-1Chapter 4: Another Seal
The pressurized feeling that accompanied a fonic slot seal made Jade want to smile a little less than normal, was this the only tactic people could come up with anymore? It would have been more irritating if they hadn't used the same exact form of sealing his fonic arts.
"General." the general female voice let him know he wasn't alone and that at least was a sign that that they underestimated the whole group to leave any of them together. "They separated you and I because of our positions within our countries. Are you all right?"
Natalia was close and scanning him over with concern when he let his ruby eyes slide open and look at the blonde haired princess seriously, his normal smile curling his thin lips.
"I'll be fine." he answered, waiting for her to back up a bit before pushing himself into a sitting position. "They used the same exact fon slot seal that the god generals did. It shouldn't take me longer than a few days to unlock it this time, a week at the very most."
"Oh." Natalia replied with a little surprise at how calmly he put that. "Well that is good. What do you think we should do now that you are awake then? They were a little meaner to you than the rest of us, they kept knocking you out whenever you started to stir. I healed the bruises but you are lucky you aren't more injured."
"Explains why my head hurts more than the last time I had a fon seal." he commented without much worry. "though I'll have to repay them for the kindness. Any sign of where they are holding everyone else? It would be wise to meet back up with them before continuing our investigation."
"Not really." Natalia shook her head and shrugged. "They don't come in usually except to bash you in the head and give us food. They were really late this time though which is why you are probably awake right now. Which means the others might have intercepted them."
"Excellent. Then we can just wait for them to find us."
"Shouldn't we get out and look for them?" Natalia asked uncertainly.
"Course not, they are already looking for us if the people caring for us were intercepted." Jade explained graciously. "Besides, I still have head injuries and should rest until they need us."
Natalia laughed at that. "I should have known that you would have an excuse."
"Never. I always have good reasoning, not excuses." he corrected.
"Ah yes. I remember." she returned with a smile. "Well its good you woke up at least. I was starting to worry about you."
"No faith in me Princess?" Jade teased dryly.
"More like unsure if your large head had a tough skull to match." she bit back with a smile.
"You are a grumpy roommate. You should have a little more etiquette as a representative of your father."
"That's not nice." Natalia protested with a small pout.
"You started it." he reminded her as he looked at the cell they were being held in, keeping up with the commentary as he considered the various ways they could escape. Though when he heard the sound of combat coming from somewhere nearby he had no intention of lifting a finger before it was necessary. He'd be using fonic artes to destroy enemies soon enough, he could be patient enough to wait until the others reached them.
Natalia at least stood up at the sound, waiting more anxiously. "Don't you think we should try to get out and help?"
"We could injure the locks or door trying to get out in such a rush, we are best waiting on the capable hands of our companions."
"You really do have an answer for everything." Natalia laughed, a little less serious in face of such confidence. "Did you really have a fonic seal on you before when we were working with Ashe and Luke and saving the outer lands?"
"No one ever told you?" Jade asked. "Yes. I didn't work it out completely until shortly after we defeated Van. This time it should move much faster, it's more getting all the right puzzles in place than actually having to sit and figure them out. It takes a little time to reset things how they are suppose to be."
"That's amazing though." she complimented. "not that you need the ego-boost but I was never told about it. It's just hard to believe. I doubt I'd be able to move if someone used a seal slot on me."
"Then it's probably best they used it on me, though it's a pity they didn't target Guy. He could use the change in karma after spying on me."
She chuckled at his answer. "Never forget anything, remind me never to make you mad General Curtiss."
He didn't get a chance to reply before the door opened, an exhausted looking Guy glancing in at the two and speaking between still breathing heavy.
"You know…you could have at least…tried to help out." he pointed out with a sigh. "As opposed to just sitting here. Have you seen or heard about Tear? They separated her from the rest of us and most of these guards don't know where she was taken. Guess we're already back to the old story of saving people that are kidnapped. I don't get paid enough for this."
"I'll have to mention your complaint in my next report to the emperor." Jade offered cruelly. "Do you know where any more important figures are or passed any possibilities for such placement on your way here."
"Yeah it looked like there was a main office, but we should be clear for a while on sneaking up. Anise and I managed to keep our attacks mostly quiet or unfound out so far." Guy answered. "You up for helping with your seal or are you mostly useless now?"
"Should I say the latter and just let you do everything?"
"I shouldn't have asked." Guy sighed. "Come on then, we should hurry."
"Good work Anise." Natalia complimented as she left the small holding cell and saw the people tied up and the teenager shoving them into another cell. She beamed and waved at the compliment.
"Couldn't get out old man?" Anise teased the general. "You getting slow in your age?"
"Nothing so bad that I can't keep up with you Anise."
"Boo." Anise pouted. "Sharp a tongue as ever, you must be okay."
"I'll remember that you judge my well being by my ability to insult."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Anyway." Guy interrupted. "We should head this way."
He lead the team down a couple hallways that were guard free and pointed up some steps at the door that seemed a little more secure than the rest.
"Why didn't you break in earlier when you passed it?" Natalia asked curiously. "We could have been in there."
"Naw." Anise whispered back. "One of the gaurds told us you were down where we found you. Figured it would be better to get you for the danger first."
"Thanks for remembering to consider us." Jade commented with his sarcastic tone. "Next time pass up the urge."
"Har har har." Anise mocked. "You think you are more clever than you are."
He shrugged depreciatingly. "Perhaps."
Guy rolled his eyes and Natalia giggled, the whole team moving up to the door and waiting while Guy messed with the crappy technology to get it open. They hadn't been expecting the team of gaurds that was resting on the other side in some sort of break room. There were doors on the other side and now that they had been seen it would be best to finish them quickly and quietly.
Jade moved forward before the rest, though they also launched into action. He summoned his spear from his wrist and took out the first guard before he had a chance to rise from his chair, sparks flying from the sword of the second guard that managed to parry the attack heading at his head and being knocked back to the floor.
Fire tore into the guard that went for Anise, her using her fonic artes to defend against the physical attack and already into channeling another spell before he'd recovered from the first. Guy didn't take much longer than Jade to take down his first opponent and finished the second even faster, moving to help Natalia in the close combat that wasn't her strong point. She'd been holding her own but as she was blocking with her bow she hadn't been able to launch any attacks of her own.
They dispatched the team before much commotion or the guards could get any form of alarm in place. Not all were dead but most were beyond help at the end of the short battle, the only one awake they managed to 'convince' it was intelligent to tell them where Tear was. The guy didn't know what they wanted her for, but that she was the target all along and the rest were due to be killed or traded off for ransom.
"Man…" Anise complained. "Why did I get put on the death list? I'm worth money too….oooh that makes me mad!"
"I dunno how angry you should be over not being held for ransom over being killed." Guy coughed some. "Though I see how it's a little insulting."
"Can we move on then?" Jade asked, fine with where he'd ended up on the list of consequences.
"Yeah," Natalia agreed, "we need to find Tear before something bad happens. But you are right Guy, this whole business of saving kidnap victims gets old after a while."
"You missed out on all the times we got to save Ion." Anise chimed in, sounding cheery at the memory. The rest sighed a bit and went the way the guard had mentioned, closing on Tear's position by the information of the various guards they gave to Jade for information. It never took him more than a few minutes to get what the enemy knew.
"I don't think I want to know how you do that." Anise shook a bit. "You can be really scary sometimes General."
"Now now, that's a rude observation. I always have impeccable etiquette." Jade said with mock hurt. "I simply treat the enemy the way that is needed."
"Sure." Anise rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."
Natalia and Guy chuckled and Jade sighed. "Youth can never appreciate true genius."
"I need to get the Emperor to tell me some of those blackmail stories he uses on Jade." Guy commented as they walked. "I would be richer than anyone in Chesedonia."
"Yeah, let me know if you do." Natalia and Anise said at once.
The three laughed as Jade just shook his head in the same way he always did when silently disapproving of their opinions. As childish as it all seemed, he'd missed the interaction between his former and now temporary companions; it was a pleasant sort of lesser minded nostalgia.
They continued through the halls and eventually reached another overly secured door and got Guy to fiddle with it for a time before it slid open to reveal a small room where Tear was laying on a small bed, unconscious and not well clothed. Her usual black and gray dress had been removed and replaced with something akin to a hospital gown, a few wounds visible from the door; she had a black eye and her lip was swollen from where it had been busted. One leg appeared to be disjointed and snapped in such a way that it was possibly broken, her breathing was uneven and she seemed altogether unhealthy on first view.
End Chapter
Well, another chapter and it's getting a bit darker but I did put Angst as one of the genre's so it will have some themes that will end up being that way. Thank you for continuing to read and for the reviews that were given. Hope it picks up a bit but enjoying the writing of this story so far.
-Aura
To my reviewers:
Windbreaker - I can see Jade with a girl myself…just cause I can't picture him as a virgin if anything, but it would be something that was developed, not something that just poofed into existence. But I'm glad you like my story up til now. I'm moving it along when I get the time.
Mollykat - I like Jade too much not to write something with him. He is probably my favorite video game character in a very long time. And top 5 favorites for sure. What is shipping exactly? I can guess but an explanation would still be nice. I am kind of still flip-flopping as to who to use for a romance but I do plan on introducing one someday. Thanks for reading.