Chapter 8
"Now it begins," said Diablos narrowing his eyes.
Siren followed his gaze to the city in the valley below. "Let's hurry."
It was late at night, but the village was anything but peaceful. A dozen men ran down the main street carrying torches and a small cage. They stopped outside the inn and one of them threw rocks at the shutter until one opened cautiously.
"What do you want so late at night?" yelled a sleepy looking man.
"Wake up Cassius!" said a young man with a torch. "We found a prize for him!"
"Fine, fine," said a man stepping out of the main doors. He wore a long sleeved robe his dark hair long. The crowd made room for him as he inspected the cage. Inside was a tiny creature with green fur, long pointed ears, and in its forehead was a red gemstone. It shivered under his gaze.
"What's it worth Cassius?" asked a man holding the cage.
Cassius straightened up. "Quite a lot to the Academy."
"Should we tell the Raj?" asked a torchbearer.
Cassius hit him across the mouth. "I don't need help from a bunch of thugs! I'll take this Esper back to the Academy personally."
"I doubt that Mage Knight," said a voice.
They looked around fearfully until they saw a man in black and a woman in green standing on the roof of the inn. She began to play a strange melody on a harp.
Cassius drew out his staff and held it out like a sword. "Who are you?"
"I am Lord Diablos of Golgatha," said Diablos cheerfully. "This is my comrade Siren."
You're in the wrong country Golgatheans!" yelled a torchbearer. "This town is part of the Confederation!"
Diablos levitated to the ground. "I doubt the Eboshi Confederation would risk war over a dozen vigilantes and one Mage Knight."
"Are you mocking me?" demanded Cassius.
Diablos couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Release the Esper or die."
Cassius snorted and raised his staff. "Spirits of the earth, heed my call.."
"Aphonos Stoma!" called out Siren.
They turned to see her sitting on the edge of the roof strumming her harp. She began to sing in a deep throaty voice. Waves of music crashed through them.
Cassius sneered and continued to chant. ".." He blinked in surprise as no sound came out.
Diablos laughed heartily. "What's wrong Wizard? Cat got your tongue?"
A torchbearer dropped his torch and ran screaming noiselessly.
"My turn," said Diablos, his face darkening with glee. "Infernal regions confer upon me thy power.Quarter!"
A low rumble shook the street as chains of small black spheres materialized in front of each villager, then expanded into larger ones that enveloped them. Several villagers collapsed. Cassius slumped in a half kneeling position. Diablos walked forward, drawing out his short sword. Cassius stared up at him and threw his staff on the ground and raised his hands slowly. Diablos ran him through. Siren gasped as he fell forward onto the ground. Diablos cleaned his blade on the hem of Cassius' robe.
"Why did you kill him?" asked Siren angrily, grasping at his cape.
Diablos searched the dead man's pockets and drew out an oblong crystal. It was greenish but had a faint orange glow in the center. "He murdered an Esper. It's the only way humans can learn magic."
Siren looked around at the prostrate villagers. "Are they.?"
"No," said Diablos, stepping over one to reach the cage. He opened the cage and the small Esper leaped into his arms, still shivering. "What is your name little one?" he asked.
"Can it talk?" asked Siren, cocking her head.
(Carbuncle!)
"Yes it can." said Diablos.
Siren blinked. "I just heard a voice in my mind."
"Go now Carbuncle. You're free," said Diablos setting her down.
Carbuncle leaped onto his shoulder.
(Carbuncle stay with you!)
Diablos tried to grab Carbuncle, but she quickly leapt to the other shoulder.
(Hee hee!)
Diablos sighed. "No way! You can't follow where I'm going."
(Carbuncle very grateful to scary man and his floozy! Carbuncle help!)
"Floozy!" said Siren, clutching her harp hard enough to make the strings vibrate.
"Can you do more than annoy us?" said Diablos.
(Yes! Carbuncle can reflect magic with pretty ruby!)
"It's your funeral," said Diablos, walking down the street. Siren glanced around and reluctantly followed them.
"Now it begins," said Diablos narrowing his eyes.
Siren followed his gaze to the city in the valley below. "Let's hurry."
It was late at night, but the village was anything but peaceful. A dozen men ran down the main street carrying torches and a small cage. They stopped outside the inn and one of them threw rocks at the shutter until one opened cautiously.
"What do you want so late at night?" yelled a sleepy looking man.
"Wake up Cassius!" said a young man with a torch. "We found a prize for him!"
"Fine, fine," said a man stepping out of the main doors. He wore a long sleeved robe his dark hair long. The crowd made room for him as he inspected the cage. Inside was a tiny creature with green fur, long pointed ears, and in its forehead was a red gemstone. It shivered under his gaze.
"What's it worth Cassius?" asked a man holding the cage.
Cassius straightened up. "Quite a lot to the Academy."
"Should we tell the Raj?" asked a torchbearer.
Cassius hit him across the mouth. "I don't need help from a bunch of thugs! I'll take this Esper back to the Academy personally."
"I doubt that Mage Knight," said a voice.
They looked around fearfully until they saw a man in black and a woman in green standing on the roof of the inn. She began to play a strange melody on a harp.
Cassius drew out his staff and held it out like a sword. "Who are you?"
"I am Lord Diablos of Golgatha," said Diablos cheerfully. "This is my comrade Siren."
You're in the wrong country Golgatheans!" yelled a torchbearer. "This town is part of the Confederation!"
Diablos levitated to the ground. "I doubt the Eboshi Confederation would risk war over a dozen vigilantes and one Mage Knight."
"Are you mocking me?" demanded Cassius.
Diablos couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Release the Esper or die."
Cassius snorted and raised his staff. "Spirits of the earth, heed my call.."
"Aphonos Stoma!" called out Siren.
They turned to see her sitting on the edge of the roof strumming her harp. She began to sing in a deep throaty voice. Waves of music crashed through them.
Cassius sneered and continued to chant. ".." He blinked in surprise as no sound came out.
Diablos laughed heartily. "What's wrong Wizard? Cat got your tongue?"
A torchbearer dropped his torch and ran screaming noiselessly.
"My turn," said Diablos, his face darkening with glee. "Infernal regions confer upon me thy power.Quarter!"
A low rumble shook the street as chains of small black spheres materialized in front of each villager, then expanded into larger ones that enveloped them. Several villagers collapsed. Cassius slumped in a half kneeling position. Diablos walked forward, drawing out his short sword. Cassius stared up at him and threw his staff on the ground and raised his hands slowly. Diablos ran him through. Siren gasped as he fell forward onto the ground. Diablos cleaned his blade on the hem of Cassius' robe.
"Why did you kill him?" asked Siren angrily, grasping at his cape.
Diablos searched the dead man's pockets and drew out an oblong crystal. It was greenish but had a faint orange glow in the center. "He murdered an Esper. It's the only way humans can learn magic."
Siren looked around at the prostrate villagers. "Are they.?"
"No," said Diablos, stepping over one to reach the cage. He opened the cage and the small Esper leaped into his arms, still shivering. "What is your name little one?" he asked.
"Can it talk?" asked Siren, cocking her head.
(Carbuncle!)
"Yes it can." said Diablos.
Siren blinked. "I just heard a voice in my mind."
"Go now Carbuncle. You're free," said Diablos setting her down.
Carbuncle leaped onto his shoulder.
(Carbuncle stay with you!)
Diablos tried to grab Carbuncle, but she quickly leapt to the other shoulder.
(Hee hee!)
Diablos sighed. "No way! You can't follow where I'm going."
(Carbuncle very grateful to scary man and his floozy! Carbuncle help!)
"Floozy!" said Siren, clutching her harp hard enough to make the strings vibrate.
"Can you do more than annoy us?" said Diablos.
(Yes! Carbuncle can reflect magic with pretty ruby!)
"It's your funeral," said Diablos, walking down the street. Siren glanced around and reluctantly followed them.