Chapter 7
Shadow stood on the bow of the ship, his hand clasping the rope that held one of the sails, though it was a very loose grasp. The wind was brewing through his hair, though it didn't bother him in the least. His clothes wavered in the wind as well, but again, it didn't bother him. His sapphire blue eyes stared across the vast ocean, admiring the calm and beauty of the ocean. The silvery water glittered in the sun's rays, which showed themselves only when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.
His expression never faltered, even though he was as calm as could be. Every time he stood there, he felt like his worries were somehow washed away, like he was still at home, laughing and joking with his parents, helping to decorate the house. But it was not to be. His parents were dead, he knew that. Lynx took them, burned the house, and left him for dead. His parents never returned. He could barely remember how he had survived, but he knew that it had something to do with the silvery color of the water.
It was the only bit of comfort he still had.
…No it wasn't.
Gently, he pulled something from his breastpocket, staring into the glittering object. The sun reflected the glitters into his own eyes, making them spark as much as the wondrous gem he held. Carefully, as if he would break it if he held it too tightly, he caressed it with his fingers, feeling the smooth surface of the gem glide across his skin.
He carefully folded his hand around the gem, and held it to his heart, hearing it beat a gentle beat, like it always did. With a soft sigh, he put the gem back in his pocket, and simply stared at the water again.
On sudden impulse, he started singing softly to himself, a soft tune that spoke of great sadness, fear, and pain, but also of hope for the future.
Unbeknownst to him, his voice was carried over the wind, and filled the air with the gentle song, and making everyone on the ship look at him for quite some time.
"Huh??" Ciria looked up, and blinked.
"Hey, whassup??" Bra asked, confused.
"Funny, I just… I thought I… no, never mind."
Ciria waved it off, and looked back at the manor.
"By the way," Ciria said, turning to Bra, "how'd you get here?"
"Oh, I used a gas mask and came through the entrance ta the west. It's small, so most people tend ta miss it," Bra said with a smile.
Ciria gave a sigh and turned to the manor again.
"Well, I'm not going in there unprepared!" she said.
"Nah, me neither," Bra said. "The bloody bastard's prolly expectin' tha ta happen. We gotta plan this right."
"Exactly."
"Bloody Hell!!" Same cursed angrily. "Tha'll leave a mark!"
"Careful sis," the older Black Dragon said calmly.
He had curled horns on his head, long, messy black hair, and was dressed in black armory, unlike the other Dragons. He had no hands or feet, but had claws instead. They were as big as normal hands and feet, but were black and scaled. There was a sheath around his waist, containing a scythe. Like all other Dragons, he had large Dragon wings. His dark green eyes were set on a worried expression, but his sister didn't seem to notice.
"Like whaeva, Mura," Same mumbled, standing up.
She shook her head to get rid of the drowsiness, and rubbed her temples a little. Sky watched for a moment, clapping his wings slightly, creating a small wind that blew away the dust that had gathered on the floor.
"What were those things anyway?" he asked quietly.
"Trouble, tha's wha they are!" Same said defiantly. "Looks like a lot o' things've been goin' on while we were snoozin'."
"How about we ask the sage about what happened?" Mura suggested. "He might know something."
"Arrite! Le's go!"
"So, how to get into that manor? I mean, it's probably got top-notch security, so it's going to be hard to sneak in," Ciria mumbled softly.
"Haha!" Bra laughed. "Maybe, but even so, there's always tha one side tha ain't as guarded as the rest. We jus' gotta find it!"
Ciria couldn't disagree, but that was easier said than done. How were they supposed to figure out which side wasn't as guarded as the rest of them? That manor was huge! It was like searching a needle in a haystack.
They were at the bar in Termina, after hours of walking back, and now it was already close to nightfall. Bra had had an extra gas mask with her, just in case she ever needed one, so Ciria was spared facing the toxic fumes for a second time. For that, she was glad.
"Ya know, if the Dragons were awake 'n' all, we migh've been able ta find a way in," Bra suddenly said.
"Wha?? The Dragons?? You mean they would help?" Ciria asked, confused.
Bra looked at her oddly, then looked around to make sure no one was listening, and whispered in Ciria's ear: "Sure woul'. They even helped me aunt when she was ill! Or tha's wha papa said."
Ciria nodded in understanding, though she wasn't sure what the Dragons could've done to heal somebody. According to her parents, the Dragons had gone into slumber when she'd been just a baby, so she'd never seen them before. But even so, her parents really respected the Dragons, like so many people did. The Dragons had apparently protected the El Nido archipelago for eons, and never left at all. When they had the chance to leave, they staid to protect them all, and never once did they complain.
Still, Ciria was a little skeptical about them, and she really wanted to see them. If they were even real.
"'Ey Ciria! Ya woul'n't mind meetin' me dad, woul' ya?" Bra suddenly asked, smiling brightly.
Ciria immediately dropped the subject on Dragons and turned to Bra with a polite smile.
"Of course I wouldn't," she said calmly.
Bra grinned and suddenly started pulling Ciria along.
"Good! C'mon!! Le's go!! Papa migh' be able ta think o' somethin'!"
Bra continued to pull Ciria along through the city, and the young silver-haired lass watched as people tried in vain to be cheerful. Bra seemed to be one of the few people who wouldn't stop hoping and dreaming. She used her staff to push people aside, and for extra support when ascending the stairs to where once the statue of her father had stood. Now, it was plain empty.
Once at the top of the stairs, they headed for the left, where there stood a simple house, partially burned down, but it still proved a roof over one's head. Bra jingled with the handle of the door, pulled at it once, then threw her shoulder against the door. With a yelp, she flew through the door, crashing down on the floor with a loud thud. She cursed under her breath about damned doors, and got up to her feet as Ciria covered up her giggles with one hand, and holding her wrist with her other.
"Not one word, arrite?!" Bra demanded angrily. "Damn door's busted! Gotta ge' 'nother one soon!!"
Ciria nodded, but said nothing, still trying to keep her giggles down to a minimum.
"C'mon," Bra said, beckoning the other girl. "Papa's in the basement. Just incase the building collapses or somethin'."
They calmly walked down the stairs, and Bra gestured Ciria to be quiet, incase her father was asleep. Ciria understood and was as silent as she could be, and tried not to make the steps of the stairs creak too much. That seemed practically impossible though, and Ciria kept having the fear of sinking through the stairs. Once at the bottom, they walked down a short corridor, ending at a stained wooden door. Bra quietly opened the door with a creak.
"Papa?? Ye up?" she asked softly.
Silence for a moment, before a hoarse voice mumbled: "Well, I am now. Wha's the problem?"
Bra seemed to hesitate for a moment, then walked into the room, pulling Ciria along with her. When Ciria saw the man sitting there, she carefully hid a gasp.
Bra's father was sitting on the bed, looking in their direction, but not directly at them, as his eyes were completely dulled, and his pupils were practically invisible. So it was easy to see that he was blind. His eyes were a dull blue hue, and his skin was a single shade lighter than that of a healthy person. Long blond strands of hair trickled past his shoulders, but most of it hung on his back in a tangled mess. And… to Ciria, he looked… awfully familiar somehow.
"Papa, this's Ciria… she's a friend o' mine, but well… she's a lil' confused 'bout how she's alive when all Vipers're s'posed ta be---" Bra started, but her father raised a hand to silence her.
"Don't," he said plainly, lowering his hand, then focussed on Ciria as best as he could. "Girl, come over here," he said, beckoning slightly with his hand, which, Ciria noted, was covered in bloodied bandages.
Nevertheless, she walked toward the man, and waited silently.
"Give me your hand," he said, holding up his hand.
Ciria hesitated, studying the bloodied rags around his hand, but finally took a hold of it. A violent gasp tore from her throat the second she did.
"Ciria? Ciria!! Helloooooooo!!! Earth ta Ciria!!! Contact!!! Hello!!" a persistent voice rang out, accompanied by rapping knuckles on her head equally persistent.
"OW!!! Tric?!!? What's the big deal?!?!" the young 5-year-old whined, cradling her aching head with a pained expression on his face.
Tric was much too strong for his own good, and he barely even noticed himself.
The 7-year-old in question simply wiped a lose strand of hair from his face, a small smile on his face.
After that, he raked a hand through his long mane of hair, and said: "I shoul' be askin' ya the same thin'. Ye're all spazzed out!"
Ciria frowned a little and said: "Well, you didn't have to hit me like that!"
Tric smirked, bending down so he was face-to-face with Ciria, hands on his hips. Ciria, who was sitting on the ground, blinked up at him.
"Maybe so, but ye're cute when ye're angry!!" Tric said, teasingly.
"WHY YOU!!!" Ciria practically screamed as Tric ran from her, laughing his head off as she chased him around the manor.
No matter how hard she tried, she could never catch him.
Tric looked up at the flower high up, frowning as he tapped his foot in annoyance.
He turned to his friend, and said: "Ye wait here, I'll get it!"
With that, he began the climb up, with Ciria watching him with frightened eyes. Multiple times did he almost fall, but never once did he let go and kept on climbing. Finally he reached the edge, grabbed the flower from its place, making sure not to damage the roots in any way.
Finally, he smiled in satisfaction and allowed himself to slide down the hill, the flower grasped in his hand. Ciria was smiling brightly, eyes shining when he stepped up beside her, handing her the flower. They began walking again, but neither noticed what lay ahead.
A large black cat was glaring down at him, amber-colored eyes shooting daggers at the kids. Its large teeth were dripping with salvia and before either of them could do anything, the demon panther lunged.
"Tric?! TRIC!!!! He'll be alright!? Won't he?!?!" Ciria asked, tears streaming down her face as the boy's father held the boy close to his chest.
The tall man wrapped one of his arms around the smaller girl's shoulders, and hoisted her up carefully. After setting her onto the back of his dragon, he mounted himself, his son still in his arm as he spurred the creature on at full speed back to Viper Manor.
Ciria sat on the balcony of Viper Manor, nursing a wondrous flower greater than any she had ever seen. She was now 15 years of age, but still had not gotten over the death of her best friend. Around her neck, glittered the sapphire rose she had seen him wear so many times before. He had sworn to his mother never to take it off, but he had broken the vow and gave it to her as a sort of replacement.
But no matter what was given to her, nothing could fill the empty void that was now on the place of her heart. Still, she visited him every week, not desiring to ever forget about him, and hoping that someday, the void would finally heal and vanish from her life. But part of her mind knew that was impossible.
"
Ciria…"She whirled around, and faced the ocean.
"Ciria??" Elvor asked.
Ciria was extremely confused, where was that voice coming from? Suddenly, without her wanting to, Ciria's thoughts shifted to that day.
A young boy age nine was walking with her through Fossil Valley, picking bellflowers as they went, when something jumped out and the boy cried out in horrifying pain.
Ciria gasped audibly, as she remembered. An odd feeling suddenly began in her stomach, and began to spread all over her body. Sparks and green waves flowed upward to surround her, shielding her as the world turned black. Ciria felt like she was suddenly sinking right through the ground, and when she landed on her feet, she fell over and fainted.
"ENOUGH!!"
The man released her hand, and dropped his hand, looking exhausted as he leaned back against the bed, panting for breath. Ciria was in no better shape, the resurfacing of all those memories almost too much for her to bear. Somehow, this man had seen it as well, and it frightened her, slightly.
"H-h-h-how did you?!?!" she stuttered, barely able to find her voice.
"My mother taught me… she could read a person's mind at will, but mine have grown weaker, and I must have physical contact with that person…" the man said quietly.
"Papa…??" Bra asked, utterly confused.
"Go with her…"
"What?!?! Papa, I can't---" the young girl started, but once again, her father cut her off.
"She must learn the truth… the truth of what is real and false. But she will not be able to do it alone. So, go with her and help her find what she needs to know."
Bra was silent, and it was clear she was trying not to cry. Apparently, she was worried out of her mind for her father. But her father smiled reassuringly.
"Bra, I survived the Chains of Fate for much longer than I was most likely supposed to. I'll be fine, so just go."
Finally, Bra managed to find her strength, and straightened up, a determined look on her face. She nodded to her father, then walked over and lightly embraced the man. Her father embraced her back, and finally let her go, gently spurring her and Ciria on. With a heavy feeling in their hearts, the girls left the basement, closing the door, and heading up the stairs. Bra had to stop herself multiple times to make sure she wouldn't run back down, but finally, they left the house, possibly for a very long time.
From within his pouch, which he still had around his waist, the blind man pulled out something oval in shape, with multiple holes poked in it, and a small mouthpiece at the top. Even though he was blind, he still managed to put the mouthpiece in his mouth, and he began playing the wondrous ocarina. The melody soothed his soul greatly, and he stopped after a while.
His sister had taught him how to use the ocarina, though he could never be as good as she was… had been, goddamnit!!
With a frustrated yell, he slammed his fist down on the nightstand, which crumbled at the sheer force behind it. He was left panting, but he calmed down again. He leaned against the headboard, eyes closed gently, and continued playing.
'Sis… watch out for those two…' Norak © thought with a saddened smile around the ocarina.
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Right, I'm doing the best I can, but expect major spaces of time in between chapters.
Reviews:
KC: Not here. One of those guys, yeah. I'll try.
Bulma Briefs^Yue Lover: I'll try, but I can't promise anything.
Melani: Bingo! And don't worry, I'm doing the best I can, okay? And the rest will be explained on the way.