Being a hero is about the
shortest-lived profession on earth.
-Will Rogers
The Mage's Tale
Chapter 7- Thou Flowing Water Pure and Clear
"He wouldn't give me back my clothes." Sage complained.
"He gave Ryo and Cye back theirs, but he wouldn't give me back mine." Rowen couldn't help but smile. Zechs not giving Sage back his normal outfit didn't bother the prince at all. The prince slowly pulled off his own royal blue cloak and wrapped it around the elf's shoulders.
"Thanks Rowen." Sage muttered, pulling the fabric tightly around himself. He was still cold from what had happened earlier, and was just happy to be out of the castle and on their way to Wisteria, which was very far away from Zechs. His lack of Magic ability confused him. What had happened to him to cause his to lose all his contact with magic? What was it that cut his ties to his own heritage? He sighed. They had to go through a forest to get to Wisteria, which was quite a relief to him, He missed this place, and it was a slight comfort compared to where he had just been.
"Kento, watch out!" Sage turned to his side as Ryo grabbed the little fairy out of the way of an oncoming arrow.
"Woah! What was that?" Kento asked, as he looked in the direction the arrow had been shot from, and his tiny eyes met those of an intense violet. Just in case, Kento turned to make sure Sage was still next to him. Apparently, the blonde was as shocked as the others were.
"Damn. So close. Damn demon. Might as well kill you too."
"Wait!" Sage exclaimed as he ran up to the tree.
"Why are you trying to hurt them?" Sage's eyes locked with a pair identical to his own.
"You, an elf, are befriended with both a demon and a fairy?" Sage quickly leapt into the tree.
"Yes I am. Your point?" It was then that Sage got a full look at the man in the tree. He was tall and slender, built very much like Sage, and had honey-brown hair and piercing violet eyes. Along with long, thin, elfin ears.
"You're an elf!" Sage exclaimed, almost losing his balance.
"And so are you, foolish child." Sage was taken aback. No one had called him a foolish child in years, though the constant taunting had been why he had left his home.
"Why were you attacking my friends?" Sage demanded to the elder elf, who laughed.
"So naïve. Fairies have been out to get rid of us for years."
"Hey! That is not true!" Kento called out from the ground, barely dodging the arrow flying towards him
"Silence!" The elf ordered as Kento shut his mouth.
"Kento has done now such thing! Never once has he tried to hurt me! Who are you to judge them?" The elf laughed shortly.
"Where are you from boy? Do you know nothing about elves?" Sage hung his head.
"Actually, my elfin father left my mother the moment I was conceived. I prefer not to think about my damned heritage." The elves eyes widened, but with a shake of his head, the expression disappeared.
"Leave the forest. You may be an elf, but you are not welcome." Sage rolled his eyes.
"Look, I'm being exiled again. This is familiar." Sage shook his head.
"I'm tired of leaving. Who are you, why are you trying to kick me out for not knowing something that I wasn't raised by, and why is it that you think that fairies are evil, as well as demons?" The elf sighed.
"I don't have time to answer your questions." The man leapt to another tree, and Sage followed.
"I'll follow you till you tell me!" Sage warned as the man sighed.
"Just like your damn mother. Persistent as hell, and only useful for looks." Sage's eyes widened.
"You know my mother?" He asked in surprise.
"You could say that." The elf stated as he leapt to another tree. Sage paid no attention to his friends who were running underneath him, trying to keep up.
"By the way, why are you wearing that? That is a disgrace to an elf." Sage blushed slightly.
"I was forced to." The elf laughed.
"What a lie. Just like your mother, legs open and willing to sleep with anything that comes by." Anger flashed in Sage's eyes as he leapt at the elf, knocking the man out of the tree and to the ground.
"Never, EVER say that about my mother!" The man laughed from underneath Sage.
"Your anger though, in not like her. That you get from me." He shoved Sage from him and took to the trees again. Sage stood in shock for a moment, before regaining his composure enough to chase after the man.
"You are my father? I'm the son of an arrogant, pig-headed, disgusting man? You're the man that impregnated my mother, and then left her to fend on her own? You're the one who gave me tainted blood that got us driven out of our home when I was but an infant? You bastard!" Rowen watched in horror. He had never seen Sage mad. And he was now glad that he had. He was also glad that he was not the one on the receiving end of the elf's anger.
"My mother was forced to raise me alone, she was insulted and tormented because of you! You ruined her life… If it weren't for you, she would be living a descent life, a life without… without me. A thorn in her side." Sage's last words faded slightly, subsiding with his anger. He had no reason to yell at this man. Sage himself was the problem, not this man. Sage was the one that had ruined his mother's life, and chance at success.
"I'm sorry…" Sage finally muttered. Rowen sighed. Sage was apologizing. Why was the blonde not able to stay mad at anyone? Why did he immediately blame himself for everything that went wrong?
"I didn't mean to lose my temper." The man laughed.
"Just like your mother. Even when the beasts of hell try to kill her, she'll apologize to them after their deaths." Sage hung his head.
"You're right. I know nothing about elves, and I have no reason to invade your forest. I… We shall leave." Sage leapt from the tree, landing gracefully. Rowen couldn't help but grin at the fact that when the blonde was falling, the cloth fluttered up leaving his very visible. Sage blushed as he landed, pulling the cloth back down and yanking the cloak Rowen had given him tightly around himself.
"By the way… son." Sage glanced up at the trees.
"Yes?"
"Nice legs, just like your mother's." Sage's eyes went wide as the elf laughed, and then was once again gone in the trees.
"Well Sage, your father's a bastard. Welcome to my world." Sage hung his head and said nothing. Rowen sighed as he wrapped one arm around Sage.
"Yeah, well the past was bound to come back to haunt you. Happens to the best of them. You just met the skeleton in your closet, and…" Sage cut him off.
"Rowen, please, be quiet. I am not in the mood to listen to you rant." Rowen was taken aback. Sage always listened to him rant.
"Well, I guess this is off to Wisteria." He stated as Sage walked ahead. Cye turned to look at Rowen.
"Just leave him be. Give him some time to get used to what just happened and understand what's going on." Rowen nodded. Cye was right.
"Well, Wisteria is to your left Sage!" He called out to the boy that was in front of him. Sage looked back, nodded slightly, and changed directions. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the large gate's covered in intricate floral designs came into view.
"This, my friends, is Wisteria!" Rowen exclaimed as he bounded up to the front of the group, smiling to Sage, and then bolting up to the gate. The minute that he noticed a tiny blonde near the gate, along with a tall brunette, His smile turned into a grin.
"Quatre!" He yelled as he ran over to the boy. The blonde smiled as well as the two engaged in a friendly embrace. Finally he pulled away, as he turned to the brunette.
"Lord Trowa!" He was about to hug the taller boy, but thought better of it and simply shook the boy's hand. Finally, the others made it to the gate where Rowen had run ahead to, and Quatre took the time to introduce himself to each of them. He paused on Sage for a brief moment, and the blonde blushed, well aware that his clothes were why he was being stated at.
"Quatre, it's not what it looks like. We had a run in with Zechs." Quatre nodded in understanding.
"Well, why don't I take you back to the castle and get you some new clothes?" Sage nodded, bowing slightly.
"That would be lovely, milord." Quatre smiled.
"No use calling me lord if you're friends with one." Sage shrugged as Quatre took his arm.
"Love, we're going back to the castle!" Quatre called out as he dragged Sage towards the building.
"It was nice to meet you lord…" He yelped as he almost tripped. For such a tiny little boy, the blonde sure could run fast.
"Trowa!" He finished. Rowen watched on, his eyes dancing with laughter.
"Cye, I think that you'd like Quatre. You two are a lot alike." Trowa turned to Rowen.
"Kind, sweet, and way to caring?" Rowen nodded.
"Exactly. Now Trowa, would you mind taking us to the castle?" Trowa shook his head.
"Not at all. Follow me." The boys nodded as Trowa led them towards the castle.
~~~***~~~
"Well, it's a good thing that you wear green! Living with Trowa makes it so that we have plenty of green clothes!" Sage smiled at the overly enthusiastic blonde who had a pile of different outfits laid out on the bed.
"Well, what kind of outfit do you like best? Robe, shirt and pants…." Sage sighed.
"Anything that covers me up more then this does. A lot more then this does." Quatre hung his head.
"Then I guess that you should just go with this." He handed Sage a pale, green silk shirt and a pair of loose, cream white shorts.
"Thank you Quatre. This will be fine." He reached out to take the outfit, but Quatre pulled it away before he could take it.
"Wait! It's getting rather cold. I mean, it is October 8th. Maybe you shouldn't be wearing shorts. Would you rather have some long pants?" Sage shook his head.
"Don't you worry. I'll be fine in this outfit." Sage yanked it from the other boy's hands and walked into another room to change, when he emerged, Quatre was grinning.
"You look great. But your hair is another story." Sage clutched the pony tale with his left hand.
"What's wrong with my hair?" Quatre laughed.
"What isn't? When was the last time that you had a brush?" Sage shrugged.
"I can't remember. Rowen… err… Touma's 16th, I believe." Quatre rolled his eyes.
"Get over here." Sage hung his head and sat on the bed next to Quatre.
"Ok, now I am going to comb your hair, OK? And I am going to fix it up, OK?" Sage sighed in annoyance but nodded. Quatre pulled out a thin brush made of pure jade, and began to run it through Sage's long hair.
"Oww!" Sage exclaimed, trying to pull away as the comb caught a large knot.
"Stay still.' Quatre warned as he ran it through Sage's hair once more. Sage yelped and leapt to his feet, rubbing his scalp.
"Sage! Get back here right now!" Quatre warned as Sage shook his head.
"NO! You hurt me!" Sage quickly bolted out of the door and right into his group of friends. He quickly hid behind Rowen as Quatre stepped out of the room, a brush in one hand, and a lock of Sage's hair in the other.
"Help! He's trying to kill me! Death by brush!" The group burst out laughing, and not even Trowa could keep a strait face as the corners of his lips curled.
"I'm just trying to comb your hair!" Quatre complained. Cye laughed.
"Welcome to my world. That boy never brushes his hair. You just have to be gentle though. I was the one who got to comb it at Rowen's 16th." Cye walked over to Quatre, took the brush, then made his way back to Sage. He took a fistful of the boy's hair, and then combed it.
"For some reason, if you hold the hair and then comb it, it doesn't hurt, right Sage." Sage nodded. It actually felt quite nice. Therapeutic almost.
"Umm, Sage, come back to the land of the conscious." Sage jerked up. His eyes had fallen shut and his head was now lying on Rowen's shoulder.
"Sorry." He muttered. He watched as Quatre came near him, and slowly stepped back from the boy, a look of distrust on his face.
"I'm just going to braid it silly!" Quatre exclaimed as he took Sage's hair in three parts and began to weave them together. Finally, when he finished, he tied the bottom with a strand of green silk.
"There, all better. You look so much better when you aren't as mangy as a cur." Sage glared. He was not a cur. That was mean, he did not look like a cur.
"By the way, you need to cut your hair sometime. Its mid thigh." Sage cocked his head to the side and noted that Quatre was being truthful. His hair was very long indeed.
"You all seem very tired. Why don't I lead you to your rooms, and there you can change. Dinner is in 30 minutes." The group nodded as they were led to their rooms.
~~~***~~~
"Rowen?" Sage asked as Rowen walked over to the other boy.
"Yes?" He asked as Sage struggled to un-do his braid.
"Help me."
"Why are you taking it out?" Rowen asked as he undid the piece of silk.
"I want to wash my hair. In the water basin." Sage pointed to the container of water filled with warm water. Rowen shrugged as he slowly undid the braid, afterwards running his fingers through the silken gold hair. He watched with interested eyes as Sage pulled off his shirt, then knelt by the water and dunked his head under it. With slender fingers, he massaged his scalp, trying to get rid of all the grit that had gathered. Finally, for lack of air, he pulled his head up and shook his head, sending droplets of water flying across the room.
"Hey! Watch it Blondie! You just got me all wet." Sage turned to Rowen with a sly smile.
"And that is a problem, why?" Rowen glared at Sage.
"Because I wasn't going to wash my hair." Sage shrugged.
"Well, think of it this way, you'll be more presentable, yes?" Rowen sighed as he picked up a goblet that he had been drinking out of moments before. He then walked over to the basin, filled the cup with water, and proceeded to dump it on Sage.
"Hey!" Sage exclaimed looking down at his wet body. Rowen suddenly regretted doing that. Now he had to stare at the golden boy, droplets of water running down his lean chest. Rowen would have given anything to take the blonde right there, but he knew better.
"Earth to Rowen." Rowen glanced up.
"Yes?" Sage sighed.
"I asked you to get me a towel." Rowen nodded.
"On it." Rowen stated as he ran off to go find a towel. He returned moments later and handed a baby-blue towel to the elf, who proceeded to dry himself off. Rowen couldn't take it, and had to turn away for fear of his hormones on the loose.
"My gosh, am I that bad looking?" Sage asked with a smile as he watched the archer who was turned away. Rowen blushed and turned around.
"No you aren't!" Sage rolled his eyes and pulled on his shirt.
"Rowen, get over here and braid my hair." Rowen nodded and walked over to the blonde, as Sage led them to the bed. Sage sat patiently as Rowen braided his hair.
"Come on guys, its time to go! This is so cool, I get to eat among royalty." Sage and Rowen looked at Cye, who occupied the doorway.
"I see Quatre got you too." Sage pointed out at the knife wielders outfit. A baby blue that contrasted perfectly with the boy's soft complex. It was a robe with a white sash around the boy's thin waist. His auburn hair was pulled back with a baby blue strand of silk, though a few strands weren't long enough, so they fell in wisps across his face. The boy just smiled.
"Yeah, we had a blast! I was talking to Quatre about what it is like to be in love. He says that it is the best thing in the world! I wish I had someone…" The boy's voice hung for a moment, but then he grinned again.
"Well, anyways, it's time to eat! Come on you two!" Cye grabbed them each by an arm and dragged them off.
~~~***~~~
"So, Touma, what is it that you are looking for?" Quatre asked between bites. Rowen paused before answering.
"Something that is woven in silk, wrapped in crystals, and covered in blue of the palest shade." Quatre thought for a moment, but nothing came to his mind.
"Well, I'm sorry old friend, but I have no idea."
"The fountain." Trowa stated as the entire table turned to look at him.
"What was that love?" Quatre asked as Trowa looked intently at the blonde.
"The fountain out in the front. The one that holds the holy water."
"But Trowa! You know that I cannot disturb the holy water! No one can!" Trowa shrugged. Unlike his lover, he found that nothing but the small blonde himself was holy.
"I think that is what it is." Trowa stated as he went back to his food. Quatre stomped his foot in frustration.
"This is such an annoyance." He muttered as Rowen shrugged.
"Now Quatre, You know that I don't like you worrying. Ever since the death of the King himself, you have been overdoing everything. Now, for your sake, why don't we wait until tomorrow to pursue this?" Quatre nodded slowly.
"That is a good idea. So, umm…. How did you meet everyone?" Quatre asked in an attempt to make small talk.
"Sage saved me. I told you about Talpa, well, on a walk through the forest on the outskirts of Escaldia, he took me prisoner. Since. As you know, I don't get my powers till the 10th, he cast a spell on he that bestowed me in the body of a unicorn."
"Pegasus." Sage added.
"Do shut up!" Rowen exclaimed as Sage shut his mouth.
"Well, anyways, before I was interrupted, He was draining my powers away, well, except I didn't have any powers at that time, when Sage saved me." Sage smiled.
"And I was the one who met Cye and Ryo. Rowen pissed me off, I mean..." He blushed at his rather blunt language in front of the prince, and corrected himself.
"Rowen upset me and I ended up running into Cye and Ryo, who befriended me." Ryo grinned.
"I was the one who found Kento!" Ryo then took the time to go into an elaborate tale about how he heard Kento while they had been on their way to save Sage's "mommy", and that Kento had hurt himself, and that he had saved Kento (Never once mentioning that Sage was the one who healed Kento, but Sage didn't seem to mind) and went farther into Sage's capture then the elf would have wanted.
"Umm, Ryo, I don't think they need to know about my capture." Sage stated a Ryo began to pout.
"But you being shirtless leads to Master summoning a monster with a big "Boom!"" Sage slapped his forehead but silenced. By the near end of the dinner, Ryo had also explained (As well as he knew) About the party, their encounter with Zechs, their meeting with Sage's father, and so forth. Finally Ryo finished, and Cye decided then and there to change the subject.
"So, Quatre, Trowa, how did you meet?" Quatre smiled as he took Trowa's hand in his smaller one.
"Well, actually, I first saw him when he was a clown at a fair." Ryo's eyes widened as he screamed.
"NOT THE CLOWNS!!!!!!" He yelled as he leapt to his feet and bolted out of the room, doll in hand. Quatre looked nervously at Cye.
"Why did Ryo just go screaming out of the room?" Cye sighed.
"Ryo has a horrible phobia of clowns. I'm sorry for his behavior. I'll go talk to him."
"Me too!" Kento added. Quatre nodded as they excused themselves to go find the demon before he got himself lost in the castle.
"Well, Quatre, it has been a pleasure to see you again, but I must get some rest. To be truthful, Sage needs it as well." Sage glanced up from the table where his head had been resting.
"Rowen, I'm not tired!" He groaned as Rowen grabbed him by the waist and hauled him to his feet.
"Don't mind him Quatre, he is a bit, stubborn." Sage glared up at the boy.
"And damn proud of it Mr. Smart ass." Rowen glowered, but he ended up smiling instead with s short laugh.
"You remember exactly what was said when we first met, don't you?" Rowen asked as Sage grinned.
"Wow! You do magic and you're an elf! Cool!"
"Hey!" Rowen exclaimed. Sage laughed.
"Well sorry, but that is what you said to me!"
"I was stupid, you don't have to rub it in!" Sage was making him sound like an idiot in front of his oldest friend.
"Yes I do!" Sage retorted with a laugh, as he pranced out of the room. Rowen was about to follow him when Quatre called for the fellow prince to return.
"Touma, I thought you told me long ago that you'd never go with another man?" Quatre's eyes danced with laughter as Rowen's face turned scarlet.
"I am not with Sage!"
"That's not what it looks like." Quatre teased.
"But don't worry. I believe that you aren't with him… yet." Rowen glared at his best friend.
"Quatre, be glad that you have Trowa or I just might have killed you by now." Quatre rolled aqua eyes as Trowa wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist.
"Come on Touma, walk on the wild side! Be different! Have fun! Bet you it feels better too." Rowen's face couldn't get any redder.
"Are you OK Touma? You look a little flushed." Quatre was grinning more then Trowa had ever seen the boy. Quatre stood up and walked over to Rowen, prancing around the other boy.
"Sage and Touma sitting in a tree, k. i. s. s. i. n. g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage." Quatre didn't expect for Rowen to hit him upside the head.
"Be quiet. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe that I'll be going back to my room that I share with my friend, Sage." Rowen stuck out his tongue and waltzed out of the room.
~~~***~~~
"Marieh!" The angel woman flew high above the sky, her eyes sealed shut, wings glowing with a bright gold aura.
"Four Elementals there may be,
But the deepest power flows within me,
My body is sacrificed but my soul lives on,
The world keeps going, day turns to dawn,
Water as pure and virgin as I,
Fire as strong and sure…."
"Don't do it!" The man called out again, but the angel continued speaking.
"Race through the endless winds of time,
Earth as green as the freshest trees,
Light course through my veins,
Give me strength and guide my WAY!" She screamed the end of the poem as she burst into light. Four dragons's on her apposing sides each sending her a ray of light, each in their elemental colors. She screamed as they all embedded in her, and moments later a stream of pure white light flowed from within her, slamming into an alter at the front of the temple they stood before. Below the alter lay the body of Talpa, still clad in full armor. The men, there were two standing side-by-side, watched as a translucent prism formed around the body. Finally it shrunk into a small sphere, and the woman came tumbling from the sky, the wings now gone.
He, Sage, watched on from where he stood, until he realized that the scene had changed, if ever so slightly. Instead of the woman, Marieh falling, it was him. And now there were more then two people on the ground. Rowen, Cye, Kento, Ryo, all of them were there. He watched as he fell into Rowen's arms. But then the scene faded into nothingness, and Sage was once again lying in bed, Rowen's sleeping form in the bed next to his own. Sage sighed, what that was about he didn't know. He sighed. This was too complicated. He sighed and forced himself to try to go back to sleep. But unfortunately it failed, and he lay restless and sleepless for the rest of the night.
~~~***~~~
"The fountain of the holy water. I never thought that I'd actually get to see it." Cye stated in awe as he stared at the fountain with a statue of an angel as the centerpiece.
"Quatre, may I please tack some of the water?" Rowen asked as Quatre gave a heavy sigh.
"My heart says no, but my mind tells me that it is the only way. Do it, but I cannot watch. I just pray that the gods do not curse you." Rowen nodded as he took the goblet that he had used earlier and dunked it into the clear water. The moment he pulled it out though, the ground began to shake.
"Shit!" Rowen exclaimed as his vision faded into darkness.
To be continued…
I'm almost done with this thing already! I am so proud! Its one of the longest things that I've ever written, except this one Final Fantasy 7 fic, but I won't go into that. Anyways, off to work on the others… again. Oh well, it's fun! Ja ne! Oh! One more thing that I find to be very gross, but I learned? Royalty in the medieval days took showers 3 times a YEAR. /*Shudder*/ Well, anyways, another bit of useless information from the peanut gallery! Now, ja ne!