Chapter 15: Rushing Water Stained With Blood
Dalton clung to Reiketsu nerviously as Akumu stepped into the open. Akumu narrowed his blood-red eyes as he scowled at the two.
"One of you two must have the book. Give it to me. Now." Akumu snarled. Rei took a step forward.
"If we had it, we wouldn't give it to YOU." Rei growled. Akumu looked angry.
"You lie!" He snarled. Akumu sent a blast of magic at them both, knocking them unconcious. roughly, he and the two vanished into the night.
"Where's Dalton?" Serra looked around as Doreen, Masa, and Mune finished their reunion. Everyone glanced around.
"Lady Reiketsu has gone as well." Frog said, getting up. Serra, Lucca, and Crono got to their feet.
"We'll have to look for them." Serra said calmly. Frog nodded. Crono quickly indicated he would come.
"I'll come too." Lucca said, calmly. Frog shook his head.
"Nay, Lady Lucca, we shouldst have one person here to defend the Shelter." Frog said. Lucca nodded, and sat down. The trio stepped outside and Serra suddenly took a whiff.
"Dalton went this way. I can smell it." She said. Frog nodded.
"I canst detect Lady Reiketsu hath been down this path as well." Frog said. Quickly, they both started following the trail. Crono sighed and followed.
Upon reaching the rock Rei had been talking to Dalton on, Frog looked around. Serra flicked an ear as well.
"Wh...wh...Where doth be the lady Reiketsu!?" Frog asked in alarm. Serra shook her head.
"Dalton's gone too. And the trail ends here." Serra snorted. "But... I smell that brat from before."
"That lad Akumu? How couldst he...?"
"I'm picking up on some magical residue. What ever he did, their long gone." Serra growled. Frog nearly blew up on the spot in anger, except for Crono holding him back.
"That knave! He shallt taste the steel of my blade shouldst Reiketsu be injured!" Frog snarled. Crono sighed, holding the irate knight at bay. Serra shrugged.
"Only if I don't blast him for laying a hand on my son, first, frog-man." Serra shrugged. Crono didn't even bother keeping Frog from thuroughly explaining to Serra in a cool rational manner that if she called him a frogman again, he would be happy to remove her tounge. Granted, this was due to his wonderful mood, but that is beside the point.
If Frog had any idea what Akumu was doing to Rei, he's probably have lost all sense of rationale and probably have killed Akumu on the spot. The lad paceed in front of Rei, who he had chained onto a wall for his interrogation. This suited Akumu just fine, as he could easily land a killing blow if he so wished. But for now, he needed her alive. Killing her would come later, after he had some "fun" with "results".
"Where is it?" Akumu growled. Rei sniffed.
"I wouldn't tell you if I knew." She snorted. Akumu narrowed his eyes.
"I suggest you not play games if you value your life. Where is it?" Akumu repeated. Rei snorted.
"Screw you." She snarled. Akumu reared back and gave her a painful blast of magic that smacked her in the fash. Blood trickled down a gash it created on her cheek, and her face stung badly. Whatever it was spell-wise, it felt like a sword with salt, and lemon juice on it, and hurt like a bitch.
"Tell me where it is!!" Akumu snarled. Rei narrowed her eyes. Time to get nasty.
"If I knew, I wouldn't tell YOU. But for a Zaleian, your pretty much a damn idiot, aren't you, TOTTEI? If you remembered anything about Zale, you'd recall that it was in the library. But gee, too bad the library was destroyed, huh? The book, if we're lucky, went with it. It doesn't belong in the hands of someone who's forsaken the village laws, forsaken the honor the ancestors attempted to establish after Zeal, and the ideals of Zale. Your nothing but a damn TRAITOR. The Ancestors and the Elders would be shamed to see you now." Rei snarled. Akumu snarled, and lashed out with a blast of magic. Rei took it, growling, as she felt a gash on her left arm start bleeding and a smaller one of her right arm form as well. Akumu's Shadow magic was strong, but she had to be stronger. This magic was strong, but Rei sensed that Akumu was holding back. Shit, could her day get any worse? Rei drifted in and out of conciousness as she felt herself hit the ground, then get dragged to the prison below. She was thrown into a cell, and it was locked. If she didn't get even a Tonic soon, Rei had a feeling it might all end. Very rapidly. She shifted slightly to see Dalton coming over.
"What happened?" He asked, scared. Rei patted his head with her right hand. She couldn't feel her left one. Not good.
"I just got knocked around a little, kid." Rei said. Dalton looked nervious, then reached in his pocket and removed a much-needed Tonic. Rei blinked, wondering how he'd gotten it.
"Where did you...?" Rei blinked. Dalton handed her the Tonic which she drained gratefully.
"A weird man with white skin and blue hair.. He's all in purple and stuff. He had pointy ears, and red eyes, and, he said he was going to get someone to beat Akumu up." Dalton said. Rei stared at him, then sat up.
"Oh wonderful. We've got that twat Magus around doing Lord-knows-what, and a psycho with over-powerful Shadow Magic ready to blast us both if he doesn't get what he wants. What's next, dragons?" Rei grumbled. Dalton blinked and sniffled, crawling into Rei's lap. he took he hand and looked up, into her face. Rei blinked.
"Miss Reiketsu, please don't leave me all alone, here. I'm scared. The bad people scare me. Please don't leave me alone. I wanna see Mother again. Please stay with me." Dalton pleaded. Rei looked down at the boy. He was ten, isn't that what Serra had said when they had been setting up the Shelter? She was his age when she lost her home and family. She looked at him. Yes... He had the same pleading look she did when she asked for her life, which, unlike so many others who begged for it, had been granted. He was frightened, as frightened as she had been. He didn't deserve to be in a situation like this. Rei smiled.
"OK. I won't leave you alone. No matter what, I'll be right here until we escape if you need me. Don't let them scare you." Rei smiled. Dalton smiled back and burrowed against her body for comfort. Rei glanced up as the door opened, and Akumu walked in with a disgusted expression. Rei growled, but Akumu merely used a spell to pin her against the wall as he pulled Dalton away. Rei snarled, wishing she could conjure up an Ice spell. But she didn't know if she could. Dalton whimpered and tried ascaped. Akumu slapped him.
"Shut up, boy!" Akumu snarled. "I have... Plans... For you."
Rei spouted a thread of profanities at Akumu as he dragged Dalton away.
Dalton clung to Reiketsu nerviously as Akumu stepped into the open. Akumu narrowed his blood-red eyes as he scowled at the two.
"One of you two must have the book. Give it to me. Now." Akumu snarled. Rei took a step forward.
"If we had it, we wouldn't give it to YOU." Rei growled. Akumu looked angry.
"You lie!" He snarled. Akumu sent a blast of magic at them both, knocking them unconcious. roughly, he and the two vanished into the night.
"Where's Dalton?" Serra looked around as Doreen, Masa, and Mune finished their reunion. Everyone glanced around.
"Lady Reiketsu has gone as well." Frog said, getting up. Serra, Lucca, and Crono got to their feet.
"We'll have to look for them." Serra said calmly. Frog nodded. Crono quickly indicated he would come.
"I'll come too." Lucca said, calmly. Frog shook his head.
"Nay, Lady Lucca, we shouldst have one person here to defend the Shelter." Frog said. Lucca nodded, and sat down. The trio stepped outside and Serra suddenly took a whiff.
"Dalton went this way. I can smell it." She said. Frog nodded.
"I canst detect Lady Reiketsu hath been down this path as well." Frog said. Quickly, they both started following the trail. Crono sighed and followed.
Upon reaching the rock Rei had been talking to Dalton on, Frog looked around. Serra flicked an ear as well.
"Wh...wh...Where doth be the lady Reiketsu!?" Frog asked in alarm. Serra shook her head.
"Dalton's gone too. And the trail ends here." Serra snorted. "But... I smell that brat from before."
"That lad Akumu? How couldst he...?"
"I'm picking up on some magical residue. What ever he did, their long gone." Serra growled. Frog nearly blew up on the spot in anger, except for Crono holding him back.
"That knave! He shallt taste the steel of my blade shouldst Reiketsu be injured!" Frog snarled. Crono sighed, holding the irate knight at bay. Serra shrugged.
"Only if I don't blast him for laying a hand on my son, first, frog-man." Serra shrugged. Crono didn't even bother keeping Frog from thuroughly explaining to Serra in a cool rational manner that if she called him a frogman again, he would be happy to remove her tounge. Granted, this was due to his wonderful mood, but that is beside the point.
If Frog had any idea what Akumu was doing to Rei, he's probably have lost all sense of rationale and probably have killed Akumu on the spot. The lad paceed in front of Rei, who he had chained onto a wall for his interrogation. This suited Akumu just fine, as he could easily land a killing blow if he so wished. But for now, he needed her alive. Killing her would come later, after he had some "fun" with "results".
"Where is it?" Akumu growled. Rei sniffed.
"I wouldn't tell you if I knew." She snorted. Akumu narrowed his eyes.
"I suggest you not play games if you value your life. Where is it?" Akumu repeated. Rei snorted.
"Screw you." She snarled. Akumu reared back and gave her a painful blast of magic that smacked her in the fash. Blood trickled down a gash it created on her cheek, and her face stung badly. Whatever it was spell-wise, it felt like a sword with salt, and lemon juice on it, and hurt like a bitch.
"Tell me where it is!!" Akumu snarled. Rei narrowed her eyes. Time to get nasty.
"If I knew, I wouldn't tell YOU. But for a Zaleian, your pretty much a damn idiot, aren't you, TOTTEI? If you remembered anything about Zale, you'd recall that it was in the library. But gee, too bad the library was destroyed, huh? The book, if we're lucky, went with it. It doesn't belong in the hands of someone who's forsaken the village laws, forsaken the honor the ancestors attempted to establish after Zeal, and the ideals of Zale. Your nothing but a damn TRAITOR. The Ancestors and the Elders would be shamed to see you now." Rei snarled. Akumu snarled, and lashed out with a blast of magic. Rei took it, growling, as she felt a gash on her left arm start bleeding and a smaller one of her right arm form as well. Akumu's Shadow magic was strong, but she had to be stronger. This magic was strong, but Rei sensed that Akumu was holding back. Shit, could her day get any worse? Rei drifted in and out of conciousness as she felt herself hit the ground, then get dragged to the prison below. She was thrown into a cell, and it was locked. If she didn't get even a Tonic soon, Rei had a feeling it might all end. Very rapidly. She shifted slightly to see Dalton coming over.
"What happened?" He asked, scared. Rei patted his head with her right hand. She couldn't feel her left one. Not good.
"I just got knocked around a little, kid." Rei said. Dalton looked nervious, then reached in his pocket and removed a much-needed Tonic. Rei blinked, wondering how he'd gotten it.
"Where did you...?" Rei blinked. Dalton handed her the Tonic which she drained gratefully.
"A weird man with white skin and blue hair.. He's all in purple and stuff. He had pointy ears, and red eyes, and, he said he was going to get someone to beat Akumu up." Dalton said. Rei stared at him, then sat up.
"Oh wonderful. We've got that twat Magus around doing Lord-knows-what, and a psycho with over-powerful Shadow Magic ready to blast us both if he doesn't get what he wants. What's next, dragons?" Rei grumbled. Dalton blinked and sniffled, crawling into Rei's lap. he took he hand and looked up, into her face. Rei blinked.
"Miss Reiketsu, please don't leave me all alone, here. I'm scared. The bad people scare me. Please don't leave me alone. I wanna see Mother again. Please stay with me." Dalton pleaded. Rei looked down at the boy. He was ten, isn't that what Serra had said when they had been setting up the Shelter? She was his age when she lost her home and family. She looked at him. Yes... He had the same pleading look she did when she asked for her life, which, unlike so many others who begged for it, had been granted. He was frightened, as frightened as she had been. He didn't deserve to be in a situation like this. Rei smiled.
"OK. I won't leave you alone. No matter what, I'll be right here until we escape if you need me. Don't let them scare you." Rei smiled. Dalton smiled back and burrowed against her body for comfort. Rei glanced up as the door opened, and Akumu walked in with a disgusted expression. Rei growled, but Akumu merely used a spell to pin her against the wall as he pulled Dalton away. Rei snarled, wishing she could conjure up an Ice spell. But she didn't know if she could. Dalton whimpered and tried ascaped. Akumu slapped him.
"Shut up, boy!" Akumu snarled. "I have... Plans... For you."
Rei spouted a thread of profanities at Akumu as he dragged Dalton away.