from the red-head and towards the south-east. He began walking down the road, opposite from Lorellia and in the direction of the sea.
Roxas wouldn't see the squire ever again, so he shouldn't have a reason to feel guilty that he had manipulated him from the start. Axel was an unimportant commoner, just a pawn in the events that were stirring under the world.
But if Axel was merely a pawn… why was Roxas' instinct telling him that he was much more than that?
"Where in Garnon's name have you been?" Yuffie demanded, rising from her seat at her desk the minute Axel opened the door to their room. She was caught off-guard when she saw it wasn't Axel who walked in.
"Pack your things: we travel light," Leon told her, his gruff voice giving little information to play on, and his stoic expression not helping. He wasn't dressed in his typical casual outfit, but for battle. A tight-fitting leather shirt bore an enchanted underlay, Yuffie knew, that protected against the pierce of arrows and rapiers. His legs were covered in the same material, with straps and belts on him that held his sword and various small weapons. His brown hair was un-kept as usual, but it had always looked good that way – not that he was attempting to look good. Though Yuffie couldn't help but notice how he looked much better than he usually did before a quest.
The petite girl looked perplexed as she huff'ed and blew a strand of black hair out of her face. "What are you talking about, Leon?"
"Scouts have reported that two boys were captured a mile or so south of the city walls," the knight explained as he walked further into the room to help Yuffie pack her things.
"By who?" The raven-haired girl asked, somewhat annoyed at this menial task that demanded so much haste – shouldn't the city's guard be attending a matter like this? She hopped towards her wardrobe, pulling out some light clothes and throwing them on the bed. She threw Leon a thin chain mail tunic after he had pulled out a leather backpack.
"Bandits," he responded curtly, "or pirates. We're not exactly sure. Our scouts tried to pursue them, but it was almost as if the captors disappeared into thin air."
"Yeah, so? Why is a Knight of the Realm being sent after two guys? There's a whole sect of the city's guard for that. Or send a squire," she protested as she crossed her arms, before quickly adding "one that's not me." The girl might have questioned the situation, but she knew better than to question Leon's orders; she was already fully packed, strapping her broadsword to her side in her preferred civilian clothing. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail behind her, and her athletic physique was displayed quite well as most of her arms, stomach, and legs were shown. Axel accused her of being a whore – she defended herself by insisting it allowed her to move lighter.
Leon placed the chain mail into Yuffie's backpack before stopping and turning to the girl. "One of them was Roxas Golding – one of the two heirs to the Golding estate, and the son of our Constable. The other boy was Axel."
"Oh." The girl's eyes widened a bit, but otherwise she hid her surprise well. Why was Axel a mile away from the city? And why in Jenova's name would anyone kidnap him?
"You're ready," Leon stated flatly. He already had his small pack with him, slung over his shoulders. "Come on."
Yuffie picked up her pack and walked briskly to catch up with her senior Knight, who was already down the hall towards the great hall of the barracks. Lorellia had three barracks' stationed throughout three of the city's districts; the Hall of Knights was the most prestigious and luxurious of the three, as it housed the greatest of the realm's knights who were still employed by Renne's military. That is, those that weren't retired and living in lavish estates that dominated multiple blocks of the city's wealthy neighborhoods.
As they walked into the great hall, Yuffie had to push past hordes of people to keep up with her senior. The feasting hall was filled with knights, squires, servants, barmaids, and all sorts of other tavern-folk, dining on mounds of greasy food and filling themselves with mead and ale. Many faces were familiar to the girl, as she was popular among her fellow squires and 'hopefuls' as they were referred to, yet no one called out merrily to her. The expression on her usually cheerful face was grim as she pushed through the crowds. 'Damn, Leon's excited to be somewhere, much?'
At last they crossed the crowded room, and walked through the large doors leading into the courtyards. The twin suns were setting, casting the evening in a crimson ambience. The bustle of the city was still active, yet was quieting down as people ventured indoors for supper. 'So this is a night operation,' Yuffie thought, mentally grinning. 'Perfect.' The most pleasurable of tasks were always performed at night.
"We depart for Aeritha Reach. We should arrive around dawn if we do not stop," Leon said, thankfully slowing down a bit as they walked towards the gates leading from the barracks to the city's walls.
"Why Aeritha Reach? Did the bandits really travel that far with them hostage?"
Leon glanced at his squire, his brown eyes solemn. "They managed. And they're somewhere along the shoreline, I presume. They bore the banners of Rimptin."
Yuffie spluttered for air. "Rimptin?" her voice pitched, "why would Rimptin be in the heart of our kingdom? And why would they kidnap those two?" She followed her Knight into the walls of Lorellia, before coming out on the other side into the evening air. Much to her irritation, her question was not answered. Had it been a Saturday night, when squires were off-duty and intoxicated, she would be more loud – like usual. Various tents and camps were set up all along the walls of Lorellia – the homes of several mercenaries and skirmishers. The raven-haired girl was too busy watching the merriment and festivities that were happening with envious eyes, unaware of the man that was now standing before Leon and herself. She stopped abruptly before running into him, giving a small yelp as she jumped back.
The man was much taller than the girl, yet about an inch or so shorter than Leon. His golden hair was spiked and slightly bed-ridden. He was wearing a tight-fitting battle garb similar to Yuffie's own – black cloth against his chest, with leather straps bearing various buckles and mounted daggers. A hard shoulder-pad protected his left shoulder, with a silver head of a snarling beast attached. His face was slightly boyish, though he looked to be in his early thirties, with slim but firm muscle showing through his bare right arm and neckline. She had seen the man countless times before, but he always in some fine garments – not dressed for scouting.
"Sir Leon," the man said, nodding his head towards the brunette, "and the ever-gleaming Yuffie," he nodded towards the girl. His mouth turned into a slight smile. He saluted them in the typical Renne fashion.
"Constable Golding," Leon returned the salute by pressing his fist to his chest. Yuffie quickly did the same. "Constable," she bowed her head.
"You've not called me by that name in a while, Leon," the man said, causing Yuffie to look curiously between the two men. The blond man rose an eyebrow, a hint of teasing twinkling in his eyes.
"Cloud," Leon mended, nodding his head towards the golden-haired man. When she thought she saw a hint of a smile on Leon's face, she decided she'd consider appealing Axel's constant demands to check herself into Lorellia's asylum. Maybe she'd even be in the rooms next to her mother. Or uncle.
"I'm coming with you. My son's out there, and I don't plan on reasoning," Cloud stated matter-of-factly, his chin raised slightly. With a grunt, Leon muttered something under his breath, but walked past their superior towards the road to Aeritha Reach.
"Constable," Yuffie nodded politely yet again towards the Golding lord, before starting after her Knight. 'Kindness sucks,' she concluded. But kissing ass was tolerable, at least.
"Nonsense," he insisted, the broadsword strapped to his back mirroring hers as he walked beside the girl. "We're in the field together now, Yuffie; call me Cloud."
When Axel awoke, the world was rocking.
No, literally. He must've been on a boat of some sort… with a very bad driver.
With a groan, he tried his best to steady his head with his hands, but hanging it did no good for his headache. Hazy visions of him and Yuffie having too much in the taverns of Lorellia came back to him; but it wasn't the drinking that he felt like now – it was the hangover.
He didn't remember much. He had been walking towards Lorellia when something had hit him from behind. The blow didn't do much but startle him, but before he could turn around another one was delivered strategically to the back of his neck, and he was unconscious. But if he was near Lorellia, in the heart of the mainland, how could he have stayed asleep during the journey to the sea? The nearest seashore was at least half a day's journey away, and Axel had always been a strong fighter even against concussions.
Roxas. Axel was hit with waves of memories from earlier that day – or yesterday? – when he had helped the boy out of the city, only to realize that he had been controlled the entire time. So Roxas was a mage? He certainly didn't look like one. He was much too young, his skin too tight and his limbs agile.
Looking up to survey his surroundings with blood-shot eyes, Axel saw that he was in a jail of some sort – the room was divided down the median by thick iron bars with a door in the center. On the other side was a built-in ladder leading to a trap-door in the ceiling and a large desk with various papers, trinkets, and coffee stains. A large wooden chest sat heavily beside the stairs.
Part of Axel wasn't that surprised when he saw Roxas sitting against the wall across from him with his knees hiding his face; he was in the cell as well. All that could be seen to identify him was his small stature and spiky blonde hair. The boy's head rose up as if he could feel Axel's eyes glancing over his form. Blue eyes fluttered open.
"You're awake," he croaked, clearing his throat soon after. His voice was tired and exhausted, and though his sparkling eyes sent peaceful shivers down Axel's spine, they looked as if he had just come back from the dead.
"Where are we?" Axel asked hesitantly. His head spun as the ship clashed against a wave, and for a moment he thought he would stain the floor with the vile in his stomach. His empty stomach.
Roxas averted his gaze from the red-head. "On a ship bound for Rimptin. We're being held hostage. Or I am, at least. They jumped me just before they got you; I would've kept them off of you, but they had a mage."
Narrowed eyes, dark green in the lighting, suddenly watched Roxas intently. He could feel a tingle across his skin wherever Axel's eyes looked at him.
"That's what you are. A mage," Axel accused.
The boy winced slightly. "Look, I know Lorellians have a bad history with magic-" Axel briskly cut him off.
"All of Renne has a bad history with magic," he corrected. "The entire kingdom's been through countless wars against magi since we were first manipulated by them – just like you manipulated me."
"Axel, all I did was influence your actions – I didn't make you do anything. I had no choice," The Golding protested. "No one else would've helped me out of Lorellia. I would've been sent back home."
The red-head breathed out slowly, trying to calm down. "You owe me an explanation. Lots of them."
Roxas' eyes met Axel's. The boy gave a long sigh, closing the blue portals into his mind in thought.
"My name is Roxas Golding. I'm the son of Cloud Golding." At this, the squire blinked. Was it coincidence that Roxas was the son of the commander of the Lorellian military? He didn't dare interrupt the boy – this was already getting interesting.
"Being a student of magic in the heart of a kingdom that despises it isn't easy, and my true self has been confined to the walls of the Golding estate. My master was once a mage of the Rimptin royal court, and has personally trained me since I was a small child.
"Something is… not right in the world," Roxas' tone suddenly changed to uncertainty and hesitation. His lips pursed, and his brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?" Axel inquired, no longer resentful towards the boy. It sounded like Roxas knew more than enough information to ever live a normal life, and the squire could relate to that.
Again, Roxas turned his head away. "It's… complicated. Like a premonition that all magi have been feeling for the past twenty years or so. Deep down in the world's history, something's stirring… awakening. But it's not just a feeling," blue eyes turned back towards Axel. "Things have been happening. Magi have been disappearing. Not lesser ones: sorcerers that hold high seats in Crystallix Council."
"Crystallix Council?"
Roxas slowly brought himself to his feet. He still looked fatigued, but his eyes had taken on an energetic quality. "The council of the Crystallix Court is made of the greatest sorcerers from all across the world," Roxas explained. "The entire court is convening, though – more than a hundred magi gathered in one place, holding convention as to what this threat is. Magic is amplified in numbers, and when there are that many magical beings in one place, everyone's abilities are amplified."
"The court's using everyone's amplified magic to try and find out about the darkness that's growing," Axel guessed, finishing Roxas' thought for him. This sounded like a fairytale, Axel had to admit, but it was convention that he knew magic was not something to underestimate.
The mage nodded. "The entire court hasn't met together in eight centuries – or so my master tells me. He is sending me to the Crystallix Court on his behalf."
It made sense now – the red-head didn't like it one bit, but at least it made sense. The very reason Renne had been at war with Rimptin for millennia was because of their direct contradictions. Renne was a land of fortune and wealth for all its denizens; Rimptin was poor and filled with nomads and gypsies. Rennaens hated magic, whereas nearly every Rimptian was magically gifted – or so legend had it.
"Who brought us here?" Axel scratched his head – if he caught fleas here, he would be pissed.
Roxas shrugged, standing meekly in the center of the cell. "I'm not sure. Somehow they knew who I was before they got us… they tried to get information out of me a while ago while you were asleep, but I resisted." It didn't take long for the squire to notice the tears in Roxas' tunic – hiding behind them were thin lines of red. He had been cut by their captors.
"You're hurt," Axel frowned. "Sit down."
Roxas complied, but only because he was exhausted. "It's no use," he countered, "I healed the deeper gashes, but there's nothing I can do for the smaller ones." 'So that's why he looks so tired,' Axel reasoned. It was anyone's guess, but it made sense that using magic would deplete your energy.
Without warning, hands grasped Roxas' shoulders, turning him softly towards them. Axel peered at some of the scars around the boy's neck and chest, moving the light fabric apart when needed. He ignored the blonde's flushing face. "This one looks infected," the red-head frowned as he brushed his fingers lightly over one of the cuts. Roxas stifled a whimper as his body tensed up. His eyes winced.
"It's okay," he objected, pulling away from Axel's hold as his face started to return itself to its normal coloration. Axel decided not to call him back; the blonde could probably take care of it after his energy recharged anyway, right?
Roxas had walked towards the metal bars, and grasped two of them with his delicate hands. The mage closed his eyes, and for a moment he just stood there.
"What are you doing?" Axel asked as he rose himself to meet the boy. His head ached in protest.
"We are escaping," Roxas answered, as if it were obvious. "You honestly think I'm going to let bandits keep me captive?" Axel rose an eyebrow, admiring the boy's sudden fieriness.
"And what do you plan on doing after we get out of this cell?"
"We take out whoever else is on this ship. There are some weapons in that chest over there," the boy nodded across the room on the other side of the bars, "I can sense iron in them. Crude, but it'll have to do until we find some more."
The red-head blinked at the speed of which Roxas was operating at – already he had sprung to his feet and walked across the jail-cell despite his worn-out appearance. "Are you sure you're alright to be breaking out right now?"
His question was apparently ignored. When smoke the color of the yellow sun began to wisp off of Roxas' hands, and the smell of cinnamon filled the air, Axel became uneasy. "You're not going to control my mind again, are you?"
"No – you broke through my spell. You'll be able to tell if I enter your mind again," the blonde impatiently assured him. "This is my aura. It's the source of my magic." And with that, Roxas' golden aura burst to life around his entire body. The room was illuminated in a magnificent warming shine, all radiating from the Golding boy. Shielding his eyes from the bright light, Axel could barely make out what the boy was doing. The noble's hands had become white, and as soon as he heard the sizzling of heat and saw thick black tendrils of smoke emitting from the iron bars, Axel realized that Roxas was melting the jail wall.
After a few moments, enough of the bars had been melted to allow Roxas and Axel to escape. "Careful," Roxas warned, his voice echoing as it had last time he conjured his aura in Axel's presence. He walked through the opening, and his aura began to diminish as it receded back into his physical body, plunging the room back into darkness save the lone candle on the desk. "The bars are still hot."
As if to make the boy's point, a bit of the iron bar closest to Roxas dripped molten metal down to the wooden floor. Axel swallowed.
PLEASE leave a review if you liked this story/chapter/mysexytext! :)
Hell, if you didn't like any of that I'd still be happy with a review… at least I'll know I wasted some of your time! t(^-^t)
The next chapter should be up soon – I already have most of it written, it's just a matter of editing (and since I'm a perfectionist, or like to think I am, it takes a while).