Okay, when I said I knew what was going to happen in this chapter, I honestly thought it would only be a week or two before I updated it. It also morphed from what I originally had in mind. Also, I'm going to thank Junior BLD for reminding how old Dartz was when he took the throne. I had to adjust my timeline slightly, but I do want this to follow what little of the canon events we know.
Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only own Anthea, Belinda, Circe, and any other characters not introduced in the anime. If I did own this, we'd see more of Dartz's interactions with his people.
Chapter Seven: Magical Mishap
"How do they make sense of this?"
Timaeus scratched the back of his head as he studied the tome the girls had given him. Belinda had recovered a few weeks ago, and she and Anthea had spent the time since trying to teach Timaeus what they had been studying. The two girls had proven he had some power like them, but he had no ear for the chants needed to cast their spells. Belinda resorted to writing translations so he could understand what he was trying to do, but it didn't help much. I have wonder if there's a reason no one uses this anymore.
"Shut it, Noble Boy!"
"Make me, mutt."
Timaeus slapped his forehead as his teammates descending into squabbling. Again? He took a breath to tune them out and resumed his reading. The translation of one spell caught his eye. Turn mutual hate and spite into admiration and respect. He glanced to his closed door, which did nothing to muffle the other two's yelling. It's worth a try.
As quietly as he could—not that it would matter too much since nothing could be heard over Critias and Hermos—Timaeus crept over and opened his door. Focusing on the two squires, he read the chant. The area around the blond and redhead glowed a faint teal, and the bickering died. Critias and Hermos stared at each other, completely silent. Did it work?
They threw their arms around each other, holding on as tight as they could. "Critias, why were we fighting?" Hermos asked.
"I don't know," Critias answered. "But you have my sincerest apologies. I cannot believe I would say such cruel things."
"It's all right," Hermos squeezed the blond tighter. "Just know I'm glad you're here."
Great Deities of Atlantis, what have I done? Timaeus panicked as his teammates' heads got closer together. "Guys!" he forced a smile on his face and put an arm around each of them, prying them apart. "So have you finished the logistics assignment yet?"
"I… I'm kind of stuck on it," Hermos admitted.
"I'll be glad to help you," Critias smiled and gripped the redhead's hand.
"We'll both be glad to help," Timaeus butted in, afraid to actually leave the two alone. "Just give me one minute."
The squire stepped outside their quarters. I need the girls to come help. He spotted a page rounding the corner. "Page!" he called to the boy. The page turned to face his senior. "I need you to find Lady Anthea. She should be with the muses-in-training."
"All right," the page nodded. "Is there a message I should give her?"
"Tell her Timaeus has a question about the book she lent him."
"Will do," the page turned and hurried down the hallway.
Please hurry. Timaeus braced himself and stepped back into his room, hoping Anthea could fix this.
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"Lady Anthea!" The brunette turned to see a page running up to her.
"What is it?" she asked, stepping away from the other muses to speak with the boy.
"Squire Timaeus asked me to find you," the page said. "He said he has a question about the book you lent him."
Oh no. Anthea mentally groaned. What did he try? "Thank you," she reached into her coin purse and offered the boy a silver crown for his trouble. Confirming the other girls were still wrapped up in their conversation, she walked away from them. Once she was around the corner, she took off running to the squires' quarters.
Outside, she could hear the squires arguing, but the other two seemed to be fighting Timaeus. I thought Critias and Hermos hated each other? She knocked on the door.
The door opened, revealing a nervous Timaeus. "Thank the Deities you're here," he said and pulled her inside.
"What did you do?" Anthea raised an eyebrow at him.
"I tried a spell to get them to stop arguing," Timaeus rubbed the back of his head. "Since then, if I leave them alone, that happens." He pointed to his teammates. They held each other by the shoulders, and their faces were getting closer together. "Guys, logistics assignment!"
"But—" they both turned sad eyes on him.
"NOW!" he cut them off. The boys pouted and turned their attention to a book next to them. They held hands as they read the book.
"Did you read the effects before you cast it?" Anthea asked.
"The spell was the only thing on the page."
"Turn the page, you idiot!" she smacked the back of his head. "The warnings and effects come after the spells!"
"Okay, okay," the squire rubbed where he'd been hit and handed her the book. "The spell said it would turn hate into respect."
Anthea scanned the spell, comparing it to Belinda's translations. "You're partially right. This word Belinda has translated into admiration can also mean love. There are no exact translations for these."
"So…?"
"So you cast a love spell on them."
"Curses," Timaeus sighed. "So how do we fix it?"
"I don't know," Anthea closed the book. "There's a chance it will wear off on its own, but the book doesn't say for sure. We'd better find Belinda and get her here."
"Do you want to go find her, and I'll keep these two in line?" Timaeus suggested.
"I'm not telling her you messed up," Anthea frowned. "I already have to get her to fix my own mistakes. You get to tell her about your own."
"Well we can't leave them alone!"
"Leave that to me," Anthea smirked and turned her attention to the other two boys. They had strayed from their assignment again and were whispering to each other, their gazes locked. Chanting the spell softly under her breath, she pressed her pointer to her temple. Hermos froze.
Critias noticed the change immediately. "Hermos? What is it, my friend?"
"Grab him!" Anthea directed Timaeus. "Toss him in his room!"
"Right," the tri-color haired squire grabbed his blond teammate.
"Timaeus, what are you doing?" Critias struggled against his leader's grasp.
"Trust me, this is for your own good," Timaeus answered and shoved the blond into his room. Anthea pressed herself against the door—since it opened outwards—and struggled against Critias trying to force it open. Timaeus shoved the couch over to her. Anthea moved out of the way, and Timaeus barred the door with the furniture.
Anthea let out a breath and dropped her hand, freeing Hermos from her spell. "What happened?" he blinked and looked around. "Where'd Critias go? I need him!"
"Round Two," Timaeus sighed. He hauled the redhead to his feet and shoved him into the room opposite Critias. Anthea pushed one of the desks in front of it, locking the redhead inside.
"How well do these walls muffle sound?" Anthea asked as the captives began calling to each other.
"Not at all," Timaeus rubbed his temples.
"Luckily there's one other spell I've mastered," Anthea stood in front of Critias's door and cast a spell. When she finished, the blond's cries for Hermos were silenced. She did the same thing to Hermos's door, quieting the redhead's as well. "That should keep anyone from hearing them while we go find Belinda. It'll break when we open the door."
Timaeus grabbed the book from his room. He locked the door, and the two took off running for the library. "How'd you master those?" he asked as they ran.
"Necessity," Anthea answered. "I hate practicing when other people can hear me. That solved that problem. And sometimes temporarily freezing someone is a good distraction for me to escape the other girls."
"Ah," Timaeus understood the brunette's method as they rounded the corner. He almost collided with someone, and barely managed to skid to a stop in front of them. Anthea crashed into him. Timaeus's balance was the only thing that kept them from falling over.
"Watch where you're going, squire," their almost-victim snapped at them. Her violet eyes narrowed at them from beneath her strawberry blonde bangs. She wore a soot-stained apron over a purple dress that hugged her figure. Timaeus couldn't help but think she'd be very pretty if she didn't have such a sour expression.
"I'm sorry, Lady…" Timaeus had no idea who the woman was.
"Circe," she pursed her lips at them. "And don't bother with the 'Lady.' You boys never have before."
"I assure you, I meant no offense," the squire raised his hands in defense.
"Just tell me where I can find Squire Hermos," Circe crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
Hermos? "Y-You don't want to see him right now," Timaeus needed the woman to stay away from his spelled teammates.
"Don't think you can use your title to put him down," Circe's scowl deepened. "I've already dealt with three of you idiots calling him 'mongrel.' If you want to make it four, I'll knock you on your butt right now."
"That's not what I meant," Timaeus glanced to the sword sheath clipped to her waist. He needed an excuse, fast.
"He's ill," Anthea chimed in. "Sick as a dog. Both him and his teammate, Critias. Timaeus and I are on our way to get Mistress Alfreda to look at them."
Circe looked less angry and more concerned with that. "Is Hermos all right?"
"I'm sure Mistress Alfreda will fix them up, no problem," the brunette brushed off the woman's concern. "But I seriously would stay away. You don't want to catch it."
"All right," Circe turned her attention back to Timaeus. "You're not the teammate that gives him a hard time, are you?"
"No," he answered. "That would be the third member of our team. I'm the leader who can't get them to stop fighting."
"I see," Circe looked him over before turning away. "Tell Hermos I hope he feels better, and I'll be at my shop when he recovers."
"Sure," Timaeus said.
"See you around, kids." With that, Circe walked away from the teenagers.
"What was that about?" Anthea asked.
"I really don't know," Timaeus answered. "But I think I have an idea of where Hermos goes to get away."
"Anyway, let's go find Belinda, unless you want your teammates to stay lovestruck fools." Anthea grabbed Timaeus's hand, and they took off running again.
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"Let's see," Belinda brushed her finger over the passage in the book she studied. It was supposed to be on seer magic. She hadn't figured out any of the actual spells—most of them were actual predictions foreseen. Compared to the history books, this Orical must have been really good. Sure, many of his visions didn't come true until years after his death, but he was never wrong. Ridiculed in his time, but always correct.
"Green stones will descend from the sky, bringing great power and prosperity… Darkness will taint the people's hearts… A Leviathan will rise, powered by the souls of beasts… Three warriors chosen to wield the Blades of Justice, Wisdom, and Renewal will unite to fight the Great Beast and its champions of Paradius… And thus Atlantis will rise and fall. This was Orical's last prediction," Belinda flipped through the history books, searching for any reference to the green stones, Leviathan, or the three Blades. "Nothing. Could this be one that hasn't come true yet? How far into the future could he really see?"
"Are you wasting your time on that fairy tale nonsense again?" Belinda stiffened at the sound of Master Gerard's voice. She turned around to see the master scholar glaring at her. It was no wonder the older man had never married—it didn't take long for any of his suitors to see past his dark hair, darker eyes, and fine features and find his uptight and sour personality.
"I-I'm studying Atlantis's history," she stuttered. It wasn't a lie.
"And comparing it to the Myth of the Oracle?" Master Gerard scowled.
"There's something to this if you would just look!" Belinda snapped, surprising herself. Maybe spending time with Anthea and Timaeus was starting to bolster her courage. "If you compare the dates Orical made his predictions to when they actually happened, you'd see he was right all along!"
"The ravings of a lunatic who got lucky," Master Gerard scoffed.
"I don't know," a new voice said. "I think the apprentice is onto something."
Master and apprentice turned to see a young man standing a few feet away. He crossed his arms and frowned, his golden eyes fixed on Master Gerard. His light blue hair fell to his waist, tied back into a horse tail. His blue shirt and purple tunic were the finest money could buy. "Your Highness," both said at the same time. Master Gerard bowed; Belinda gave the deepest curtsy she could muster.
"Oh, don't let me interrupt the discussion," Prince Dartz gestured for them to stand. "I'm quite fascinated with the connection between our history and the Oracle. Do continue, Apprentice…?"
"Belinda," the pale-haired girl kept her eyes down. Of all the people to take an interest in her work, it had to be the heir to the throne! "Orical had some kind of power to see the future. He was ridiculed in his time because no one believed it existed. As Master Gerard said, most of the people saw him as a raving lunatic. But it seems the liege lord, Baron Reynard, took an interest in Orical's predictions. Enough had come true, and the baron was known to be superstitious.
"What no one really understands is exactly what power Orical had. According to the book on the Myth, there are multiple possibilities. Some say he was blessed by the Deities. Or cursed, based on how well his predictions were received. Others say he would cast some kind of magic that would give him visions. Another possibility is that he had some kind of enchanted item that let him see the future."
"My, that is fascinating," Dartz smiled. "Don't be afraid, my dear. I promise I'm not going to bite you. I like someone who is willing to pursue the truth and learn all the facts."
Belinda felt her face heat up at the young man's praise. "Th-thank you, Your Highness."
"You can't be serious!" Master Gerard protested.
"I am," the prince turned hard golden eyes on the scholar. "Don't think I have heard of you, Master Gerard. You think everyone around you agrees with you, and everyone who doesn't is a misguided moron. I've also heard what you've said about my father for allowing Squire Hermos into the palace. You really should be careful about what you say. You never know who might be listening."
"Your Highness," Master Gerard took a step back.
"I suggest you leave before I really lose my temper," Dartz crossed his arms and frowned at him. "Even if you won't take Apprentice Belinda's research seriously, I'm very interested in what she has to say." The older man scurried off, intimidated by the young prince. Dartz turned back to Belinda. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
"I-It's fine," Belinda kept her head down. "I'm used to it."
"Everyone ignores your work?" Dartz raised an eyebrow.
"N-no," the girl glanced up at the prince before returning her gaze to the table. "I have two friends who help me at times, but they're not scholars. One is training to be a muse and uses our work as inspiration for her songs. The other is a squire."
"Belinda!"
She jumped at the sound of her friend's voice. Looking to the door, she saw Anthea and Timaeus run into the library. Seeing the prince, Anthea skidded to a stop. Timaeus collided into her, sending the duo sprawling on the floor. "That would be them," Belinda felt her face heat up again as Dartz took in the sight of the two teenagers in a heap on the floor.
"Your Highness!" The duo scrambled to their feet to give the prince the proper regard. Anthea gave a graceful curtsy; Timaeus bowed.
"Well that was certainly entertaining," Dartz chuckled.
It's easy to forget he's only a few years older than us. Belinda hid a smile at the prince's reaction. He was only seventeen, but Dartz could intimate even the oldest and most powerful nobles. There was no doubt he would be a great king someday.
"Forgive us," Anthea kept her eyes on the floor. "We didn't mean to interrupt."
"Do not fret," Dartz assured them. "I am not offended. Though I expected a squire to have better reflexes."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Timaeus bowed again.
"Don't be so serious, squire," Dartz laughed, "But since you two seem to be in a hurry, I will take my leave. Apprentice Belinda, if you make any more breakthroughs with the Myth of the Oracle or your other research, I do hope you'll share with me."
"I will, Your Highness," Belinda promised. "Thank you for your time."
"I look forward to our next discussion," Dartz smiled. He motioned for the other two to be at ease and left the library.
"What was that about?" Anthea asked.
"I'll tell you later," Belinda answered. "More importantly, why were you two racing in here?"
"Ask Timaeus," the brunette hoisted the blame on the squire.
"Hey!" he glared at her. "Okay, I messed up. I need you to fix my partners."
Belinda sighed and rubbed her temples. "What did you do?"
"Love spell," Anthea answered. "Apparently he can cast a spell. He just didn't know what it was."
"Okay, now that we've established I messed up, can we get back to turning my teammates back to normal?" Timaeus asked.
"Let me see the spell," Belinda held out her hand. Timaeus handed her the book. "Okay…" she flipped through the other books. "I think this should do it. It negates all low-level charms and curses." She looked to her friends. "You do realize I have no idea where we're heading, right?"
"Lead the way, squire," Anthea giggled and gestured to Timaeus.
"Very well," he sighed.
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"Ah, there you are Squire Timaeus," Mistress Alfreda stood outside the squires' quarters, a medicinal bag slung over her shoulder.
Belinda stopped running a second after her two friends. "Mistress Alfreda?" Timaeus rubbed the back of his head as he responded to the healer's appearance."
"Yes, I've been knocking on the door for a few minutes, but there's been no answer," she said. "Lady Circe stopped by the infirmary to ask about Squire Hermos's condition. I was surprised to hear that since she said you were coming to get me."
"Uh…" Timaeus looked to the girls.
"We took a wrong turn," Anthea spoke up. "We accidentally ended up at the library instead of the infirmary. Thank you for coming."
Mistress Alfreda raised an eyebrow at them. "I thought you two knew your way around the palace better than that?"
"We weren't paying attention," Anthea answered. "We were in too much of a rush."
"Haste makes waste," the healer gently chastised the muse-in-training.
"We're sorry," the brunette apologized. "I do have a question. Is winterleaf good for all kinds of pain? Or does it only work for specific illnesses?"
"Flora never taught you that?" Mistress Alfreda asked. Anthea shook her head. "Well…"
"Let's go," Timaeus whispered to Belinda and opened the door. While the healer was explaining the effects of herbs, the duo slipped into the quarters.
Timaeus led her to a desk barricading a door. "Hermos is on the other side. Can you break the spell as soon as I open it?"
Belinda flipped the book open and reread the counter spell. "I should. Are you ready?" She held her hand up, ready to cast her magic.
He nodded and pushed the desk away from the door. "Critias!" Hermos rasped and stumbled out of the room. Belinda cast the spell, and the air turned a faint pink around the redheaded squire. The light faded, and Hermos blinked. "What happened?" he coughed.
"No time to explain," Timaeus said.
Belinda flipped the page and cast another spell. Hermos's eyes fluttered closed, and he fell forward. Timaeus caught him before he hit the ground. "What happened to his voice?" she asked.
"He's probably been yelling since we left," he answered. "How long will that spell last?"
"It's weak enough, an hour at most," she explained. "You get him into bed. Is the door with the couch in front of it Critias's?"
Timaeus nodded and hauled Hermos back into his room. Belinda raced over to the barricaded door. She pushed against the couch, but it was too heavy for to move. She flipped through her book and found a spell to push it forward. It slammed against the wall, but at least it stayed upright. "Everything okay?" Timaeus asked.
"Yeah, sorry," she called back.
The door burst open, revealing the spelled blond squire. "Hermos!" he croaked.
Belinda cast the counter spell again, turning the area pink. She pushed him back into the room as the light of her magic faded. Critias blinked navy eyes. "What's going on?" His gaze locked on hers. "You! What are you doing here?"
"T-Timaeus asked me over," she looked to her feet.
A hand reached under her chin and lifted her face, forcing her to look the squire in the eye. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm a scholar," she flinched under Critias's glare. "My name is Belinda."
"You're hiding something," he let go and rubbed his throat as he volume decreased. "I don't know what, but you are. And I know it has something to do with that creature. And if that creature is a threat to Atlantis, then I'll stop it and you."
Creature? "W-what creature?"
"The day you collapsed, a winged creature appeared above the palace," Critias narrowed his eyes. "Then it was gone, and there you were. That's some coincidence."
Did her spell actually bring one of the Beasts to Atlantis? "I don't know what you're talking about," Belinda tried to keep her expression calm and pushed the squire away. "I don't know anything about any creature."
The suspicion didn't leave Critias's eyes. Knowing time was running out, she cast her sleep spell on him, and he fell forward onto her. Unable to compensate for his greater height and weight, they both crashed to the floor. "Timaeus!" she called to her friend.
The summoned squire ran into the room followed by Anthea and Mistress Alfreda. "What happened?" the healer asked.
Belinda felt her face go red as ever looked at her on the floor next to the unconscious squire. "H-he just collapsed," she squeaked. Timaeus knelt down and pulled his teammate's arm over his shoulder. Hauling him up, he laid Critias on the bed.
Mistress Alfreda stood over the downed squire and placed a hand on his forehead. "He doesn't seem to have a fever. That's a good sign."
"He was hoarse," Belinda offered as she stood up, keeping her eyes on the ground. "Like his voice was giving out."
"I see," the healer took a bottle from her bag. "Warm tea with a couple drops of this will help him recover his voice. What about Squire Hermos?"
"He was the same," Timaeus answered. "He woke up for a little bit, but he could barely talk."
"Let me see him," Mistress Alfreda instructed. Timaeus led her into the other room, leaving the girls alone.
Belinda took a shaky breath and hugged herself. Critias's words played over and over in her head. A creature had appeared. Where was it? Did it return to the Dominion? Or was it still wandering around the city?
"Hey," Anthea placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"You remember that day I tried a spell and it didn't work?" Belinda asked. "And then I wound up in the infirmary?"
"Yeah?"
"The spell was supposed to bring someone from the Dominion here. I thought it didn't work, but Critias says he saw something. Then it vanished, and he found me."
"So what?" Anthea asked. "Are you saying you actually brought one here?"
"I don't know," Belinda bit her lip. "That's what scares me."
By the way, yes, that was meant to be a Dr. Strange reference when Anthea chastised Timaeus. This was originally going to be a more fluff chapter, and it ended up setting more of the serious plot elements. Also, we finally met Dartz! Yay!
I am sad to say it will probably be a while before I update this again. I have to go on to Curse of Anubis and then my other stories. Check out my profile for my the order of my upcoming updates. Thanks for reading!
