12:41 P.M. Gaian Standard
Mitheithel's Point of View:
I stood in the courtyard for a long time after I finished warming up. The peacefulness of the place drew and kept me there. For a long time, I began to forget the reason why I was here.
"Mitheithel," Someone called. I snapped out of my daze and looked around. It was Garnet.
"Yes?" I asked softly. I slipped my scimitars back into their scabbards and stood up.
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat? You were out here all morning," She said. I didn't feel hungry. I did things during the night. That was my time as well.
"No thank you, Garnet," I replied lightly.
"It's peaceful here, isn't it?" Garnet asked. Indeed it was.
"I never knew Alexandria was so peaceful. Heh, I'm so used to turmoil of my village," I trailed off. Garnet looked at me carefully.
"I hope you get to stay here longer then," She said. Something made my ears stand on end. A light rustling of bushes and the scrape of a sword along the ground meant only one thing: Raamalooke. She was trying a daytime assassination. But that would attract my attention. It seemed a little off to me. I stood up and rested my hands on top of the hilts of my scimitars as I walked around the courtyard. The noises seemed to be closer than before.
"You continue to watch over him, don't you, Mitheithel?" Raamalooke asked. I wasn't sure where she was. Her voice rebounded off of some nearby object.
"I'm not going to be let him be killed by you, Raamalooke," I snapped.
"Oh, I have a new target now," She said slyly. I could guess who that was. I circled around the courtyard slowly, ready for anything. Raamalooke phased out from the shadows, and pounced on me. I kicked her off and got back up. Magic and energy flocked to my call. I stepped back and let my intended spell fly. Lightning crashed down on her, making her fly back in the opposite direction. In one movement, I unsheathed my swords and walked over to her. Two swords came to greet me. Raamalooke spun around and sent one of her swords toward my side. I brought one of my swords to block it with speed.
I delicately started at her again with a bunch of difficult combinations. Raamalooke's feet shuffled back and forth as she struggled to keep pace. I was faster than her when I used my swords, just she still ruled me at magic. I broke away from my pressing combinations and stabbed at her flank with both swords. Raamalooke barely acknowledged the pain I caused her as she kicked me in the chest. I stumbled back with my swords in hand. Raamalooke had dropped hers as a result of my stab.
She pounced again, knocking me onto the ground. My swords were scattered across the courtyard, way beyond my reach. I grabbed her face with one hand, trying to embed my claws into her face. It worked and Raamalooke let out a horrible shriek. She got up and kicked me in the side, forcefully. I wrapped my tail around her legs and swung my legs towards her lower leg. Her knees buckled and she fell down with a groan. So far, I had only minor injuries: cuts and bruises on my arm and a slight ache in my side.
Raamalooke latched her claws onto my right arm and pulled. I heard flesh rip and bit my lip to keep from screaming. Then, without warning, the entire Alexandrian army surrounded us. Raamalooke let go of my arm and looked around. This was a uniquely dangerous situation. I grabbed my bleeding arm as I sat up and curled my tail around me. I felt numb and weak. Were Raamalooke's claws laced with something? Steiner walked through the line and scowled at the both of us, or rather, more at Raamalooke.
"And just what were you two doing?" He asked. His voice was laced with suspicion.
"She attacked me," Raamalooke lied. A deep growl welled up in my throat.
"Surely, you jest, dear woman. Mitheithel is in favor of the queen. And the queen does not favor those who are murderers," Steiner said. Despite my hurt, I grinned, as Raamalooke turned pale. The assassin reached into a pouch and threw something down. Smoke filled the courtyard, sending it into chaos. I remained where I was calmly and waited for it to clear. When it did, Raamalooke was gone.
"Search the castle grounds! Don't let her get away!" Steiner ordered. I stood up carefully and picked up my swords, then sheathed them one by one. I cradled my torn arm to my chest, not really caring about the pain. It was numb anyway. Kuja and Garnet arrived on the scene and sighed.
"Mitheithel, are you alright?" Garnet asked.
"I-I'm fine," I stammered. My voice sounded weird. Raamalooke's claws were tainted with poison. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel like this. Forget my code about people touching me. I needed help or I would die. Luckily enough, Kuja ignored my haggard sounding voice and inspected my arm just as my legs gave out. Kuja reached out and grabbed me before I could hit the ground. Fortunate for him, I didn't touch him with my hands. There were hidden powers that I didn't want Kuja to find out about.
But I was semi-conscious and my eyes darted back and forth lazily as everyone gathered about. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. I couldn't make myself talk or anything. I just felt numb. It was then that I knew that I wouldn't live long. The poison was spreading fast and soon it would go to my heart. And then something happened.
Kuja's hand touched mine. I saw things. I saw a woman that looked very familiar to me and she was holding two babies, Kalya and Kulusindi, no doubt. I saw a blue world and then, a flash of light. I wasn't sure what I was looking at. It was something Kuja didn't tell me. I saw him floating over something with his eyes purely red. I could feel his emotions: despair, and anger. I found that no matter how hard I tried to get away from the vision, it failed. I was trapped in Kuja's mind. And I was dying…
A/N: Pretty good, huh? Please review! PLEASE O_O; Coming up: Strange things (Ch.4)