((A/N: Chapter thirteen, eh? We're makin' progress. Thanks for all the reviews so far!))
Chapter Thirteen.
At half past eleven that evening, the 'good guys' had gathered outside the tower of Salvation once more.
"Any sign of him?" Kratos demanded, looking anxious.
Everyone shook their heads softly.
"I don't get it. Where could he have gone?" Raine asked thoughtfully.
"Maybe Colette kidnapped him again!" Zelos exclaimed.
A long silence followed, as everyone turned to Colette.
"… Not that I can remember…" the girl said, thinking deeply.
"Zelos is on to something with the kidnapping though." Raine commented.
"But who would want to kidnap a member of Cruxis?" Lloyd asked, sounding a bit skeptic.
"One of our enemies…" Mithos muttered.
"Someone who would want revenge for something…" Martel added.
Another long silence followed.
"Sixurc!" shouted Mithos, Martel, Lloyd, Raine, Sheena, Genis, Regal, Presea and Forcystus in unison.
Everyone gasped. This time, there was a dramatic silence.
"Well, you guys let me know how this turns out. I need to return to Altamira." Regal spoke suddenly, turning to leave.
"Yes, I must depart as well." Presea added.
"Ditto. Hey, good luck guys." Forcystus said, also moving away.
"Cowards!" Kratos shouted after them, shaking his fist.
At the tower of Mana, also known as the tower of Damnation, meanwhile, preparations for Yuan's initiation were afoot. Sixurc's five Eliminators had gathered atop the tower to set everything up, while Yuan sat in a corner, sipping coffee.
"I still don't get why this guy gets a big party." Kuchinawa grumbled under his breath as he tried to heave a large dinnertable up the steps towards the altar.
"I bet it's because he's from Cruxis." Remiel rolled his eyes, not lifting a finger to help his companion.
"I wonder if he can arrange a date with Zelos for me." Ernie said with a dreamy expression. He was ignored.
The Dark Chef was standing near the altar, flipping through a book and muttering under his breath.
"Lord Dark Chef, I still don't understand why you wanted to borrow the Necronomicon." Abyssion glanced at his leader with a rather anxious expression.
"Patience, number three. All will become clear." Dark Chef replied simply.
"But the Necronomicon contains dark spells, used for brain control and evil spirit housing." Abyssion pressed.
"Do you not trust lord Dark Chef, Abyssion?" Remiel, who was just passing by, asked innocently.
"Ofcourse I do! If I didn't, I wouldn't have let him have the book in the first place!" Abyssion snapped.
"Then be quiet and let me do my work." Dark Chef said simply.
Both Remiel and Abyssion walked off to help Kuchinawa, who had just slipped down the stairs and got himself flattened under the table. Ernie, meanwhile, watched the Dark Chef draw strange symbols on the ground all around the seal altar.
"Yes… This is it! The preparations are completed!" with a wide grin, the Dark Chef turned to face his subordinates. "Let's get this ritual over with!"
"Ritual?" Yuan asked, looking up.
"Uhm… Did I say ritual? I meant to say ceremony." Dark Chef said quickly.
"Oh, okay." Yuan smiled and got to his feet, throwing the empty coffee mug over his shoulder.
"Gather round, minions. Gather round." Dark Chef beckoned the Eliminators closer and hopped back to stand on the altar.
There was a faint moment of chaos as everyone gathered in a circle before Sixurc's leader. The dinner table lay forgotten at the bottom of the stairs.
"We have gathered here tonight to welcome Yuan as a new member of Sixurc, and grant him the title of Eliminator. Yuan, if you would join me up on this non-suspicious altar…"
"Sure!" Yuan clambered onto the seal altar as well to stand next to the Dark Chef.
"Now, I will make it official with the traditional handing of the spatula."
"Traditional handing of the whatnow?" The other Eliminators exclaimed.
The Dark Chef held out his abnormally large spatula to Yuan, who glanced at it with wide eyes.
"Really? I can hold it now?" he asked eagerly.
"Oh, that's unfair! We never got to hold lord Dark Chef's spatula!" Abyssion shouted.
"I did." Remiel spoke with a smug grin.
"You did not!" Abyssion glared at him.
"Yes I did. Once. It was wonderful."
"You're bluffing!"
"Nuh-uh!"
Dark Chef sighed, rubbing his temples to stop an oncoming headache. Sometimes, it was hard to be an emissary of darkness and work with such imbeciles.
((Hahahah, oh man. Sixurc is still too much fun. But anywhooo... Traditional handing of the spatula, eh? Wondering what that means? You'll find out next chapter! If you dare! Muahahahahahah!))