It had been about two months since that night with Sage, and the weather had turned from comfortable and balmy to downright sticky and suffocating. As a result of the intense heat, outdoor training sessions were shortened to prevent heat-related illnesses. Instead of two or three long practice sessions, a trainee would have five or six shorter ones with breaks in between to promote proper hydration. Manigoldo was impressed. Sage really did take the safety of the entire Sanctuary into consideration.
A lot more than the weather had changed in those two months. He had been placed back in the training group with El Cid and Sisyphos after learning a few techniques from his master. Now that he was learning the techniques he would use as the Cancer Saint and had people at his own level to practice with, he was making quick progress.
He would never admit it, but his heart swelled in happiness every time Sage would put his hand on his head and tell him he was proud of him. It felt good to have someone praise his accomplishments.
He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the small, blonde-haired kid until he had slammed right into the child. The blonde staggered back and fell to the ground due to their size difference.
"Hey, watch where you're going!", Manigoldo snapped.
The child gazed up at him-there was something wrong with the kid's eyes. Why were they closed? Manigoldo's own eyes widened in realization.
This kid was blind.
"As you can see, I am quite unable to do that."
The voice indicated the child was a boy, though his long-sleeved robe, delicate facial features, and shoulder level hair made it difficult to tell.
"Has no one taught you that it is rude to stare?"
Manigoldo jumped.
"How did you-"
"Keep your mouth closed. It will make you appear smarter."
Manigoldo was beginning to wonder just how angry Sage would be at him for punching a blind kid when someone else joined their conversation.
"Ah, I see you have met Asmita."
Sisyphos's older brother, Ilias, now stood next to the blonde. Manigoldo thought the man looked older somehow. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he looked rather pale. Perhaps he was ill? Still the Leo Saint flashed a cheerful smile and his blue eyes glowed with warmth.
"Thank you for finding him. I turned around and he was gone."
"He's another Gold trainee?", Manigoldo asked.
Just last week, Ilias had brought in two other little boys, named Degel and Kardia, to start their training towards the Aquarius and Scorpio cloths.
"Yes, Asmita here is to train for the Cloth of Virgo."
Asmita said nothing as Ilias took one of his small, pale hands into his own.
In the eight months that Manigoldo had been in the Sanctuary, candidates had been chosen for every cloth except two. All the trainees were so very different in their personalities that Manigoldo had ruled personality out as a determining factor to who received a Cloth. They had Asperos and Sisyphos, who were probably the gentlest two people on the Earth, El Cid who was very quiet and reserved. There was the giant Hasugado who had the most likeable personality out of everyone, in Manigoldo's opinion. Manigoldo had considered himself the wild child of the group, but he had the feeling Kardia was going to take that title away from him. Degel was a bookworm, and he wasn't sure how to take Asmita. The only one had had yet to meet was the Pisces trainee, and he just knew whoever he was, he would be different.
It was then that Manigoldo noticed the baby tucked under Ilias's arm. The child had the same coloring and features as the Leo Saint and Sisyphos. A third brother, perhaps?
"Can you bring me to your master, please? I must introduce him to Asmita and I would like to have a talk with him."
"Sure can. He is probably having tea or doing paper work."
The group headed towards the Pope's chambers, Manigoldo leading the way. Manigoldo eyed the baby under Ilias's arm. Who was he and why hadn't he seen him before?
"Um, Gold Saint Ilias, Sir..." Manigoldo faltered with his words. How could he voice his question without seeming rude? He normally didn't care about seeming rude, but if he was rude to Ilias, Sage would likely punish him.
"You want to know about the baby, don't you?", Ilias responded, his voice kind. "He is my son. His name is Regulus. Usually your master has him when I am running errands for him."
Manigoldo stared at Regulus. He looked so tiny and fragile, it'd be easy to hurt him, if he wanted. A single hand placed over the child's face could suffocate him effortlessly. He needed his father to take care of him. Without him, he would perish without any hope of survival what-so-ever.
"Well, that is a morbid thought."
Manigoldo jumped again at the sound of Asmita's soft voice. Seriously, what was up with this kid? Did being blind make him able to read minds?
Regulus didn't care that he was being studied. The whole time they walked, the baby babbled and pulled on Ilias's thick brown hair. The only words Manigoldo understood were "Daddy", "sun", and, for some peculiar reason, the child pointed at Asmita and declared "puppy". If Ilias cared that his son was slowly causing him to go bald, he didn't show it on his face. His serene smile never once fell off his lips.
It boggled Manigoldo's mind to think that he had once been that small and helpless, but he knew he had to have been. Everyone started off as a baby. Had his parents cared about him the way Ilias seemed to care about Regulus? Had his own father walked around with him tucked under his arm in such a protective way? Smiled even though he'd pulled on his hair?
He really couldn't remember anything about his parents. He'd always lived with his father's sister. And then those Specters had come and destroyed his whole village and he had been forced to take care of himself until Sage found him.
"Where's his mother?"
The question was out of Manigoldo's mouth before he could stop himself.
"You just love prying into people's business, do you not?"
Oh, if Ilias would only turn around. Manigoldo wanted one good punch, just one.
Ilias simply answered the question.
"My wife died giving birth to Regulus."
Manigoldo was beginning to wonder if Ilias were on some kind of drug that kept him calm and happy. Even mentioning his dead wife, his smile didn't slip and his voice didn't change pitch.
"You don't miss her?"
"I can't miss what hasn't left."
Ilias's smile grew at the confused look on Manigoldo's face.
"Her physical body is no longer here, but that doesn't mean she's gone. I can feel her presence around me and I can talk to her. Her spirit remains."
"I..."
Manigoldo was not expecting to hear those words. They were such a sharp contradiction to the visions of Hell he had seen that night two months ago with Sage. Thankfully, he was spared from having to think of anything else to say because they had sudden company. Sisyphos and El Cid were jogging over, and Sage was trailing behind the two boys.
Sisyphos hugged his brother and nephew, smiling the whole time, and El Cid was probably the most talkative Manigoldo had ever heard him, carrying on conversation with the two brothers.
Sage, however, was not smiling. In fact, he looked quite conflicted. It seemed he had some grave matter to discuss with the Leo Saint.
The Leo Saint knelt in respect to the old man as he reached them and the children followed his example. Even Asmita got on his knees, though how he knew to do that without anyone telling him to was beyond Manigoldo's knowledge. This Virgo trainee was weird.
"Ilias", Sage said, taking on his role as Pope. "Stand, Child. You don't look well."
The Leo Saint stood up and handed Regulus over to Sisyphos.
"I am unable to complain today. I brought the boy with me."
Sage nodded and looked at the blonde-haired boy kneeling next to Ilias.
"Asmita, is it? Let's have you stand up, too. Do you require assistance?"
"No, Sir", the blonde replied respectfully. "I can get up by myself."
Asmita stood gracefully and Sage took one of his hands. His other hand came to rest lightly on Ilias's shoulder. The Pope looked at the three boys left kneeling behind him.
"If you will excuse us, I must get Asmita settled in and then Ilias and I have important matters to discuss."
With those words, the three were gone.
The three boys got to their feet. Manigoldo frowned and looked at Sisyphos. El Cid was also eying the Sagittarius trainee curiously.
The Cancer trainee was glad when El Cid spoke first. The Sagittarius and Capricorn trainees seemed to be good friends and Sisyphos was more likely to answer his questions honestly.
"Sisyphos, is your brother sick or something?"
Sisyphos looked at his nephew cradled in his arms.
"He is, but that's not why he's here. He's been talking about retiring. My brother's in his thirties now and he would like to live his life in peace with Regulus. He's even talked about possibly passing the Leo cloth on to Regulus when he gets old enough to inherit it."
"He can just step down like that?", Manigoldo asked.
Sisyphos's expression turned sad.
"Not usually, no. Usually a Saint has to find a successor first, train him or her, and pass the cloth to them. Often times passing it on involves the death of the master."
Manigoldo's heart suddenly raced at those words. Would Sage die in the process of giving him the Cancer cloth? He really didn't want his master to die-the thought of seeing those green eyes glaze over and then close for the final time made him feel physically ill.
"So to officially retire, your brother needs to find someone else to take his place."
El Cid looked down at his hands and suddenly became very interested in the dirt under his fingernails. He didn't like the direction of this conversation any more than Manigoldo.
"Right, and as he wants it to be Regulus, he's probably going to have to wait a while. Most kids don't start Saint training until they are six, and will not receive their cloth until they are fifteen. In Ilias's case, it is illogical to believe he would last that long."
"He seems alright, though", Manigoldo murmured. "I walked him here. He's bright and alert-you can tell he's sick, but he doesn't look like he's about to die or anything."
"Not yet, no, thank Athena for that.", Sisyphos responded, staring at his nephew cradled in his arms. "But eventually his illness is going to slow him down."
A silence fell over the three trainees.
This is what Manigoldo had been faced with every day during his life on the streets. The futility of life. Everyone died-Death was the one thing everyone had in common. They would die, and then they would join a long line and wait their turns to jump into the very pits of Hell. His hands clenched into fists.
Before anyone else could say anything more, Erin appeared, walking Asmita by the hand.
"Your master said for you boys to...uhh...show him around the Sanctuary", she informed Manigoldo. "He and Sir Ilias have private matters to discuss."
All three looked at the little boy. Erin had changed him out of his robes and into the appropriate training gear, as well as pulled his hair into a short ponytail high on his head. The soft golden locks bounced with each step they took. Even with male clothing, Asmita looked more like a little girl than a boy.
"You do know he's a boy, right?", Manigoldo asked.
Erin rolled her eyes.
"If I refereed to him as a boy, and put him in male training gear, that clearly means I am aware of his gender."
"Take his hair down! He's going to be a Saint! He looks stupid like that!"
"It is better to look stupid than to be stupid", Asmita said lightly.
Erin laughed uproariously and even El Cid and Sisyphos had to hide their smiles.
"Hey, I was trying to defend you", Manigoldo snapped at the blonde.
"I do not need defending. Miss Erin helped me feel more comfortable. It is quite hot today."
"He has a point", Erin said, still chuckling. "It is hot today. He was getting all sticky. Besides, it's not like no one else wears ponytails."
"Alright, alright. That's enough", Sisyphos said, stepping between Manigoldo and Erin. "Let's not stand here all day, arguing."
"Sisy!", Regulus yelled, digging his feet into his uncle's chest.
"Looks like Regulus is getting restless. He wants to walk", Sisyphos smiled. "Thank you for bringing Asmita to us, Miss Erin. I have it from here."
"Well, at least one of you has manners", Erin commented as she walked off.
Manigoldo stuck his tongue out childishly at her retreating form.
"Manigoldo", El Cid said, shaking his head. "Stop that."
"Oh, the statue speaks!", Manigoldo replied. "What else can you say?"
The black-haired boy said nothing as he wrapped his left hand around Asmita's wrist.
"I have an idea", Sisyphos said, speaking to El Cid. "Why don't we take Manigoldo, Asmita, and Regulus to the ocean? We can walk around there and even cool off a little bit."
El Cid nodded in agreement and for once, Manigoldo couldn't think of an argument.
The ocean sounded far too inviting.
A/N: When I was re-reading this chapter, I realized how incredibly long it was compared to my others. So I cut it short and used the end of this chapter for the beginning of chapter 5. Our weird group's beach adventure will not be skipped over. I don't know why, I just pictured Asmita as having some spunk and sass to him as a kid.