Author's Notes: See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.
Chestnuts and Cherries By Annie-chan Chapter Five: Scrying GlassThe Sorcerer Hunters plus Cerise had returned to Eden. Cerise, who had never been there before, stuck close to Marron, a little intimidated by the sheer size of the place.
"Hi, everyone!" Daughter squealed, popping up out of nowhere to greet them as they walked through the entrance hall. "How'd it go?"
Cerise gave a little "eep!" of surprise and hid behind Marron. She hadn't known what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't a little angel-like girl appearing out of thin air in front of them like that. "Don't do that!"
"Aw, I'm sorry!" Daughter said, her elvish ears drooping a bit. "I didn't know there was a new one here!" She suddenly perked up and grinned cutely. "I'm Daughter! What's your name?"
"Er…" Cerise answered, a little taken aback by the girl's overly perky attitude and appearance. "I'm Cerise…I met these five in Umbar."
"Ohh…" Daughter mused. She looked at Marron, who was still half acting as a shield for Cerise. "You know Parsoners aren't normally allowed here in Eden. Why'd you bring her?" There was no anger in her voice over Cerise's presence, merely a warning tone coupled with curiosity.
"That's something we have to discuss with Big Mama," Marron replied. "Is she available to speak with?"
"Yep!" Daughter grinned. "In fact, she knew you guys were coming, and is expecting you in her audience room! C'mon!" She turned around and floated down the hallway, leading the way to Big Mama, though the Sorcerer Hunters already knew the way very well. It was a formality that had to be followed except in emergencies. Daughter ushered people to and from the audience room to see Big Mama, as well as delivered summons when someone was needed.
As the Sorcerer Hunters followed, Cerise tugged at Marron's sleeve. When he looked down, he saw that she looked a bit nervous. "I've heard of Big Mama many times before," she whispered, "as you probably know, since I was the one picked to deliver that package to you guys a while ago, but I've never met or even seen her. What's she like?"
"Don't be nervous," he reassured her. "She's a divine being, and has a very grandiose appearance, but she's very friendly, and is never condescending. Just be yourself, like you were when you met us, and she'll like you in no time, I'm sure."
"Okay," Cerise said, letting go of his sleeve.
When they got to the audience room doors, Daughter pushed them open and announced their arrival.
"Carrot, Marron, Chocolat, Tira, and Gateau are back, Mama," she said. "They've brought a visitor, too. They say they have something to discuss with you."
"I see," the woman on the dais against the opposite wall said. Her looks reminded Cerise of some kind of goddess, and she immediately understood what Marron said about a grandiose appearance. She had four people in ornate armor and cloaks standing beside and behind her, and she guessed that these four were the Haz Knights Marron had once mentioned on their way here. "Very good, Daughter. Thank you for bringing them to me as I asked."
Daughter beamed and floated over to Big Mama to take her place beside her.
"Your latest mission went well, I hope?" Mama asked.
"Better than expected," Tira answered, digging in her pockets for something. "We got a Forbidden Magic item that we weren't looking for almost by accident. Turns out that the Sorcerer we were after had it hidden away in his drawing room." She handed what looked like a mini monolith with arcane symbols on it to Big Mama.
"Thank you, Tira," Mama replied with a smile. "I'll make sure it's destroyed." She handed it to one of the Haz Knights, then turned and eyed Cerise. "Ah, it looks like you had another run-in with a Western Magic user, Marron," she said, noting Cerise's pendant and staff, as well as the way she stood close to the black-haired man. "Is this the same girl you met a while ago?"
"Yes, Big Mama," Marron answered with a nod. "She's in a bit of a jam, and I thought that we could help her out of it with a little effort and time."
"Oh?" Mama said, her eyebrows rising a little. "And, what might that be?"
Marron took a deep breath and launched into the story of who she was, how they met, and the unique circumstances that made their acquaintance dangerous. He went from start to finish, careful not to miss anything important. When he was through, he watched Big Mama's reaction.
"I see," Big Mama said after thinking a moment. "Predestined love is not something to be ignored or denied. On the other hand, you are right that Sorcerers tend to be very possessive of their mates. Breaking the engagement openly would not be wise, and could endanger both of you, as well as those around you. It wouldn't be very fair to Cerise, either, if you two went somewhere that this Viande could never find her, as she does think of him as a good friend." After thinking for another moment, she nodded. "All right, I will give you my aid in absolving this predicament. The hidden village at Saint Hordic Mountain will be the safest place for her at least until a feasible plan is laid out. I advise you two to go there for now." She looked at the other four with a smile. "Why don't you go with them? You haven't been back there for a while, and I'm sure you would all like to visit home again."
"Yeah!" Carrot said, grinning, at the same time the other three expressed their happiness. Even though it wasn't often that they got to go to Saint Hordic Mountain, they still considered it their home.
"Good, that's settled," Big Mama said. "You may all leave now, if you have nothing else to speak with me about."
"Um," Cerise piped up, sounded shy. "I have something else to say…"
"Yes?" Mama asked. "What is it, my dear?"
"Well…" Cerise said quietly, still a little intimidated by Eden and Mama and the Haz Knights. "I mean…if it's possible…when this is over, I'd like to become a Sorcerer Hunter!" She looked down, a blush coming to her cheeks. "I mean…if you don't mind…"
Big Mama smiled appreciatively. "Of course, Cerise! We're always happy to bring in new members! You just have to keep in mind that it's a full-time job, and it demands a very high commitment. There is also the fact that you are a Western Magic user. However, Marron has managed to split his time between his duties as a Sorcerer Hunter and as an Eastern Magic user with little conflict. I'm sure you won't have any problem with it, either."
"I promise, Big Mama!" Cerise smiled, encouraged by her acceptance. "I'll do my best!"
"Good," Big Mama nodded. "Now, I suggest you all set off for Saint Hordic Mountain as soon as possible."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Cerise?" Marron asked tentatively. "Are you all right?"
Cerise turned to look at Marron. She was leaning on the guardrail on a balcony that was off the girls' room at the inn they were staying the night in. The guy's room was next door, and he had probably come from there. There was also a balcony leading off the guys' room, and he may have seen her from there as she was staring wistfully at the pretty colors in the sky caused by the sun as it neared the horizon.
"Oh, I'm fine, Marron," she replied with a smile. She quickly reached out and caught her staff, which she had accidentally bumped as she turned, before it could fall to the ground. She leaned it back up against the railing. "I just love watching the sky sometimes. It lets me forget my troubles for the time being." He had walked up and put his hand on her shoulder. She edged nearer to him. "How far is it to Saint Hordic Mountain?" she asked.
"About three days, not counting how far we've traveled from Eden so far," he answered. "Will Viande miss you? When were you supposed to go back to him?"
"He shouldn't miss me until after we're there, then," she said. "I was taking a two-month-long training journey, but he thinks I was visiting distant relatives on the other side of the continent. I was going to head back to him in about a week if we hadn't met in Umbar."
"Ah," Marron said. "That's good. If all goes well, then, we should be in the Sorcerer Hunter village before he suspects anything."
"Right," she said. "We'd be in big trouble if he used some kind of seeing device to check up on me, but he doesn't have any of those."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Father! Look what I have!"
Lord Mariné turned to look at his son as he half-ran into the sitting room, an eager look on his face.
"Really, Viande," he admonished. "You are nearly twenty-two years old, and yet you are acting like a child with a new toy."
"But, Father," said a still smiling Viande, "I do have a new toy, in a way. Look!" He pulled a cloth-wrapped object from his belt and removed the soft covering, revealing a very recognizable object.
"A mirror," Lord Mariné said dully, not impressed.
"It's not just a mirror!" Viande laughed. "It's a scrying glass!"
Lord Mariné eyed his son. "That is a very rare magical item," he said. "Very rare and very expensive. How much did you pay for it?"
"I didn't," Viande replied. "I won it in a bet with a Sorcerer from out of the area."
"I see," Lord Mariné said. "Well, I would be skeptical of it's quality if someone was willing to wager it in a bet, but if it works, and you take good care of it, you're welcome to keep it for yourself."
"Thank you, Father," Viande said, smiling. "He said it was simple to use. I just have to think about who or what I want to see." He thought for a minute, then his face lit up. "I haven't seen my dear Cerise for nearly two months, and she won't begin her trip back here for another week. Let's see how she's doing with her family." As he spoke, his reflection in the mirror wavered, swirled, then dissolved into a completely different image. Cerise was leaning on what looked like the wooden guardrail of a balcony, staring off into the distance. He saw her from the side, so he couldn't see what she was looking at. "Ah-ha! See? It works!"
"Yes," Lord Mariné said in agreement, but his eyebrows drew down. "Look at what's leaning on the rail beside her, and what's hanging around her neck, Viande."
"A staff and a gold necklace," his son replied. "So?"
"Look at them, Viande!" Lord Mariné exclaimed. "Only one group in the world wears a necklace like that and carries that type of staff! She's a Western Magic user! She disobeyed my order that she not learn magic!"
"Oh, get off your high horse, Father!" Viande countered. "Not developing potential like hers is a sin! I was never happy that you had forbidden her to learn magic! I'm glad she disobeyed you there!"
"Whether you are glad about it or not," Lord Mariné growled, "she must be punished for disobeying me! Her parents as well. They certainly had a hand in getting the Western Magic users to train her!"
"No!" Viande shouted. "She is my fiancée, and they are my future parents-in-law! They violated an order that I don't think you had any right to make in the first place! They will not be punished for this!"
Lord Mariné stared at his son for a moment, seemingly angry, then suddenly smiled. "I like your assertiveness, Viande," he said. "Just the kind of attitude I want to see in the next head of our family. All right. They will not be punished."
"Good," Viande smiled, satisfied. He looked back at the scrying glass, and he could now see a tall young man in white robes standing next to Cerise. "Hey…if I'm not mistaken, that's an Eastern Magic user there." He glanced over to his father, who nodded, then turned his eyes back to the two people in the glass. He could see their lips moving, but couldn't hear what they were saying, as the glass transmitted image but not sound. His brows furrowed and his heart sped up a notch when he saw that the man had his hand on her shoulder, and they were standing very close together. They looked awfully friendly, standing like that. He watched for a few minutes more, then felt his heart stop as Cerise turned her face up toward the young man's, and they kissed. "WHAT?!" he screamed, the word veritably bursting from his throat.
"That little tramp!" Lord Mariné roared, for he had seen, too.
"Shut up!" Viande cried, very upset. "It's not her fault! He must have her bewitched or drugged or something like that!" He quickly stuck the scrying glass under his belt again, ran to a set of pegs on the wall, pulled his cloak off, and proceeded to fasten it on. "This glass is supposed to help me find where something is, as well as show it to me," he said, fastening the clasp at his throat.
"Where are you going?" he father asked. "The sun is setting! Night is coming on!"
"I'm going to her, of course!" Viande said, opening the door. "If I don't find them as soon as I can, who knows what he may make her do?!" Without another word, he stepped through the door and closed it behind him.
He was gone.
To be continued…Author's Notes: Augh. This is later than I wanted it to be. I should get more on the ball when it comes to writing these chapters. I'm trying to update every two or so weeks. Also, I don't know how far it is between Eden and Saint Hordic Mountain (for all I know, they could be a few hours from each other), so I made up a distance. Hope no one minds if I'm off. Anyway, I hope you all like this! Please let me know in either a review or an email to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!
