Disclaimer: Trinity Blood and its characters do not belong to me.
Author's Note: After a VERY IRRESPONSIBLY LONG TIME TAKEN TO COME UP WITH THIS UPDATE, hello!!:D
-murmurs in the background, and stones come hurling themselves at the author's face-
I know, I know!!! I'm so sorry, a thousand apologies! Really, how can anyone in SAM have a life? I've been suffering from all those endless assignments, tests and exams, GOD! Thank god it's halfway over… And yes, I'm really sorry for the delay, but don't worry, this story won't ever be on hiatus or left uncompleted. If not, you can kill me for that. Jhanna knows exactly where I live on the globe, so she'll give you a good clue to where my room is on Google maps, and yup, I'll receive the adequate punishment:(
Ookay, for this chapter, we're in Aswan (Egypt), people. Abel and Ion have become gracious acquaintances and Cain is lurking out there, rotting in his insane jealousy…
The song I chose would be Wishmaster, sung by Nightwish. Actually, I don't get this song, but it's haunting, and it suited the atmosphere, yupyup:)
//
Distant sigh from a lonely heart
"I'll be with you soon, my Shalafi"
Grey Havens my destiny
-Wishmaster by Nightwish-
//
And the song of this chapter will be Omoide Aruki, sung by Psycho le Cemu.
Silver and Blond
Chapter 28: Futari omoide aruki hitori oikakeru kedo
(You and I walk with reminisces, I'm running after your memory)
//
//
Abel and Ion arrived at Aswan in the early morning. The citizens still had not risen from their sleep, though a few beggars were seen to be assembling themselves by the roadside, hoping upon the mercy of the ones who were able to save them from starvation.
Ion looked around the city, and found himself unconsciously frowning at Abel's back. The garnet-eyed Methuselah had not yet fully believed that Cain lurked within the very buildings of Aswan. The small city seemed so peaceful, the community living their lives in unspoilt bliss. Ion could not believe that there had been already two murders of young girls that happened in the city. The whole atmosphere seemed a little too relaxed, for some reason.
Abel and Ion had been in Luxor when they first heard of the incident. During their travels, many had glanced at the both of them, wondering why a young Methuselah aristocrat would choose to travel with a Catholic priest.
However, the people seemed to have been informed of the help given by the Vatican to ensure the Empress' safety. Their glares at Abel lessened after a few moments of conversation. Asking around did not bring as much help, as Ion would have expected.
If Ion had had his way, he would have chosen to journey to Turkey, Algeria, or even to Russia. But Abel had been affirmative that Cain was still in Egypt. When they had been in Alexandria, the both of them had scouted through the fallen buildings, searching the ruins. Ion tried his best to smell Cain out, and he did not quite succeed, for Crusniks appeared to leave no scent behind, though Ion could identify a Crusnik from a crowd of Methuselahs or Terrans if only he was close enough to smell the Crusnik out.
While searching, Abel apparently had discovered a white feather, and a piece of torn white material, violently ripped out by a person's hand. A large circle of dried blood had been seen on the floor, and as the strange odour drifted up to Ion's nose, it truly smelt of a Crusnik. Only then had Abel explained that the nanomachines within their bodies emitted the strange odour. Their findings had proved that Cain had been in Alexandria. But Ion was unsure whether or not Cain remained in Egypt.
"He cannot travel so far, Ion-sama. He is badly wounded," Abel had said to Ion, while the latter mouthed silently behind Abel, so you think.
They had been browsing the marketplace of Luxor, seemingly searching for a few household items, but in reality, their sharp hearing picked up the bits and pieces of gossip the people threw about in their morning conversations.
"But he's like you," Ion said incredulously. "You can do anything, Nightroad-sama, even if you're wounded," Ion pressed.
For some reason, being in Luxor made him restless, as they brought back memories of Radu and him wandering through the city, enjoying the time they spent together as foster brothers. After Radu's death, Luxor had been passed over to another noble to govern. Ion felt the fleeting pain of memory each time his eyes passed over a familiar spot.
"Even then, a serious loss of blood can do much damage to us," Abel explained slowly, his voice deep and convincing.
Ion could not help noticing how much Abel had changed after his revival. His playful manner that he had displayed during the times when he and Esther had been assigned to carry out their duties in the Empire had disappeared into thin air. Not a single trace of it was left.
Making Abel smile was equally as tough as making a large bolder move. It was trying, and the efforts were often fruitless. Ion found himself wanting the company of a person who could make Abel happy, or for a dangerous situation to grab hold of his diminishing attention and to erase the unpleasant thoughts from his mind.
Abel suddenly touched Ion's shoulder, and when the latter looked at him, his blue eyes seemed to be fixed on two women who were a few feet in front of them, their hands punctuating gestures as fast as their mouths moved as they spoke. Ion's sharp hearing caught a drift of the sentence the elder of the two ladies was saying.
"…daughter was killed in cold blood. The poor girl had been sleeping, and you could imagine the expression on my sister's face when she saw that the only girl in the family had been killed so brutally," the elder lady said most vividly, her face full of grief. The younger one touched her arm softly, as if to comfort her friend.
"I'm so sorry, Neya. But killed like a Terran, you say?" inquired the younger lady. The elder's eyes widened with fright.
"Oh yes, her throat was slashed open, and her body was completely devoid of blood." Ion watched as Abel's face paled with each word they both heard. Before Abel could even frown, thinking of the location of the murder, the elder woman was speaking once more.
"I must hurry over to Aswan, and to think that nothing has been done even after my niece is the second victim-"
"The second victim? You mean there was a first?" exclaimed the younger lady incredulously. By that time, Abel and Ion had had enough. They had quickly weaved their way through the crowd, desperate to reach Aswan in time.
Now, back in Aswan, Ion and Abel had been touring the city, searching for clues. Some of the residents had already awakened, and were now going about on their daily chores. Abel had approached a beggar and given him a coin, in exchange for the information regarding the murders of two girls. Ion listened half heartedly, but when the beggar suddenly mentioned that the two girls had red hair, Ion turned sharply towards the beggar. Abel, on the other hand, had gone as white as a sheet.
"Red hair?" Abel echoed slowly. The beggar nodded as quickly as he could.
"Aye, sir. Both of them had red hair, pretty girls at that. Strange enough, they had no blood left in their body anymore when they were discovered. The parents, of course, being parents, couldn't sleep for days. They've gotten pretty close by now," said the beggar, lifting his hand a little to point out two women to Abel and Ion.
The mothers of the two girls had the same sick sorrow written on their faces, and the same look that a person wore when they had recently witnessed a terrible horror or calamity. Abel felt his heart go out to them, even if he had no idea whom they were. Abel was about to turn to the beggar to ask more questions when a scream suddenly pierced the air.
Ion, Abel and the beggar turned their heads sharply to look at the bedraggled woman who ran through the streets, her eyes streaming with tears, her expression horrified. She ran past everyone on the street, not caring if she knocked him or her aside.
"My daughter! Sala has been murdered by the Hell's Angel!" she cried out. Abel looked at the beggar questioningly. The beggar then leaned forward to whisper into Abel's ear.
"The murderer of those two girls. We call him that here because every time, he leaves behind a white feather beside the body of the girl he's murdered," said the beggar. Just as Abel was about to pull away, the beggar held him firm by his coat. "My good sir, forgive me, but I do hope that those high-and-mighty people from the Central Government have sent you here to remedy this situation.
"It's been three months now, and three young girls have already been murdered. No word has arrived from Byzantium, but I sure hope they've sent you and your young friend there," spoke the old man, nudging his head in Ion's direction. The Methuselah stared at him fiercely, angry that he could treat Abel in such fashion.
However, Abel looked straight into the beggar's eyes and announced his affirmative. "I am here to stop the murderer," he said truthfully. In his eyes, he could only imagine the insane smile on Cain's face, and the blood trailing down from his open mouth, staining the whiteness of his spacesuit. The beggar looked pleased.
"Don't you know that beggars are the ones who know almost everything what happens in a place? I tell you what; I knew Sala and her mother, that poor lady who ran down the street just now, very well. They were decent people. And I knew those two dead girls as well. And I tell you they bear a certain resemblance.
"Of course, their faces aren't the same, no sir, but they've got the same features, you know. Taka and Ippa had brown eyes and red hair, so did Sala. I'm sure of this, sir. I've watched them for a long time, since that's the only thing I can do. I'm guessing that the idiot who's playing around has this pattern, sir.
"I don't know why he does it to these redheads with brown eyes, but when I tell it to those fools who're supposedly protecting our city, they chased me out of the office, said I was a mad old man who didn't know what came out of his mouth. I hope you'll prove to them their obvious idiocy."
The beggar finally let go of Abel, who could not even form words to speak. Ion took charge, though when the beggar saw him, he cackled throatily. "So, sonny, listen to your elders next time, will you?" he laughed at Ion. Before Ion could even react, Abel had pulled him away to avoid a commotion.
Ion was still fuming, though when he saw how pale Abel's face was, he kept his grumbles to himself and focused on the information the beggar had informed them. Abel dragged the both of them to a secluded corner as the sun started to rise and the marketplace became even more crowded. People's voices were raised, the main topic regarding Sala's death the night before.
"Red hair and brown eyes?" Ion asked Abel. "Could it be that he's trying to murder people like Esther?" Ion thought of her vibrant red hair, but frowned when he remembered the deep blue of her eyes. Abel had shaken his head at Ion's question.
"No, not Esther," he told Ion. When the latter raised an eyebrow at him, Abel added very solemnly, "Lilith." Ion looked even more flabbergasted than before. He had stopped in his movements, but quickly recovered and stepped closer to Abel.
"Who is she?" he demanded, but not rudely. The priest seemed to be lost in his thoughts, the sky blue of his eyes turning a slight grey as they clouded over. Abel could visibly remember the soft brown eyes of Lilith, big and understanding, and he remembered the deep red of her long, flowing hair. Then, he thought of Cain and his unleashed insanity.
Was this the trail Cain referred to; bodies of young girls with red hair and brown eyes? Abel felt his heart crack at the cruelty of fate placed upon those three girls, for they were killed because of what they were, and what they could not help being. Abel's anger at Cain resurfaced. However, he kept his emotions in check, and found that the Methuselah's eyes were still on him, awaiting an explanation.
"Was." Abel corrected Ion in a soft voice. "The woman I loved most in this world. So did Cain," Abel finally said, deciding to tell the truth. "He killed her."
A long, uncomfortable silence passed between him and Ion, where Abel looked down and Ion's eyes widened with realisation. But then, confusion welled up in Ion just as an idea floated into Abel's mind. Ion moved faster, and spoke sooner before Abel could do so.
"Nightroad-sama, how cou" Ion began, but Abel cut him off as politely as he could.
"Ion-sama, do forgive me, but I need to speak to that beggar again. It's a matter of utmost urgency," Abel said quickly, and made his way to the crowd to the spot where the old man sat. Ion felt as though someone had just doused him with cold water for no reason. Realising that it would not bring a single good with each second he remained in the corner alone, Ion followed Abel's path, finding Abel talking to the beggar.
"Redheads with brown eyes? You're taking my words seriously, are you sir? That's all right I could point them out. Surprisingly enough, Aswan has many brown-eyed redheads, strange enough. Are you sure you don't want to see the blondes, sir? They're comely, and the killer might-" paused the beggar in his flow of words, seeing that Abel had shaken his head so fiercely, and Ion looked at the old man meaningfully.
"Sorry, sir. Oh, you've come just at the right time, you see that pretty girl at the store on the left corner?" asked the beggar, pointing to a tall girl wearing a red dress, picking at bracelets. Abel assessed her. True enough, she had brown eyes and red hair, but she did not resemble Lilith. He shook his head at the beggar who browsed the crowd once more.
He touched Abel's shoulder gently, and Abel fixed his gaze upon another petite girl with red ringlets for her hair and whose warm brown eyes sparkled with childish innocence. Abel shook his head once more, and Ion could not help repressing a sigh. He had no idea who Lilith was, or why Abel was so vividly troubled when he reacted to the beggar's words. The beggar hunted around once more about the crowd, absently muttering, "Where is she? She's normally out early, but perhaps today's a little different."
Ion's eyes rested on the second girl, and unconsciously smiled back when she gave him a sweet smile. She was very pretty, he had to admit, but somehow, Esther's face floated into his mind, and he found himself averting his eyes away from the red haired girl. Ion felt Abel's hand on his shoulder, and he saw that Abel was looking at a person in the crowd.
When Ion looked to where Abel's eyes were centred, a young woman with red hair came into view. She was not pretty, but beautiful, with her free red hair rippling down her back, her eyes deep brown and watchful. The way she moved was graceful, accentuating her slender form. Seeing the way Abel's eyes had not wavered from the third girl, who had just touched womanhood, the beggar began to talk.
"Ah yes, that's Kalmia. Extremely stunning, isn't she? Just turned three hundred, by the way. Not a single man in this city can resist looking at her. And I take it that you're captivated, sir." Abel finally tore his eyes from Kalmia, and stared into the beggar's eyes.
"You're not an ordinary beggar. You know too much," said Abel, dropping three coins into the begging bowl, as the beggar's eyes glittered at the sight of money. Then, the wrinkled old man gave a throaty laugh.
"Well, if you must now, I've been around for quite some time. I was one of those who used to live in Alexandria during its prime. Now, things have changed a lot, I see. I'm too tired to make an honest living, so I choose to watch over this city and its peaceful people. You know, sir, you're not an ordinary priest from the Vatican either. You're different, somehow." The beggar looked at Abel up and down, and turned his eyes to Ion. The Methuselah found the beggar smiling at him.
"I've got someplace else to be right now. If you'll excuse me, good sir, I'll be on my way." Ion received the knowing stare of the beggar, who muttered lowly under his breath, "Your Lordship," before rushing away at a breathtaking speed. Abel raised his eyebrows, wondering how the doddering old man could move at such a speed and knew Ion's true identity. He must have been very old, concluded Abel.
Abel slowly stood up and browsed the bustling marketplace. It was now noisy with people's voices demanding bargains, social talks, and the merry voices of children. Ion had even taken some time to look longingly to one of the food stalls. Feeling guilty, Abel was about to suggest a visit when his eyes came into contact with the same sky blue shade of one of the many people in the crowd.
Cain, his mind whispered, but when he retraced the same place he had seen the eyes identical to his, no one stood in that place anymore. Ion had rushed to Abel's side, his senses alert.
"Nightroad-sama, he was here, I smelled him out," said Ion in a low voice. Abel nodded slowly.
"He saw me, Ion-sama. He knows we are here, and he will strike soon."
The both of them stood amongst the crowd of the marketplace, staring at the empty spot that Cain had occupied recently. The crowd suddenly seemed to thin down, and Abel saw that all of them were heading the same way. Gripping Ion's arm lightly, Abel followed their movements.
A crowd seemed to have gathered around a young woman who spoke in urgent tones. She seemed to be talking about a grave matter, judging by the seriousness written on her face. Abel politely made his way to the front and gave a respectful bow to the maid before listening to her.
"I saw the Hell's Angel. He was running away from the House of Riet when we came across each other in the street," said she. The woman seemed to have noticed Abel, and looked at his eyes for one moment, frowning as she did so, before focusing them on the crowd once more.
"He wore this white suit, stainless, save for a few red patterns on them. I could not see his face, for it was covered by a black cape." Hearing this piece of information, the crowd gave uproar, and one man loudly demanded a search for the man who wore such clothing. The woman said nothing more, and the crowd slowly began to disperse. As Abel was about to turn to leave, he heard her whisper very faintly, "Wait."
As soon as they both were the only ones standing in the clearing, save for Ion a few feet away, the woman came very close to Abel, staring sceptically at Ion.
"He's a friend," Abel excused him, and the young woman seemed reassured. She took a breath before speaking.
"Are you here to help us?" she asked him hopefully. He gave her a small smile, and nodded.
"I've never seen you or your friend there before," she glanced at Ion briefly. "But I don't care who the government back in Byzantium sends, as long as we can sleep peacefully at night. I was walking down the street last night because my mistress sent me on a random errand that was to fetch her shawl that she had left behind in one of the shops she visited.
"I had already fetched the shawl, and I used a shortcut through an alley to reach to my mistress' house quickly, as I'm not too fond of walking at night alone. I saw this blur streak of white coming towards me, and I remained rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. For some reason when he saw me, he slowed down as though to look at me. I only saw his eyes, but I could not see the rest of his face. It was covered."
"Can you tell me what colour his eyes were?" Abel asked, despite knowing the answer. He only sought her confession, which would ultimately confirm his suspicion. Ion had stood by his side, and listened to what the maid had said. The maid locked gazes with Abel quickly, and then looked wildly around the three of them, as though fearing that people could hear what she was about to say. She leaned very closely to Abel, their faces nearly touching.
"His eyes were exactly like yours," she whispered. She then pulled away and waved her arms at him. "No disrespect intended, sir, I know you're not the one, but I don't know how it is, his eyes cross between silver and a bright blue like the sky, and I'm certain they resemble yours closely. But you're good a person, sir, I know it instinctively," said she, and she touched the place above her heart briefly. "Please deliver us from this evil, sir. I don't know who else will."
With that, the maid scampered off, leaving Ion and Abel standing very still after her departure. Ion was the first one to recover, and he stepped close to Abel, his eyes demanding answers. Abel only took in a deep breath and looked up at the sky, his eyes very much the same shade that was painted above.
"Cain Knightlord is proven to be the murderer. He has watched us from the marketplace, and he will strike tonight."
