Hey guys!! Sorry it took me so long to get this one out! I've been so busy trying to manage out school, work, friends, and family, I haven't had time to even think about this story. But now that things have settled a bit, I should be a little more constant. Thanks for your patience and enjoy!! Oh and please R&R too!
The Crimson Pendant:
Chapter 5-Lady in Red
Janus
was to the point of making a trail in the earthen floor before Leila arrived
with the cloak. "I'm sorry it took me
so long, I had a lot of chores to do. Oh, and just to let you know, I'll be arriving with my family and the
other two knights that are staying with us." She then dropped the scarlet cloak onto his bed and smiled, "But don't
worry, it'll be just you and me walking around the fair, just to be safe."
Janus
nodded and picked up the silken cape, examining it carefully, "This is a good
make." He muttered, not taking his eyes
from the cloak, "Where did you get such a cape?"
"It's
my father's," She touched it delicately, "He gave it to me when I turned
thirteen, it was his favorite cloak too."
The
boy looked at her questioningly, "Are you sure you want me to wear this?"
"Of
course," She giggled, "I trust you. Besides, it's the only cloak I own."
"Whatever
you say," He threw the scarlet drape over his shoulders, seeing if it fit.
"It
suits you." Leila chuckled, watching
Janus swirl the long cloth around himself.
"So,"
He sighed, turning to the brunette, "Where do I meet you?"
"Well,
if you walk behind the shed you'll see a worn path leading into the woods. Follow that all the way through until you
leave the forest and end up in a field. That's where you can wait for me, okay?'
"When
should I leave?" The boy interrogated,
"I don't want anyone to see me."
Leila
smiled, "I've taken care of that too. Once you hear me enter the house, make your way to the path, I'll meet
up with you about an hour after you leave." She walked over to the door, readying herself to leave, "Any more
questions?"
Janus
shook his head, "No, that's all."
"Okay,"
The brunette then began exiting, "Until tonight."
"Until then." Janus watched as the girl left for the house. Then he approached the door, awaiting her signal. The house door slammed shut, sending Janus bolting out the door toward the path to the village.
Not long after, Janus had arrived at the forest's end and quietly sat beside a tree. It hadn't taken him long to hover to his destination, and he was hoping Leila and her company wouldn't keep him waiting there long.
"This is going to be interesting," he sighed, beginning to regret his decision to come along. He slid up the tree trunk to lean against it, "If I find nothing out about Leila then this night will have been in vain." He sighed again, "But, if I am correct in my assumptions then…"
The rustle of a group exiting the woods halted his sentence and persuaded him to turn for a decent look at the people. The dusk made it hard to see the band of travelers, leading Janus to slowly move closer and get a better look at the company.
"Jack!" A recognized voice called him, as it's owner rushed up to greet the boy. "Poppa, Momma, this is my friend Jack." She tugged on his cloak, moving him closer to her parents, "He's never been to the fair before so I'm going to show him around then I'll meet you at the Silver Millennia dance, okay?"
Leila's mother nodded an approval as a tall, dark man stepped toward the two. "Nice to meet you Jack," The man acknowledged. He then extended his hand to shake, which Janus courteously accepted. "I'm Leila's father Meklanor."
The name made Janus jump back; he'd heard that name before. "The pleasure is mine," Janus replied, nodding his head to greet the rest of Leila's company.
"We should get going now," Leila interrupted, "The fair's already started, and we don't want to get there too late." She again grabbed onto Janus's cloak, "We'll see you at the dance." She began pulling the boy toward Dorina, intent on getting there in a hurry, "Good-bye!"
"Be careful now," Leila's mother answered smiling at them, "Jack, take good care of her and enjoy yourself!"
Janus nodded at the woman's remark, "I will madam," he mumbled in reply, trying hard to oppose the forceful tugging of his escort. Then, with a quick farewell, the two were off toward the fair.
After a few minutes, Janus and Leila reached Dorina village. Then they began making their way toward Dorina's square and the center of the carnival, seeing the sights as they went. Once inside the more illuminated area of the fairgrounds, Janus noticed his companion's elegant apparel. "You changed for this occasion?" He queried, looking her over.
A look of shock crossed the brunettes face, "Yes, I always do." Her face then melted into a smirk, "So, do you like my dress?" She twirled around, showing off her elegant dress, and her girlish figure.
Janus swallowed, uncomfortable by the situation, "Actually I think it looks silly on you," he lied. The girl immediately ceased her haughty act and stared at the boy in disbelief. "Come to think of it, you don't look very good in it at all," His lips curled into a small grin, "Perhaps something more boyish would make you look better. Say, a set of trousers?"
Leila folded her arms in a girlish pose and gave Janus a nasty scowl. "Excuse me Jack," she hissed in irritation, "That wasn't very funny! I brought you here trying to be nice to you and you…"
Suddenly, Janus grabbed for Leila's neck, snatching up a pendant she wore. "Hey!" The poor girl choked, trying to move away from her companion, "Let my necklace go! You're hurting me!"
Janus took one more glance at the pendant and quickly released his grip. "Where did you get that pendant?" He queried, still staring down at it.
"Why do you want to know?" She snapped back, rubbing her sore neck.
"Because I've seen it somewhere before." He looked up into the brunette's confused eyes.
The girl sighed, looking down at her pendant. It was made of a blood red stone, one she had never seen elsewhere, with a strange insignia lined in gold surrounding it.
"Please, I need to know!" He pleaded, trying not to let his anxiousness get the best of him.
Leila glanced up into her friend's demanding eyes, "Alright," She groaned, "But you must promise to tell no one what I am about to tell you."
Janus nodded, as Leila pulled his arm once again, dragging into a more secluded area.
"First of all, this pendant was given to me by my mother when I was just born." She paused, not wanting to continue.
Janus shrugged, "So? Does Fiona have one from her too?"
"No." The girl gave another sigh, "Well, Sylvia, the women you met tonight isn't my real mother. Fiona is actually my half-sister."
Janus's heart skipped a beat. He was right! She had to be the daughter of Schala.
"I never met my real mother. She died before I was born, so my father says." She smiled at Janus, her demeanor becoming cheery again, "Now let's get back to the fair. The Millennia dance is going to start soon, so we better start on over to the bandstand." She began walking, followed by Janus, as they trotted toward the sound of the music, enjoying the sights as they went.
The dance had already begun by the time they arrived and everyone there was either dancing or enjoying the company. Leila pushed her way through the crowded area securely grasping Janus's cloak to keep them together.
"I want to dance up closer to the band," She tried to explain above the noise, "It's usually less crowded actually, less people talking up there." Janus nodded and they continued to the stage until Leila stopped. "I think this is good," She smiled at Janus, taking him by the hand and began to dance with the startled boy.
By the end of that dance, the poor boy already wanted to sit down. He had never danced to folk music before and stumbling around like a fool was not exactly his idea of a good time, so he slowly crept away from the enthused girl to find a place to sit.
"Where are you going?" She queried, noticing his sneaky demeanor.
"I don't want to dance anymore." He huffed, plopping into a nearby chair.
Leila put her hands on her hips and sighed, "Then who is going to dance with me?"
Just as she finished her question, a voice belted out her name as the two turned to see a young brunette boy heading their way.
"Leila!" He panted, moving in to stand next to her.
The girl smiled politely at the boy, "Hello Cyrus! Having a good time?" The two smiled at each other a moment, then Leila's face dropped to Janus. "Jack, I'd like you to meet Cyrus, he's one of the knight's we rescued." Cyrus extended his hand to shake but was given a cold rejection from the hooded boy.
Pulling his hand back, Cyrus gave a quick scowl at his adversary then turned back to Leila with a grin. "Um, Leila," He stammered as the band began to play again, "Would you, if you don't mind, I mean."
Leila nodded enthusiastically as she reached her hand out to be taken by her escort. "I'm going to go dance with Cyrus since you won't dance with me." She taunted the boy as she left "Have fun!" With that the two were part of the crowd of dancing bodies, leaving Janus to sit by himself.
Janus rolled his eyes in disgust. "How foolish these humans are," He scoffed, folding his arms and sinking lower in the chair. Seeing the boy had made him even sourer than the folk dance with Leila. He knew the boy's face, it was the same face of his rival in the past battle. The one he had thought he'd killed.
"How did he survive?" He questioned himself, trying to find the boy amid the crowd of dancers, "No mystic could have survived two dark matter blasts so close to him, how could a human?" Slowly he rose from his seat, trying to reaffirm the boy as the one from battle.
His eyes scanned the crowd once more, but finally rested on a single figure in a red dress. "She does look delicate tonight," he thought, his mind wandering away from the previous irritation, "That dress truly does suit her. Perhaps I was being a little harsh by mocking her about it. Why she looks just like…" Realizing his present reflection, he shook it all from his head and began searching again for the knight, "Janus, don't tell me you're getting soft." He scolded himself, "Especially not over a human peasant girl." He stood there; again thinking of the knight, then leisurely sat back down and contemplated past and future events.
The night finally came to an end as the musicians finished their last tune and the crowd began to dissipate from the square, content but weary from the long hours of festivities. Although persisted by Leila to stay with her group, Janus refused the offer and found his way back through the forest himself.
Once he had located the house, he cautiously checked to see if the family was inside, then moved into the shed, taking off the sweltering cloak and stretching wearily. "Tomorrow would be a good chance to leave," He thought, collapsing onto his bed, " I have worn out my welcome here. Besides, Ozzie is probably already looking for a replacement for me. I must return to reclaim my place as his number one official."
His mind then began to wander onto Cyrus again. "I can't believe he's still alive." He threw off his boots and relaxed into his bed, ready to sleep. "I must destroy him before he's able to hinder the mystic army any more than he already has. Tomorrow morning, before I leave." He shifted in his bed, "I hate to do this in light of the hospitality Leila and her family has shown me, but this is war." He then began planning his approach for the following day, hoping that he could somehow accomplish his task and leave before he had to confront Leila.