Chapter 25: 20 Questions

With one last flash of his white teeth he asked me, "So...are you game?"

I looked at his outstretched hand for a long while before clasping it with my own, "I'm game," I answered firmly despite my unease.

Skovik nodded, "Then I'll go first, have you gotten laid yet?"

I sputtered, and almost slip away from the rock I sat from losing my balance, my face must have been flushed red like a tomato, "Wha...whu...what kind of questions is that?" I was sure my mortified face was the one that causing him to grin annoyingly wide.

Instead of answering, he threw another knife and the tensions thicken once more when the muffled cry came again and Hisui had a blood dripping from her cheek. "Oh, you didn't answer so you should have seen that one coming. Even bringing out a question that's not your turn yet. I should have thrown two for your violations but since this is only the first round, I'll be lenient."

I gritted my teeth and glared harshly at him, but Skovik was not perturbed by it, he seemed to relish it instead.

"Alright, my turn again. What...is the capital of Republic of Stella?"

"The Unique Region of Regulus" I answered promptly, this time not deterred by the strange contracts of shifted subject from one very personal to a general one. "My turn, what is your motive in kidnapping the Princess?"

"Straight to the point eh? Well, money obviously. How much do you think the Princess would be worth? Millions surely."

I narrowed my eyes at him, the knife in my hand was shown to him in silent threat.

"Oh, okay. You caught me. I've been hired okay. To kidnap the princess and draw you out in this farce."

"What for?"

"Nuh uh uh, my turn now. Who's your first love? Come on, you're 16, you must have one."

It took everything in me not to barked out "None of your business!" it's clear to me, his flippant attitude was to thinned my barrier from personal questions he attacked me with. Questions I do not care for the same with him. My nose breathed out strongly before I answered, "Her name...is Helena Stone."

The sound of her name uttered once more on my mouth cause a hitch in my tone, and it was not missed by him as his eyebrow raised in interest. I could have lied but the lie isn't worth the risk for the princess with this psycho leading this game.

"Oh...I suspect she's as beautiful as her name implies?"

"Sorry, it's my turn now and I'll reiterate, what is the purpose of this 'farce' you seemed to call?"

Instead of answering, Skovik took out his knife and I had suspect he was about throw it at Hisui just because I ask the wrong question, but instead he stab his shoulder blade with it, causing me to gawk at him in disbelief. This guy is a lunatic!

"Since I didn't answer, I thought I would save you the trouble."

"No need. Because next time, I'll make sure to stab you in the most sensitive part of your body so you better not mess with me," I warned him and my promised finally made him nervous.

"Noted," said Skovik, "Then here's my next question, hmm...should I ask more about that first love of yours that pique my curiousity or should I ask about how ….

"The answer to that would be butt out of my business."

Skovik was confused at first but then realization dawned on his face, "Aaah...I see what you did there. Clever. Not as clever as me, but still- clever."

"My turn then, if you can't tell me what then tell me why you're doing this?"

"Ah, the why. Good question to point out. Well, to answer, first I must tell you the story of a young genius boy who lived his life in a small town. He believed that the simple villager life wasn't him for he knew the gift his mind had and once he set out to learn more-"

"Cut the origin story Skovik and get to the point."

"Fine. I want to make my own evil empire and get rich beyond ny wildest dream. Is that to the point enough for you?"

"Very. It cuts the monologuing enough for me not to wax my ear afterward."

"You talk as if you hear evil or background monologue for a living."

'You have no idea…' I thought, but did not encourage him by answering.

"Then next is my turn, let's see...ah there's one I'm honestly curious about. Why did you come?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, why did you immediately came for the Princess? Is it because of the reward you'll get? Or is it patriotism? Do you love your country that much? Love! Is it love? She's 12, almost 13 and already I can see she's going to be a beaut someday."

There was a long pause as I assessed how serious about his question and found that despite the light tone, his question was one of pure curiosity. Which makes him that much of a lunatic to me, "You're even more mad than I am." I voiced out.

"That's out of the blue but thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Ah, but there's only but a thin line between a genius and a insanity but we're getting off topic. Now answer the question."

"Obviously because you kidnap her!"

"What do I have to do with this? I never met you in my life."

"Not you. The kidnapping!"

"Ah, do you have some sort of sentiment with kidnapping? Were you kidnap in the past? Was someone close to you kidnapped?"

"What? No!" Ugh, talking with him is beginning to feel irritating. Why can't this guy gets it? For a supposed wise guy, he's an idiot. "You did something wrong and the princess needed help because of it and I'm giving it to you? Is that clear enough for you?"

Skovik blinked, looking like a man who had been given the world's most complicated puzzle. Ever so slowly he pointed his finger at me and drawled out the conclusion he made, "So what you're saying is... you gave help...just because?"

"Uh...duh? Do you even need asking?"

Skovik stared long and hard again before bursting out laughing, "That's not possible." Okay, he's beyond irritating now. Who is he to say about my feelings, but before I could refute him he began to analyze what my feelings actually are. "No, no. People don't just help without a reason. That's a contradiction to human nature. You just don't help just because. There's always a reason. You don't know what's yours is. Oh, I'm sure you do. The key is the word help, you gave when you can but there's a reason to it I'm sure. What does helping provide you? Self-satisfaction? Self-importance? Thrill from the fight, the chase, the adventure? A reason to use your magic you seem to be very fond of? Did I hit one or did I hit all?"

I wanted to deny his answer because of how much vehemently he insist that I need a reason to help people, but at the last second I thought about his conclusion and couldn't help but feel all those thing were true as well and thought it wouldn't hurt to agree with him.

"Ha! I knew it. I reveal your true for you to be a more cruel and selfish man that even I!"

"What makes you say that?" I asked calmed and smooth.

"You feel needed and have a sense of purpose when you help people. Meaning you thrive from people's pain, isn't that how it is?"

"Nope," I answered. With simple and firm tone. His words did not caused doubt or other angst feeling stirring in me. Skovik saw how unperturbed I was by his words and bubbled out incoherent words for a moment.

"Nope? Is that your answer just nope? Don't you feel any sense of shame or guilt for thriving over the pain and misery of others? To feel important and satisfied by being reverie by people you supposedly help, to amused you by letting other feel their sacrifice?"

"Why would I feel those thing when I help gave them a hand when they need one, for giving them hope, for someone to answered their prayers, for making someone happy? No, I don't feel any of those because what I feel is pride of my achievement."

"Then you wished for people to be in pain just so you could supposedly "heal" them?"

"No," again my answer was firm and short.

"But you can't have pride in helping people when there's no one to help? If you truly are a saint as you claim to be, then shouldn't you wish for a world where no one is ever harm in the first place, a utopia where people would no longer need help and forever be happy?"

I stared with eyes wide as saucer at him before throwing my head back with a laugh. Skovik seemed taken aback by my reaction, but i managed to quell down my laugh before answering him. "That is an impossible wish, you and I both know it. You believe me to be a saint, but truthfully I am not. Even a saint would laugh at you for human can not make utopia, not when we are flawed ourselves. So it is impossible for us to hurt others just as it is impossible for us not to help others. As one would crave to hurt like you, there will always be men like me who crave to help."

Skovik's cruel grin fell at my reasoning, for I think he never imagine anyone could outwit him so in a game of wit and words. His mouth flaps like a fish out of water before trying to come out a comeback.

"That's...a pessimistic view, you believe people will endlessly hurt each other?"

"Yes, just as I believe they will also endlessly help each other. It's not a point of view view as it is more of a fact of life to me. One that I had long accepted and move on from that point. We-" I pointed at the two of us, "-are prime example. You say big ambition of being rich and hold the equivalent power as a king would, but in the end you essentially hurt people because you want to and for me, I help people because I want to. It is as simple as that."

Skovik gritted his teeth, looking very much put out that he couldn't seem to dent my mind set. He knew good words and must have twisted many people from his clever use of it. Sadly, he's not the only one who's good at using words as tools and weapons for his cause.

Before any of us could say anything more, a familiar but faraway sound caught both our notice and we turned to find out in dread that a small silhouette of a train on sight.

"Looks like we'll have to cut our game short, let's hear what you have to ask."

"Tell me who you're working for!" I said in haste and straight to the point.

"That's not a question."

"But you still have to answer and you remember where I'll aim my knife if you don't," I dangle the knife in my hand once more in a display of swiftness and threw between his legs, showing him I was serious with my promise.

Skovik clicked his tongue, "Smartass."

"You're one to talk."

"Alright, alright. Not that I can say anything anything since the employer was very secretive of his identity. I don't even know who the guy is. All I know he had someone who came on his behalf to employ. Pretty sure he's from the high up if the amount of money could tell."

I scrutinized him for a moment to tell if he was lying but there's too much unknown to discern if he was and I'm not one who could read a person's face like a book that I suppose he could. I nodded, accepting his answer, and just like that he threw another knife to the Princess leg, her muffle scream made me winced.

"That was a lie by the way, you're too hesitant. Is this the extent determination of someone who helps just because? At this rate, she'll die by blood loss before the train hits her."

"Just ask your question!" I growled out.

"Tut tut, impatient you are my friend. Now what will my question be...oh yes! What do you think my end goal is? Using all this riddles, all this plans, all to lure you here, but what do you think it's for?"

I was taken off guard from this question but I didn't pause as to think of why he asked it when the sound of the blowing train was right behind me making me ask myself why he even planned all this just to play 20 Questions and briefly try to messed up my mind. Almost all were meaningless questions too. The only possible reason would be- "A distraction. There was never a purpose for this game. Other than to distract me from the main objective. Your objective is me, the Princess is the lure, the question now is what are you distracting me from and achieved from it? I don't know what you're distracting me from but I do know if I find what you're obscuring from me, I would abandon this ridiculous game and ran with the Princess on the first chance I got...somethings happening back at the mansion!" I said the last part with realization.

"Good thing you can't go back without the code for her chains," Skovik said offhandedly.

My fist tighten and it took everything for me not to punch him in the face. "I swear if anything happened to my family or anyone there, I promised you that you'll regret ever facing me."

There was a part in my words that got him surprised and made him burst out laughing, "Oh for someone so clever, you have no idea what's right in front your nose do you?"

I frowned at his question and would have press further if the train's whistling weren't so close behind me. Skovik gauge the train's distance and nodded in satisfaction. "Well, I would very much love to continue our interesting chat, but I'm afraid you have a princess to save and me to escape."

"What?! Didn't you say you would tell me the lock code for her!"

"I lied, but you're a smart kid, I'm sure you'll figure out the code."

And he reached out for his sleeve where he hid his teleport lachrima only to gape in shock when he felt nothing. He looked through his sleeve, felt his body for a round bulged, and even went as pulling out his pocket onto find nothing. The panic was set on his face and only gone pale when he found that very lachrima on my hand as I play it on my hand.

A winning smile played on my lips, "Looking for this?" I asked mockingly.

"How did you-"

"Seriously? You admit it yourself you're not a mage or a fighter while you're facing someone who's both and you don't have anything as an escape plan. You're just insulting me now."

Skovik gritted his teeth and had to forced himself to feel amused, "Well played Roy Jurenelle, I admit that you are as clever as I am - Give me the lacrima."

"Not until you tell me the lock code."

"There isn't one! You were supposed to go to her and saw it never needed one to unlock it, now give me the lacrima!" Skovik lunge at me and tried to wrestle the lacrima out of my hand, but I simply threw it to my left hand and side stepped away from him. Letting him sailed past me. I would have loved to play this game on him - making me no less like a bully - but I remembered back to the two slaves he had on hand that managed to boil rage in me. Grabbing the wrist that tries to snatch the lacrime and put strength to it that I had small satisfaction him writhing under my grip.

"Here's a question for you Skovik, what do you think is my favorite color?" I pocketed the lacrima, grabbed the small thin hair of his head and kneed him in the face, "The answer, is red." I answered him in as blood began oozing out of his broken nose.

"That's for the hell you put on Spade."

He staggered from my grip and was about to use his momentum to roll his eye from the boulder we were standing, planning now to get away as far away from me but I didn't let him the chance as I pulled on his collar and punched his bulging stomach.

"That's for the hell you've given for Zeffik."

He fell to the ground and put one of my feet to his back and the other to the side of his head and give enough force to make him scream, "And that's...for ever laying a hand on Hisui."

I miscalculate the time and was taken aback by the roaring whistle of the train the reverberates the air and made me turn to glance behind me where the ever looming train, Hisui's cry became more audible even when being muffled and that distraction was enough for Skovik to then pull up his knife and stabbed my leg.

I hissed in pain and moved away from him, but Skovik got up fast enough wrestle me down and snatch the teleport lacrima. He made a bloody grin as he raise the lacrima up in triumph but then he showed me why he wasn't a fighter in the worst possible way. The shot of pain on his face and the aftermath of his fight made him staggered, and his misplaced step didn't help showing him the deep ravine he was heading. My action came faster than words as I shot up to prevent him from taking another step to his death, but it wasn't fast enough with the knife that got stuck through my ankle holding me back and watch helplessly when his feet slipped and dawning realization came over his bloodied face before that was the last thing I saw of him, followed by the scream that became lost to the mysterious mist that clouded the deep end of the Nazuna Ravine. The lacrima had long fall to the ground and broke into pieces.

I took a quick look at the knife that was stuck, the angle showed it didn't hit anything vital. So I pulled it out while biting my lips, holding back a cry of pain, and ignoring it further when I dashed to the train tracks where the train wasn't good. Unclasped the lock and pulled the chains away from her. We both could feel the heat from the coal powered train and there was no time for me to drag her down the tracks and back to the edge of the ravine.

I looked down at the ravine and the deep stir that made my meal wanted to claw out. Instead I held the Princess hand, looked into her jade eyes and asked her, "Do you trust me?"

Hisui off course, was taken aback by the question that was almost inappropriate since we were about to die from being run over by a train, "Wha…" she managed to let out but I cut her off by asking her again in a more demanding tone, to which she hesitantly said yes.

In response to her answer, I held her hand and jumped. Dragging her along toward the ravine.

AN: And….that's it for today.

Will Roy and Hisui survived the ravine? If so, how?

Stay tune for the next chapter next week!

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PUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I'm just messing with you all, the chapter isn't done yet. I just really wanted to have a false-cliffhanger.

Anyway moving on….

The tracks rattled and train whistled loud enough to deafened anyone close in proximity, but it was more trouble in holding on to the vibrating scaffold beneath the tracks on one hand and The Princess on other, all the while waiting for the train to passed them by and ceased of any danger from it.

Once it did, with two feet and one hand, I managed to climbed back up to the tracks and with Hisui safe - kind of bruised and injured - back and the both of us fell on the floor of the tracks, relief overwhelmed us from the danger that literally passed us over. It was only when we had the energy to stand did Hisui lunge to hug me tight and cried without shame from the fear and pain the fallen on her throughout the day. I soothed her all the while by making gently rubbing her back in circle until her sobs subsided.

Afterward, we walked without much haste down the hill. The sky was dyed red and orange, showing signs it would be night soon. It was then we finally found the glimmer of signs of Fiore Knights, at full attention and ready to welcome Hisui.

What surprised me was why even the Rune Knights are here. Specifically, the 4th custody unit since the I saw the straight face of Lahar, Captain of said unit. As far as I know, the three stooges weren't mage so there was never a need to call on them and immediately, I knew something was wrong. It was further evident when I couldn't even spotted Nick among them as I had suspected him to be.

The Rune Knights went up and circled around us. They look unamused and passive as always like their captain which didn't help the queasy feeling churning in my stomach and the occasional knocked of alarm in my head that something was definitely wrong. Nevertheless, it didn't stop me wearing a placid grin on my face and exaggeratedly showcased the bruised but definitely safe Princess.

"Gentlemen, your princess has return."

In response, one of the Rune Knights quickly went up and pulled her away from me before all the Rune Knights had their spear pointed at me, followed by a Jutsu Shiki that was erected around me.

Off all things I was expecting, this wasn't it. My mind reconciled that there might be some misunderstanding, but that was quickly proven wrong with Lahar uttering this exact word; "Roy Jurenelle, for the crime of kidnapping and fabricating a crime of the Princess of Fiore, you are under arrest."

AN: Okay, now the chapter is done.

So, which one do you think is worse cliffhanger? The False one or the real one? Anyway, the next chapter would be the last chapter for the arc. Then there'll be a few chapters concerning the important point in the two years he had before he'll involve himself with canon.