Chapter 8
The Hierophant*
Angel of Wisdom
Chesta awoke gradually at the sound of an argument, from the voices he could tell one of them was Hiero. He sounded crass from some reason, obviously not a real morning person and the argument was about food.
"You give it up or I'll knock your prissy hair off!" Hiero screamed suddenly, fully forcing Chesta out of his slumber. As his turquoise tinted eyes opened, flashing against the natural light green of the Hot Springs cavern. He let his eyes meet with Hiero and Dalet yanking on flank of bird flesh. They both looked ready to tear each other's throats out, but Hiero was doing a better job, his free hand latched onto Dalet's hair.
Dalet was yelling and pulling, and Chesta used every ounce of self-control to keep from laughing. Lord Dilandau was watching this too, smirking, but making no move to stop it. Depending on the outcome, Chesta gathered whoever lost was going to be facing him. Either way, if Chesta dared laughed, he'd be punished first for just plain reacting.
Then Hiero saw Chesta was up, the angered look leaving his face a moment, returning his eyes sharply to Dalet's before pulling extra hard on Dalet's hair. In the time it took Dalet to open him mouth, Hiero, brought one foot out from under him and slammed it into Dalet's groin, ruining the Slayer's hold on the meat. Hiero scuttled away swiftly with his prize to settle by Alessa, sticking his tongue out at Dalet after taking a bite. Alessa looked a bit puzzled, but then went back to eating the flank she was eating.
Hiero swallowed his in seconds flat, as if he hadn't eaten in days. Then came Dalet's groaning again, who was still writhing on the ground in front of Lord Dilandau. Their leader was shaking his silvery head, his lips upturned in a pissed off sneer. The moment Dalet sat up, still holding himself with a pained look, Lord Dilandau smacked him across the cheek and sent him sprawling. Dalet stayed down, just groaning.
"Dragon Slayers don't lose….do well to remember that. He is just a king, not an elite like you. Try to act that way you weakling!" Dilandau hissed, hitting Dalet a second time.
"Hey Chesta, grab your breakfast before Hiero does. Looks like Dalet's going to have to take Ryuon hunting again. We were all hungrier than we thought." Alessa's pretty voice sounded, and Chesta turned to her to nod. Hiero was smiling again, sucking on his fingers to get all the grease from the flank off. Chesta went over to the cooking pile and took a few flanks out, what he felt was enough and ate them.
Not once did Hiero look his way or even attempt to take his food, his eyes were fastened rather hard on Dilandau. Their leader looked incredibly bored, and Chesta shivered inwardly. Bored for Lord Dilandau meant he'd lose his temper at the slightest inkling. Dalet's red cheek was proof enough he was getting close to exploding unless he did something interesting.
Chesta nearly threw up his food when Hiero spoke, clamping his hand down on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. "All ready to fight for your destiny, Mujitsu Toruko** ?" Hiero piped, rather pleasantly. Chesta didn't know what it meant really, but he'd heard Hiero speaking this odd language in all the time he'd been with him. It was a very sharp, but graceful sounding language. He recalled the Mystic Moon girl, Queen Hitomi, had spoken similar words in the brief moments he'd seen her, or rather the last few days of his life. It sounded nice though, he'd have to ask its meaning.
Hiero didn't look like he meant it as an insult, but a compliment. Chesta could tell when Hiero was truly being sarcastic about who he was addressing, it was all in his eyes and mouth, much like Lord Dilandau, but his patron was almost always being crass, even when he was happy. Chesta just nodded with a shy smile.
"Gatti!" Dilandau spouted the moment Chesta stood up, the young man called standing up from where he had been," You are in charge until we return, and if anyone disobeys you in the slightest, you inform me. Guard the woman with your life as well….don't leave her alone for a moment."
Gatti nodded his silver blonde head, and leaned against the wall. Lady Alessa looked disgusted at the request, but kept quiet. Chesta felt relieved. He had to bet it was Hiero that requested she be watched, after all Dalet and Migel had done previously to the Mystic Moon female, though it was nothing too terrible. They'd been trained and brought up around men so they would be better soldiers, not a weakness of emotion within them, but with the few slave girls they had seen and Dilandau's infinite defiance towards Folken, they had their share this second life they had all been given. Girls weren't so bad, little treasures worth protecting.
Chesta wondered if Hiero was in love with her, since the young king was always looking at her at one time or another and abusing those that tried to more or less move in on her. He was a bit envious of that, he'd never had a girl he felt that way about, they were usually dead in days due to the constant abuse of Folken's soldiers and Folken himself. He had liked a few, but they never survived Zaibach long enough for him to delve into their lips, which was the case with all of them.
Chesta let his thoughts die when Lord Dilandau looked sharply at him, instructing him to come towards him. Hiero was standing near Dalet though with the most disturbing look on his pale face. Dalet was hunched over on hands and knees by the Hot Springs, putting the water to his bruised face and fixing his hair. Hiero cracked a smiled, shuffling his foot a bit as Dalet made a moaning sound. "My poor face….it's going to swell now." Dalet was mumbling, trying not to let anyone hear him. The hissing noise from Lord Dilandau proved to Chesta that he heard it. Lord Dilandau hated vanity in his soldiers, that they had no right to it.
As Dilandau made a move towards Dalet, Hiero looked at them, smiling in a creepy manner, then lifted his foot up and kicked Dalet in the rear. The Slayer face first into the bubbly green pool. As Dalet came up sputtering and shaking his hair out, Lord Dilandau let out one of his spine-tingling laughs, letting it fill the cavern so powerfully the place began to shake. Hiero just smiled at his accomplishment, then wagged a finger at Dalet as the Slayer threw him a dirty look.
"Ah, ah, ah. Next time don't tempt me so much, Adonisu***. You're such a miserably simple target." Hiero mock chided, then strode over casually to Chesta and Dilandau, as if nothing had happened.
~ Temple of Wisdom ~
"So what do I have to do, once I get inside this temple, Lord Hier…I mean Hiero." Chesta said, correcting his slip of the tongue quickly. Lord Dilandau noticed, but did nothing. Hiero had a sour look on his face, but didn't move to strike Chesta either. Hiero was wearing Guimel's armor, to keep warm. He still didn't have a short of his own, and Guimel wouldn't freeze since he was safe in the Hot Springs cavern with the others. It was a temporary loan, so Hiero wouldn't be stupid again and catch cold by going out shirtless as he did when he first searched for them.
The armor suited him fine, contrasting slightly with the sapphire-blue hair on the young king's head. Chesta almost felt like a comrade to Hiero with him like that. The young king also had a good bushel of firewood strapped to his back. He and Dilandau wouldn't be going inside the temple as Chesta was, so they had to keep warm while he was working his way through it.
"It's a test of your greatest trait, your knowledge and wisdom. You were one of the Slayers to speak your mind to Dilandau, not as much as Gatti, but you would show great concern with the right things and wrong things." Hiero stated, and sighed a little.
Chesta cringed inwardly when he heard Lord Dilandau swear under his breath, but kept moving, the temple slowly coming into view. "It's also going to make you use your gifts over your skills."
"What does that mean?" Dilandau asked impatiently, kicking up a mound of snow in his way. "It means he has to use mind over matter, or rather his brain over his sword. No weapons are permitted in there except the one within that needs to be guided to its awakening. His wisdom that kept him alive for so long….he only died because he didn't use wisdom….he was defending you, Dilandau. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, my mother told me that odd saying. He played the fool since he rushed into disaster, like they all did. This time he won't be a fool….hopefully." Hiero said evenly. Chesta expected to hear a slap, but nothing came. He didn't turn to see why, only kept moving towards the temple.
When they reached it, Chesta turned at last, looking warily at his patron and the Fanelian king. "Your sword please." Hiero said quietly, holding out his scarred left hand. He stared at a moment, the long and deliberate cut from the tip of the king's middle finger to just above the pale flesh of his wrist. He had to bet it had hurt to be done, but who would do that to anyone had to be cruel and sick, worse than Lord Dilandau. The faded look to the pale red scar looked like it might have happened a long time ago, perhaps in Hiero's childhood.
Chesta bit his lip a moment, giving it one last look before taking off his sword belt and placing it in Hiero's hand. When Hiero did nothing after taking it, Chesta felt it was time to go.
He turned about and entered the dark temple walking a few steps before turning back around. Hiero nodded at him to go on, backing away a little. Lord Dilandau was already walking away down the temple steps, standing tall and dignified.
"Come on, Hiero, you're going to show me this magic stuff you do and tell me about those strange words you use while Chesta proves his worth to the gods. He is one of my men, he can take perfect care of himself. Trust me, he'd better." Lord Dilandau said in a haughty manner, but it made Chesta smile and continue walking. It felt good to get a compliment from his patron, even in that tone. It meant Lord Dilandau had faith in his abilities, and if he had that, he felt better about going it alone.
~
The temple was dark for a few minutes, long after the biting cold and gray light from outside had long disappeared, but then there was a haunting blue light ahead of him. It was dull, like torchlight, yet expansive. As he neared it, he saw it was a torch alight with blue flame. He gawked at it a moment, then carefully picked it up. When nothing happened, he walked on, his turquoise eyes flitting all around cautiously. It was like walking around in the Vione, the blue flame like the gas lamps he was used to and the walls black as pitch.
He didn't feel cold anymore, but he felt as if he'd be walking on forever until he saw a large iron door several feet away from him. He kept his pace steady and slow as he approached it, glad and fearful at the same time. He was deeply happy the place didn't just go on and on with nothing to see, but feared what lie beyond the door, or of possible traps the door might have.
As he reached it, two unseen torches came alive with blue flame, the symbol of wisdom the size of Chesta's head was illuminated on the door. He reached for it slowly, then the thing blinked, making him jump backwards.
"Angel of Wisdom, you have arrived after a 1,000 years full. Are you prepared to take on the burden's of Mother Goddess Gaia's wish?" a voice said, deep and foreboding, as the eye glowed a light lavender and blinked again.
"Yes….I do." Chesta nodded, keeping his voice calm as he was trained to. The voice didn't come back for a minute or so, but when it did, it sounded almost mocking. "Very well, boy, then defeat me within the tombs of knowledge, my champion awaits thee, Chesta Nakai Akilion, the tenth Angel of Wisdom chosen in time. Defeat the riddles of old and defeat my champion, and you shall be dubbed with your destiny. I will open the doorway to my champion, but with one small word of advice you must figure out for yourself. Are you prepared to fight in my Labyrinth of Fate?" it asked, the eye blinking again.
"With my life." Chesta answered.
The voice chuckled a bit. "The chain is only as strong as it's weakest link." It said, then nothing more came of it, the door vanishing without a trace. Chesta blinked, tumbling the phrase over in his mind. It was an old saying he was very familiar with. Lord Dilandau had said it plenty in the past about them working together, even if Lord Dilandau preferred working alone and at his leisure.
He shrugged slightly and walked through the doorway, keeping his eyes trained upon every shadow he saw.
~ Meanwhile ~
"Mujitsu Toruko means turquoise innocent in what language?" Dilandau asked, trying to suppress a shiver from the spot of ground he dug out for himself, and sounding bored about it all. The snow was all over the place, it was hard to get ground anywhere in the area that wasn't frozen stiff and cold.
Hiero sighed, shivering a bit at the cold blast of air that passed them by. "In Japanese, it's a Mystic Moon language my mother taught me. Its quite elegant….really. She taught me some good words, and some she never intended," he snickered, rubbing his hands together," Some dirty words….I mean. You want hear what a few mean?"
"I want to hear what the words you plan to be using in my presence mean. The swear words….might be nice to hear in this alien language. I'm almost shocked your ingrate father allowed it to be taught to you." Dilandau scoffed.
Hiero didn't know how to respond to that fully. He knew Dilandau had reasons, all be it misguided ones, to hate his father. Hiero had never been overly fond of Van for all the coddling and over protectiveness he showed towards Hiero and his mother. Hiero found it slightly flattering, but he despised being smothered and babied, no matter the age he was stuck in. Still, he had loved his father for being his parent the same way he loved his mother. Dilandau had only truly had himself, both times he existed. The second time he had Celena as his mother, but he never got to know her as that, only as a personality that he overtook the first lifetime he'd lived. Hiero couldn't judge Dilandau, for reasons other than those. Hiero was guiltier of far worse sins against life and death than Dilandau could hope to achieve.
His thoughts drifted off as Dilandau shot him another sour look, still shivering. "First things first, Dilandau. Learning about the words and my magic won't do you any good if you turn into a frozen treat," Hiero stated, making a cleaning in the snow for himself," Best to be prepared for the long haul if Chesta gets lost or something."
Dilandau gave curt nod and looked towards the temple while Hiero took the bundle of firewood off his back and set it up in an even pile. He spoke out his chant for the fireball, which was what he always had to do. In the past, he'd only had to say the spell at least for over the span of year before just saying the word "Fireball" would suffice. He'd tried it here, but it didn't work, so he gathered he had to train his body all over again to regain that talent. It would probably be the same for the other spells he couldn't work without chants, and those he couldn't get his body to bring forth.
Hiero cleared a wide patch for himself and Dilandau, even if the ground beneath the snow was frozen. It beat having the snow melt under them and get them all wet. Dilandau sat down on the patch once Hiero was done, eagerly staring at the fire with child-like interest.
"Now then….swear words and other such demeaning words come after the boring ones. Adonisu means Adonis in Japanese, a word you're probably familiar with since you were called an Adonis when you were first with Zaibach." Hiero began.
"Very well aware….not that they had much right. They were just jealous, the filthy commoners. I can understand why you call Dalet that instead of me. I'd make you very sorry for saying such things towards me." Dilandau said, sounding indifferent.
"Dalet is worse with his vanity than you are. He fears his beauty flawed far worse. You know what I mean, he takes slaps far worse than the lot of your Dragon Slayers, I'd have to bet a fleck of paint on his face would send him over the edge….he just knows that you'd beat him terribly if he showed it too much."
"I am aware of that. It was one of my commands to them not to put themselves over the missions or my orders, nothing of theirs was to supersede anything I proclaimed. Dalet took a little longer than the others to realize that. I had to break him in hard, valuable time wasted because he was too in love with himself to see I don't accept such stupidity."
"You're one to talk…." Hiero started, then felt a sharp pain in his right cheek. He'd never seen Dilandau move, but the slap was starting to linger painfully on his smooth cheek. Hiero kept his head turned to the left for a few moments, then slowly turned it back towards Dilandau and shot him a dirty look. Dilandau looked angry enough to hit him again, but then Hiero smiled. It caught Dilandau by surprise, so he kept perfectly still, studying Hiero's face. "I was wondering when you'd get back in the habit. You were scaring me for a while. I was beginning to think you'd never strike me. Glad to see you're getting your strength back." Hiero chuckled, and looked back to the fire.
He heard Dilandau make a growling sound, but ignored it. "Whatever….continue already!"
"Pushy, aren't we? Ah well….I have a nickname in mind for Gatti, but its pretty basic, Roiyaru^, which means true. And for Migel, well, let's just says it insulting and flattering at the same time. Gaki Suteki ^^." Hiero said, his tone effortlessly casual.
"Sounds bit childish to me, but what the hell does it mean?" Dilandau asked curiously.
"Lovely brat….suits the stubborn little bastard perfectly." Hiero snickered. Dilandau frowned, but did nothing more.
"Ok, is Hiretsukan*^ a swear word my mother used when….eh, heh, someone called her a peasant whore, some stupid Zaibach duke that thought he was better than everyone. It means….mean bastard. Doesn't really sound like it in Japanese, not even when you explain what it means," Hiero went on, flitting his lithe fingers at the flames," She said it a couple times, mostly when I was spying on the royal dinners…..you learn tons of colorful words from the help as well as the so-called nobility. That and I learned Chikan^*^ means pervert. Some creeps have no respect for the sanctity of marriage and love."
"I know, I am and always will be a Prince of Zaibach, regardless of what Folken is doing planting his filthy civilian carcass in the seat of the emperor. It's insulting to see how the empirical dynasty of Zaibach has become so incredibly pathetic since my reign in the army." Dilandau sniffed.
"Not too modest, are we? Can't be helped really….Zaibach is down one silly little princess who had her head so far up her ass she could smell her brains. But I digress," Hiero said softly," with the words out of the way, I will gladly explain my magic to you. Unless you're bored already."
"So long as I get to fight before the day is done, I won't be bored. You still owe me a re-match." Dilandau grinned, touching his own cheek affectionately with a languid stroke.
"Oh, we are eager….not that I mind. I need to stay in shape for the battles to come, as do you. It'd be fun….but magic first. Trust me, this won't take long." Hiero smiled.
"Then hurry it up, my patience is starting to wear thin of your teasing me." Dilandau hissed out, still grinning.
"Its something I learned on my own when I was….very young. Not everyone can do it where I learned it, you have to be spiritually as well as mentally gifted t perform them right, emphasis on mental strength. You'd wind up burning or freezing yourself if you try it with half a brain. Doing it just to show off usually winds up getting things blowing up in your face. I am pretty much the only one with access to such spells. The healers of Gaia are skilled in great medical techniques, technology, and potions, but they can't heal with words, only hands. No one else can achieve this power as I can….and I can't teach you, in case you wanted me to." Hiero explained simply.
"All in the mind, eh? Something top consider, but I don't need spells and magic to fight. All I need is my mind and soul and my blade, people fight the real battles, not words. Words merely start it….the words of idiots. Makes the world go round, really, and far be it for me to stop them. The battle is the thing, death is a part of life, and I always intend to deliver it, painfully." Dilandau sighed wistfully, smiling into the fire with a cruel smirk.
"It is that, so true, battles and wars can be exhilarating, and profitable. I learned that once I gained that chance. When you fight for yourself and for survival, it's always worth it. But, will you slaughter the innocent again?" Hiero asked suddenly, unsure of why. He didn't really care what Dilandau did, so long it didn't interfere with what he did and wanted, yet, deep down, the question had to be asked, more so for himself than anyone else.
"If they get in my way, that's their problem. Civilians shouldn't be on the battlefield, they have no place among the true warriors. What, do you despise me for that? Hmm, do you think I care about stupid people that don't have the brains to steer clear of a raging battle?!" Dilandau raged out, slamming his fist against the ground.
Hiero simply shook his head, his lips becoming a thin and cold line. "Stupidity is not a sin, neither is getting lost, but to get lost and find your way to a battlefield is rather stupid. Personally, you have a slight point. Anyone stupid enough to waltz into the middle of a battle really isn't thinking on a high level. Unless they actually impede upon what you're doing, they'll either escape or die at the hands of another. It is life after all, it has teeth and claws. There is no mercy for those not endowed enough mentally to leave the battlefield and stay out of everyone's way," Hiero let out quietly, the flames reflecting across his eyes wildly," But I'd never kill some innocent person who had done nothing but simply be there. I can't stand idiots, but the people that can't help it should be left alone."
"Sounds like you know from experience? How many innocents have you killed?" Dilandau replied, a hint of teasing arrogance flitting through his voice.
Hiero looked at him then. "Don't we have a re-match to get started. I said just magic….what ever else I do is none of your business." Hiero said calmly, standing up slowly as he drew his sword.
Dilandau smirked again, standing up himself and shaking his head in an almost a mocking manor, as if he felt he'd accomplished the impossible. 'Not far from the truth, like I want to tell anyone about all of my sins. Best to avoid telling anyone that for as long as I am able.' He thought, getting in fighting stance.
"Be that way then, I'll get it out of you sooner or later, King Hiero, but for now, let's play! HAH!" Dilandau laughed, charging at Hiero as he swiftly whipped out his blade, his garnet eyes gleaming with insane pleasure.
~ Temple of Wisdom ~
~ The Labyrinth of Fate ~
Chesta walked quietly, the light blue flame of his torch the only light within the seemingly endless darkened corridors. The strange eye from the door had said it was the labyrinth of fate, and it was starting to feel like it. He had reached a few twists and turns, no symbols or much of anything to guide him through, only intuition was there for him.
He was beginning to think he'd walk on for the rest of his life when he heard a noise. Chesta stopped a listened for it. For a few minutes, he heard nothing, then it came again, like a tick-tick-tick sound, accompanied by something rough scraping briefly on stone. It was close, perhaps several feet in front of him, but the blue torchlight could only illuminate so much so far. He merely waited, readying himself for whatever was approaching.
'The wait is the worst….this reminds me of waiting for my turn in the Zaibach training grounds, to prove my worth for the Dragon Slayers when I was 12. I didn't meet with Lord Dilandau until that day, I had to combat with him to see where I stood as a Slayer. He took so long….just to scare me, but I kept my head together. Just be patience and don't do anything stupid like Ravi….that poor kid. He was only a year older than me and he got angry at Lord Dilandau for making him way too long. Lord Dilandau, oh, why did you have to kill him? He didn't know any better….killing him solved nothing.' Chesta thought, a small trickle of sweat running from his forehead to his chin.
He didn't bother to wipe it, only went on listening quietly as the ticking sound grew closer, a soft growling vibrating along with it. Chesta breathed slowly, keeping his turquoise eyes trained upon the dark expanse before him.
Then he saw a slight grayish form start to seep out of the darkness, not being able to tell its true color with such poor lighting, but he knew that it wasn't human. At first he thought it was an inhuman crawling towards him, but the arms didn't look like those of an inhuman, more like an animal. It was disconcerting for him when he saw a head was attached to this animal body, a body on all fours, and with a thing sheen of sleek fur, bands of blue and gold about each ankle.
As the figure got closer, he knew what it was, part of it anyway. The body was that of a mountain lion, the paws, the claws, tail, everything was there, but the head and chest was not that of a lion, but of a woman's, a very pretty one with long and an unruly ebony hair adorned with a blue circlet. Her eyes were all blue, not a hint of white or a darkened iris seemed to be held in her sockets. Her chest was bare, but had the fur as well, jutting and sharp stripes of a dark color going across them like a flower bloom.
Her face had fur on it too, much like the cat people race did, minus the stripes on her cheeks. The other difference was that she had long sharp fangs sticking out of her mouth, and she was snarling at him. There was also a chain wrapped about her neck, above and below her breasts, and about each upper portion of her legs. It looked perfectly silver and new, and had to be worth a king's ransom.
"Are you the Angel of Wisdom of the millennia, boy child?" it asked, its voice anything but feminine. It was more of a constant, rough growling.
"Yes, I am. You are the guardian." He stated, and got a nod. "Then here is your first challenge, fail and you will suffer the agony of your lameness. I shall ask you riddles of three, answer all and you shall live to see another day, and as the angel you proclaim yourself to be. If you miss but one, I shall dine upon your flesh and soul for eternity. Is that understood?" she growled out.
Chesta nodded, standing his ground bravely, but keeping his eyes gentle and calm. The thing startled him when she stood on her hind legs, and something came out from behind the darkness across her once obscured back, a small pair or grayish wings, much smaller then Hiero's, more the size of turkey's.
He paws went in front of her, her claws jutting out forcefully as she growled and sneered at him. "Twelve white ponies, on a red hill, always moving, but standing still. What are we?" she said.
Chesta smiled a slightly. He'd been good with riddles as a child. His mother and him always played riddle games to pass the time. They hadn't been well off all the time, and it was one way to make him forget how cold or hungry he felt, and it was one of the few tranquil moments he spent with his mother until his father came home, drunk. This riddle was fairly simple, thought death wasn't the punishment for getting things wrong, getting tickled was. His mother could always make him very happy and laugh, unlike his father who cut his mother's life short.
"Teeth. The answer is teeth." Chesta said loudly, but politely.
The creature sneered and got back on all fours. She turned, then started to plod away slowly. "You have passed the first, but they won't always be so simple, boy child. Follow me to the next test, a test of your mind and endurance." She said, growling when she was done. She went on doing that as she walked off, Chesta keeping behind her as closely as he could manage.
~
Nearly an hour had passed before the guardian beast took Chesta to a large room. It was even darker than the halls had been, making him wonder just how deep down this temple went. It hadn't looked like a large place from the outside in Chesta's opinion, but then again, looks were deceiving.
He watched the creature walk out into the endless darkness of the room, walking in a perfectly straight line all the way. She stopped suddenly after going across for a few minutes, then turned about. "The test of sight and mind, boy child, you must find what you can't see to answer my next riddle. Only the light of day can help you, but there is none here. Walk the path of guardian and you will be triumphant." She let out, snarling a bit.
Chesta thought a moment, and shrugged, taking a step into the room. His foot met with nothing and he flailed wildly as he began to teeter. He surely would have fallen into whatever lay below if he hadn't grabbed onto the wall behind him, digging his gloved finger painfully into the stone surface. He felt the skin on his fingertips and the cloth of his gloves bruise and gets scraped up a bit, but it was better than falling to his death.
He steadied himself, and looked up fearfully at the guardian. She had a gruesome toothy grin on her face. The whole thing amused her. Chesta felt appalled, but pushed it away swiftly. He had to do this, he was a Dragon Slayer, he had to do it, he couldn't fail Lord Dilandau again. 'Mind over matter….Hiero said Mind of matter….and I have to follow in the steps of the guardian….her steps are side by side, not down the middle like someone would walk on a plank or beam….'he thought, understanding dawning on his innocent features.
Chesta held the torch out and started to tap at the expanse where the floor should have been, and for a few moments, hit dead air. As he brought the torch off to his right, it bumped against some, a bit of the amber ash of the burning wood flicking away. It landed and shattered across what he'd been searching for, a stone walkway, only as thick as the paws of the guardian had been. He reached his hand quickly beside it and found the other stone walkway at least two feet or so beside it.
"Walk in the path of the guardian….walk in your literal footsteps….I get it." He said to himself, standing up and slowly planting his feet on the left most walkway, keeping his torch as low as he could without inviting the flames to burn his throbbing fingers.
He walked across that beam as he had originally planned to walk in the first place, trying to balance himself as he walked in a perfectly straight line towards the sneering guardian. When he reached her, she was standing on her hind legs again, in the same position she had been in asking the first riddle. 'Get this one wrong and she'll knocked you off your perch. Be calm and think….do not panic at all….don't let this horrible beast see you sweat.' He thought, grimacing when she gave off that toothy grin again, drooling this time.
"Give it food and it will live, give it water and it will die. What is it?" she asked, her voice booming throughout the darkened place so terribly, the vibrations nearly made Chesta lose his footing. 'I feel better knowing I can't see how far down this goes. Makes it easier if I accidentally look down.' He thought, then began to consider the riddle.
It was different, a riddle that had a simple meaning. His mother had performed many with him, and they were all he really had left of the poor and frail woman when she died. They were his solace when his step-mother, a duchess his father had been cheating on with while he and his mother starved and suffered, would try and teach him manners.
He was happy he'd never ever see her again. Dragon Slayers gave up their whole family and lives of the past once they joined, making it impossible to threaten one of have weakness. It had been the hardest thing for him to do, but he was happy he had done it the right way. He would never go back to being their little toy, their scapegoat. At least he had respect as a Dragon Slayer, despite the fact that Lord Dilandau hit him and the others. He was one of the elite, he only had to take orders from Lord Dilandau, and his patron trusted him, even if he'd never admit to it. It was better than being locked up in the closet or out of the house for eating his food the wrong way or for correcting nobles when they said the wrong things. He had only been trying to help, but they took it as insult. He could take slaps for doing that, but not being expelled from the house in the freezing rain or locked in the dark, not that.
He smiled a moment, the recalled what was at stake, his life. 'Feed it, it grows….water it, and it dies….I best hurry. If this monster is impatient, she might just knock me into the abyss just for taking too long. Oh, Lord Dilandau will be most displeased. I don't how long that fire will last up there once they get it started….fire? Wait….that's it….water kills a fire, feeding it wood gives it live….' He thought, then grinned brightly at the guardian.
"Fire is the answer!" he beamed. The creature went back on all fours, scowling and slunk into the darkness behind it. "Two riddles solve, but the final will spell your fate, boy child." She hissed out.
Chesta simply followed, breathing a small sigh of relief as he finally met with a full and sturdy floor.
~
The she-creature stopped again after another half hour had passed them by, in a small room lit with three blue flame torches, and a door was in front of them. It looked exactly like the one he'd first been spoken to when he had entered the temple, the huge eye upon the stone door staring him down without mercy.
He gasped when the creature turned around and got back on her hind legs, rivulet of crimson drool cascading from her mouth and sharp fangs. She looked enraged, the blood seeping from her lips, bitten through by her own fangs. The thing obviously didn't want him getting through, perhaps because he was a Dragon Slayer or because he was a reborn Chesta, one that got a second chance it didn't deserve.
"I am something, I am nothing. I am short. I am tall. When you fall at your sport, I stumble and fall. I have never been seen yet beneath a new moon. I thrive in the evening but vanish at noon. I am lighter than air, I weigh less than a breath. Darkness destroys me and light is my death. What am I or die." She spoke in a supreme manner, grinding her teeth as she waited for the answer.
He smiled politely as he was always used to doing, out of courtesy despite how people were around him. He didn't find it weak, it meant he was fine with it and could take it like a man. He'd take it and get right back up, its all he knew how to do, to never show his tears, to listen, to understand, and most importantly, not to give into it or he would be truly weak.
He contemplated the answer, rolling the words around in his mind, coming up with an answer rather quickly, but he dragged it out. The guardian couldn't touch him once he got this right and he could do this destiny thing Hiero had spoken of. His turquoise eyes lowered a moment, pretending to be deep in thought as he repeated the rather beautiful and poetic riddle the creature had spouted in his mind. Then he raised them, innocence and gentleness permeating from their endless depths.
"A shadow is the answer. It does what its owner does, light and absolute darkness prevent shadows from being seen, they lack weight, they are nothing, but have a name that makes them something. I have beaten you, guardian. Let me pass." He said gently, pointing the torch at the creature's suddenly emotionless face.
Then she smiled, one so grotesque and of unholy smugness, he took a step back. "Yes, you have answered the riddles three, now, boy child, you shall face me!!" she roared and charged at him. Chesta had a few seconds to process what had been said, but all he saw was the creature lunging at him with her drooling and gaping jaws.
He dove forward and rolled under her body, briefly delighting in the sound of her smacking into the dark stone floor. He got up quickly to see her raised paw aimed for his head and jerked his body to the side to avoid it. He yelped as he felt the claws rake against the tender flesh of the back of his neck, turning about swiftly to see the next attack.
His eyes nestled on her right side, what was facing him, the silver chain glistening in the dull blue light. As he looked harder, he saw one part wasn't glistening, it was dark and coppery colored, like rust. 'What did the eye on the door say about chains….strength. Oh gods!!' he was thinking, until the thing whirled on his and lunged for him again.
He sidestepped the she-creature and grabbed onto one of her rugged wings, the torch burning the top part. The creature wailed and swiveled her head about to bite him, at worst to rip his arm off, but Chesta moved backwards and flipped himself onto her back. He tried to hold onto both wings and keep his legs latched around her bucking torso while avoiding being ripped apart by her screaming mouth.
She nearly got her fangs on his hands and one of his legs, but he'd yank them away, but teetered perilously each time. he couldn't maintain his balance forever. He'd already dropped the torch and Hiero had his sword. 'Lord Hiero….he said mind over matter, and the door gave me that clue….it was….I remember now, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This chain, this rusty link is what I must break….but then what? Argh, the door said it was advice to achieve my destiny. Don't debate, be brave and do it!' he mentally screamed, then screamed aloud as the hind leg claws of the creature raked across the backs of his calves.
Chesta hunched over, letting go of the flapping wings swiftly and grabbing the rusted chain link with all his might and pulled. No sooner did he do that, the link crumbled in his grasp, the creature making one final and powerful buck that sent Chesta flying into the wall. He groaned slightly, trying to pick himself up quickly to avoid the next attack, but nothing came, only a slight cracking noise.
As his pained eyes went back to the creature, he saw she was just standing there, staring at him like a statue. The chain was on the floor, melting slowly into the cracks beneath her. He mouth was opened, her hair the same, but it seemed stiffer. His eyes went wide when he saw a crack go down her face, the left side of her face slipping off and shattering loudly upon the ground.
More cracks began to erupt all over her grayish form, loud and grinding as if something were trying to break out from within. Her hair started to crumble off, her ears becoming dust, her tail cracking off along with her once supple chest breaking off a piece at a time. Finally, as all the extensions of her beastly body crumbled, the body collapsed into a pile of dust, slowly blowing away to where they ad first entered, never to be seen by Chesta's eyes again.
He waited a moment, then a new noise made him jump. He looked swiftly to the source and found the door with the eye was pushing off to the left all, a light spray of dust trickling around it. When it was done, Chesta quietly and slowly crept towards it, leaning part of head past the opening.
There was a simple altar there, stone and with the symbol of wisdom upon it. There was also a larger one high above it, shining down a strange golden light through the large hole within the eye itself.
The longer he stared, the more entranced he became. "Destiny….place your naked hands upon the sacred altar of Gaia's youngest child, Wisdom. You have proven you are truly Wisdom reborn." The voice from the first door spoke suddenly, filling the room.
Chesta moved towards the altar, pulling his gloves off gently and tucking them into his belt. He reached it slowly, then looked up at the light shining down upon it. "Wisdom….here goes everything, I guess." He sighed, and placed his bare hands upon the shimmering stone altar.
~ Outside ~
Hiero spat out some blood, but was able to dodge Dilandau's next attack. They kept disarming each other with every mortal sword battle they had, which had been plenty to bore even Dilandau. Now they were using their fists. It had been a while since Hiero had fought bare knuckle, and it was pretty exhilerating. At least getting punched and kicked and tackled wasn't fatal as being stabbed was. The last thing he needed to explain was his immortality.
Hiero had a bloody lip his steps wavering from both the cold and the injuries he had taken, but he was not giving up. Talking got boring after a while, as did draws, so kicking the crap out of each other was a way to keep their body temperature up, to keep them awake, and lively. He had to admit Dilandau was a stone cold fighter, willing to continue on as long as blood flowed and the battle went on.
Hiero was healing better than Dilandau was, so he was taking more hits than he was giving out, so the bruises and blood wouldn't vanish in front of Dilandau. He was too cold for any further problems. Chesta had been within the temple for hours now, not a single sound erupting from the place.
It wasn't all that bad, he had been itching to stretch his legs for something other than kicking Dalet in the water or from sleep. Actually fighting with someone he admired was a good way to exercise, as well as a way to better hone his skills. He never really fought Zaibach soldier face to face. The only ones he fought were when their backs were turned, but they didn't deserve an honorable fight. They had stabbed him in the back and tried to rape Alessa, they got what was coming to them.
Hiero flipped backwards over the dying fire, and Dilandau came rushing around with his fists bared, but Hiero was faster and came right at him and kicked him square in the chest, sending Dilandau stumbling backwards. At any other time, Hiero would have taken a breather, but they had been brawling with each other for an hour now and he wanted it over before he passed out from exhaustion. Hiero ran at Dilandau and rammed into his chest, bruising his face slightly on the armor.
The action would have taken all of five seconds, but Hiero found himself flipped hard no his back in the snow, the cold waking his sense up for a few seconds, but only a few. Dilandau had grabbed him by the arms in the desperate and painful act and pinned him tightly to the ground. He was trying to grin, but Dilandau looked too out of breath to make it last. He managed a small smirked, keeping his eyes closed for a few seconds before speaking, his garnet eyes dull with exhaustion.
"I win….this time. You….gasp….put up a decent fight, better than most of my Slayers. You didn't hold back….no fear. I like that, on top of the fact you're a lot stronger than you look."
"Same to you. Now….since you won, would you mind doing me a little favor?" Hiero rasped out, biting his bloody lip.
Dilandau tilted his head to the side and nodded. "Sure….what is it?"
"Would you mind moving your knee, you're crushing my balls to death. Ugh…." Hiero let out, the strain apparent in his eyes. Dilandau just let out a breathy laugh and got off of Hiero.
Hiero propped himself up on his elbows, then started to pick himself up when the ground began to shake. He turned his head unconsciously towards the temple, his double-colored eyes lighting up with surprise. Golden light was ripping out of every pore of the place. Hiero put his arm across his eyes, slipping back upon the snow. When the rumbling stopped, Hiero tentitavly lowered his arm and pulled himself off the ground, brushing the snow stuck to his loaned armor gently.
The pillar of golden light was in the temple's place, growing thinner each second that passed by. Hiero saw someone was inside it, someone with wings. He waited until the light was gone, and gasped in both pleasure and shock when he saw it was Chesta standing there with radiant wings the same color as his hair. He was facing them, his wings outspread glimmering with golden radiance of purest sunlight, little streaks of turquoise tipping off each heavenly feather. Chesta was smiling, looking about ready to let the tears flow, but he didn't shed one. He just went on smiling, his turquoise eyes alight with happiness. What caught his eyes mostly on his face was the purple symbol on Chesta's forehead, the symbol of wisdom, the all seeing eye.
"I'm an angel, Lord Hiero. Lord Dilandau! I have wings like Lord Hiero!" Chesta let out softly, his wings fluttering slightly in the cold air as he ran to them.
Hiero waited until Chesta reached him to look at the symbol again, smiling to see Chesta so happy, but deep down he wasn't happy Chesta couldn't stop calling him Lord Hiero. 'Must have been borne into him….to each his own I guess, who am I to judge, really?' he thought, placing his fingers on the symbol, it glowed slightly.
Chesta looked at him curiously, his wide and innocent eyes making Hiero look at him directly. "You have the wisdom symbol on your head," Hiero said bluntly, then looked at Chesta's wings and frowned slightly," And there is some bruising on your wings, Mujitsu Toruko."
"The wings burst through my armor when the….whatever it was, awakened me as an angel. It told me lots of things when the light touched me and did all this. I understand so many things I never even knew about…..but it won't work fully….until the prophecy is fulfilled. And thank you for the nickname, Turquoise Innocent is very nice sounding in both languages." The Dragon Slayer smiled.
Dilandau made huffing noise from far behind them. "But we bets get back, we must see which angel is next so we can do the prophecy before Folken finds out where we are. Lord Dilandau and you must be very cold waiting so long for me….but….can you help me with something first?" Chesta breathed out with a shiver.
"Name it." Hiero said.
Chesta made a gesture at his frost covered wings. "How do I retract them?" Hiero wanted to laugh, he never in all his life thought anyone would ask him that, but the look in Chesta's eyes reminded him of how his own had looked the first day he sprouted wings. He saw the fear and shame behind the tranquil eyes, and the wonder of the new experience.
"Its perfectly simple. Just think them away. I'll fix your armor up too….so you won't get anymore bruises." Hiero offered, and Chesta nodded with a small smile. The Dragon Slayer held his breath, gritting his teeth a bit, then the wings disintegrated into a golden flurry. The feathers that remained dancing in the air like golden fairies before getting carried away in the chilled wind. The symbol faded off Chesta's creamy brow, snowflakes lightly clinging to his golden blonde hair.
"Thank you, Lord Hiero…..Oh!" Chesta began, then yelped when a snowball hit him in the face.
"I'm freezing over here, you two, and you will be too if we don't get moving. Clouds are blotting out the sun and the wind is picking up. If we stay out here much longer, our fate will be as frozen statues no one gets to see. I will not die pathetically or at all this day!" Dilandau shouted, throwing a snowball the side of his hand up and down impatiently, his tell-tale smirk plastered in his face. His teeth were chattering, Hiero could hear it from where was it was so bad, but Dilandau managed to remain static in his expression, trying to ignore the cold.
Hiero smiled, leaning down to scoop up a good about of snow, rolling it into a ball gently. Chesta looked worried, still with a wet red mark on his face from the snowball. Hiero just grinned mischievously before turning around.
"Sure….but we're doing it my way. You may have won that battle, but the war is far from over, Dilandau. Let's see who gets back to the cave first!" Hiero cheered, and tossed the snowball right at Dilandau. He looked stunned, and almost amused, but dodged the ball easily. The first one anyway. No sooner had Hiero thrown the first one, he quickly scooped up and created another one and threw it at Dilandau's ducked head.
Dilandau let out an enraged growl, but Hiero had already shot past him, throwing his snowball a Hiero's back. It connected, but Hiero kept going. Chesta went after him and then Dilandau followed, yelling for Hiero to come back and face him like a man.
Hiero just smirked at all the threats, as if they really meant anything to something like him. Dilandau could beat him to his wicked little heart's content, he wouldn't complain, he'd earned it after all. He'd have such fun pushing Dilandau buttons now that the guy was finally back in a strong fighting mood. It was better that way, perhaps if Dilandau grew used to being angry with Hiero's obvious rebellious and insolent nature, it would easier for Dilandau to face his test.
'One can only hope, or I'll have to make him….do what my dream said. Sacrifice one of us for others. I'll kill his fear of death one way or another….even if it costs me mine.' He thought, sighing slightly as another snowball barrage slammed across his head and armor.
*The Hierophant card represents Chesta completely and his inner wisdom in handling himself and looking out for Lord Dilandau's constant and sudden dangerous impulses.
** Mujitsu Toruko means Turquoise Innocent in Japanese, mostly based off the blending color of Chesta's eyes and his face.
***Adonisu means Adonis in Japanese, which stand for a vain person, Dalet.
^ Roiyaru means True in Japanese, which represents Gatti's demeanor.
^^ Gaki Suteki means in Lovely Brat Japanese, Hiero's teasing impression of Migel.
*^ Hiretsukan means mean bastard in Japanese.
^*^ Chikan! means pervert in Japanese.
