Okay, this chapter was just to cover up some confusion…SOMEONE said I wasn't detailed enough…=D…you'll get all the detail you want in here, hahaha!!! I swear, this chapter'll drive you guys crazy. So excuse me, I swear I won't write crap anymore in the next chapter, and go back to my normal normal self (the most normal I could get anyway). So hey, sit back and suffer!

A New Beginning - Chapter 10

He dashed in pure darkness, with barely any moonlight to light the trees and shrubs. His long dark hair flew in all directions, and he sped with grace from step to step, trained since childhood to be silent as the predators of the night. Dressed in black from head to toe, he camouflaged perfectly with the shadows around him. Will I do it? Yes…I have to…it's an order. Conflicting thoughts made him remember events earlier in the day as he continued dashing halfheartedly through the forest.

- FLASHBACK -

It was early in the morning in one of those days when you would love to just twirl around when no one's around--very sunny, usually a day that brings along a good mood. Haligre was up and awake, and was still wondering what to do about Merle when the sun's rays formed a bright white beam of light that hit the ground directly in front of him. He lazily stood up, and when he readied himself, he placed his two fingers on the center of his forehead. His image faded back into Jiyuni, dropping his mirage of Haligre. He pointed the two fingers from his forehead to the beam. A red beam shot out of a mark on his forehead (picture of three flames together), and joined with the white beam in front of him. The mixed colors spiraled slowly into a circle, and a mist appeared inside the circle. Soon it merged into a picture of a lady dressed all in white with a headdress of white also, with small golden chains hanging from the headdress. A particular chain hung across her forehead, and suspended from the chain was a symbol of a star and a circle around it. "Yes mistress?"

"Why are you in the midst of greenery? You're in a forest. Hmm. What made you leave your designated post?"

"I didn't make it back in time, and am planning to tell him that I got lost in the forest."

"Baka. You are supposed to be the disciple of Vargas, so shouldn't you know your way around Fanelia?"

"What do you suggest, mistress?"

"Say you met up with a dragon while you were out taking a walk. That should do it."

"Yes mistress. What else you need?"

"Since we traced the girl to the kingdom, I already sent Naoko after her. She tried to run away from the castle, possibly knowing what was to come. Naoko already killed her."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You will carry out the next step—eliminate the king of Fanelia—tonight."

A shocked expression jumped into Jiyuni's face. Good thing she can't see me with my head bowed. Not wanting to arise suspicion, Jiyuni responded quickly with a "Yes mistress."

"You seem hesitant. You have a problem?"

Pause. "No mistress. But why do you want to eliminate the girl?"

A slight curve touched Circe's lips. "She has an ability to see the future. We can't let her tell the king about our plans to come."

"Yes mistress."

"Is that all?"

"Yes mistress."

"Then I expect things to go well tonight."

With a smile, she pointed a finger at what seemed to be Jiyuni and the message portal closed up. Jiyuni slowly returned to his normal pose, and sat back down. Gladly, Merle was tied to the other side of the tree, and Circe couldn't see anything but the tree and the smoke rising from the wood which had been the fire. He heard a moan from behind him, and turned back into the face of Haligre, getting up to see how the catgirl was doing.

- END FLASHBACK -

Jiyuni jumped up into a tree and jumped from branch to branch, twig to twig, careful to lighten his step so the wood doesn't snap. He maintained balance well, at the same time catching up to the same speed as he had when he was on solid ground. He smiled at the memory of him telling Merle his real identity after receiving the order from Circe. It was nice to tell someone his big secret. Kinda like having the sky lifted off your back, he thought. Slowing down to a stop, he crouched on the branch he was on. He had arrived at the castle.

*****

Jiyuni was at the top of the castle, and all he had used was a little of his fire magic. Whispering another spell, the shape of ropes glowed in his outstretched hands, and disappeared again. He tied the invisible ropes around a part of the roof, and dropped his way down to the balcony of the ballroom. Cautiously, he walked into the empty ballroom. No one was there. He walked out, and sneaked into the royal bedroom of the king. No one either. Up this late? So unlike him. Soon he came across the dining room, and it was empty except for servants cleaning up dishes. Two of the servants came out and whispered to each other. Jiyuni immediately cast an invisible shield around himself. He heard the girls giggle and followed them quietly down the hall as they talked, it seemed important and able to give him information where Van is.

One of the girls yelled out an ear-killing "Really?!"

With same volume, the girl responded. "Yeah!"

Whoop, back to whispers. Thank God. "I wish I were her! Who is she anyway, and what made her deserve the king to like her so much? She's only an outsider from the Mystic Moon."

"I heard she fought with him side by side in the Gaean Struggle."

"Tch. Doesn't look like she can do anything but whine. Not all that beautiful either." Yeah, doesn't seem like you could do anything but whine either.

"I wonder when the king will be back?"

He's away? A grateful smile came upon him, and he was glad he didn't have to be the one to do the job. He thanked God for this change of plans, and sneaked back into the forest while thinking in amusement to himself what the point of whispering is if every now and then the servants have to yell out an ear-piercing scream that the whole world could hear.