Disclaimer: I'm sorry, Konami. I couldn't help myself.
Notes: ...It could happen! (Farce, or disturbing truth? You decide!)
Part I
A faint glimmer of light was all that gave away their arrival, and none who were awake were close enough to see it through the trees by the stable. A horse whickered softly, switched its tail, and returned to drinking - and that was that.
The young woman, the only female among the small group, glanced at her master nervously. The four of them were taking quite a risk by teleporting into Fire Bringer's headquarters directly, and she'd have been much less concerned if they'd left at least one behind. Preferably Master Luc himself, since he was by far the most important, but she would do whatever he asked of her... and he had asked that she bring them here.
As for Luc himself, he didn't look concerned - only a bit disgusted, as he wrinkled his nose at the smell of horse. "Let's get on with this, shall we? I'd rather not stay among this smell any longer than we have to."
Albert's expression was neutral, as always. "There were lights on the ship," he explained, "the little girl keeps watch at the gate, and it simply would not be a good idea to materialize in the middle of their courtyard. This was an out of the way place that would almost certainly not be closely watched."
"I could have dealt with the little girl before she saw us," the fourth member of their party stated, flexing his fingers as if the thought appealed to him greatly. Sarah bit her lip - she did not like the demon at all, and wished that Luc could have sent him away. But again, if it was what Master Luc wanted, she would put up with him.
Luc frowned at the words himself, however. "A little girl would not be worth your time or effort, Yuber, even if I would permit such a thing."
Yuber's lips curled into a faint smile at the word "permit" - Luc had no authority over him, in truth, and they all knew it. "Really? I believe she would be remarkably worth both the time and effort - both of which are precisely nil."
Luc had already turned away, looking up the hill towards the rundown manor that the new Flame Champion insisted upon calling a castle. "Albert, where does the so-called Champion stay? I would assume in the castle, in the best room..."
"As uncomfortable an arrangement as it is for a Grasslander boy, that's what my reports indicate," Albert agreed. "A room on the second floor, in the northeast corner. It's guarded, of course - not by guards in earnest, but those among his friends who have volunteered to stand watch."
Sarah glanced at Yuber, expecting some sort of sickening bloodthirsty comment at the prospect of killing the Flame Champion's friends, but the demon remained silent as they stepped out from among the shadows of the trees. In fact, in the soft moonlight, he looked almost preoccupied. Although it was strange, Sarah didn't mind in the least.
Almost immediately, she tensed. "Wait," she cautioned them. "Something doesn't feel right."
"What is it - is someone coming?" Luc asked.
She shook her head, closing her eyes to concentrate. "No, it's... it's as if someone is watching... but... strange."
The resulting silence was broken by the click of Yuber's swords dropping into his grasp, and Sarah opened her eyes in surprise. Normally he didn't show his swords until he was ready to fight.
Luc also seemed a bit surprised by the sudden action. "Yuber?"
"I sense it too," Yuber muttered, his unnatural eyes narrowed suspiciously.
That was a bit unusual, but Yuber never did speak much about what abilities he might have - and it was said that he had a true rune, although he'd never shown them its power. Sarah didn't think much upon it, but closed her eyes again to focus. "...Whoever is watching," she said finally, "is... not human."
"Hostile?" Albert asked.
Before Sarah could answer, a ferocious growl came from the shadows. Opening her eyes with a gasp, she swung her staff around as the rest of the party adopted battle positions. "Light, Sarah," Luc ordered her, staring into the darkness beneath the trees.
With a nod, she gathered her magic to illuminate the end of her staff, and found that its glow illuminated only a moderately sized black dog with white markings, which waited several paces down the path towards the castle, wearing a dark blue bandanna around its neck. It might have been rather cute under other circumstances, Sarah thought, but now its ears were laid back and its teeth bared, clearly telling them that they were not welcome.
"Hostile and inhuman..." Albert's slightly snide remark rose above the growling as he, Luc, and Sarah relaxed. "Even so, I suppose he'll be no trouble."
Everyone's eyes went to Yuber, fully expecting him to step in and take care of the small obstacle. To their surprise, he looked no less intense as he had before the light had shown what their opponent was. "...Sarah," he muttered, his eyes still fixed on the dog. "Get us out of here, now."
Her jaw dropped. "But..."
"Now!" he demanded, bringing his two swords up to a battle-ready position as the dog began to bark.
Sarah looked to Luc, completely confused, and he nodded towards the manor, where a light had suddenly come on in a window. His word was law for her, and so she gathered the energy as requested, causing the ground to glow, and the glow to ripple beneath them.
"Now!" Yuber repeated insistently, as the dog crouched, as if to leap.
Sarah obeyed, and the ground gave way beneath them as they were pulled through the void.
They resurfaced some distance away, in the middle of the plains to the east. As the residual glow faded away, Albert relaxed. "A pity. We could have made it in if the dog hadn't raised a fuss." He glanced over to Yuber, and Sarah knew what he must be thinking - Yuber should have taken the dog out immediately, since he already had his weapons readied. Not that Sarah would have approved, but it would have been the smart thing to do, and what she'd expect from Yuber.
The demon's eyes were still narrowed, to their surprise - and odder yet, there was an unfamiliar look in them. In anyone else, Sarah would have thought it was anxiety... but Yuber? What reason would he have to feel anxious?
Luc noticed it as well. "What is it, Yuber? Why did you tell us to leave? ...Do you have a fear of dogs?" he asked.
Sarah drew her breath at the mocking remark, even though it was something of a relief to hear Luc make such a snide comment again, as he used to when they were both much younger. She noted that Albert was hiding a smirk behind his hand as well.
Yuber drew himself up haughtily, and slipped the swords back to their hiding place. "That was no normal dog."
"Really now..." Luc looked skeptical. "Explain."
Yuber just shook his head, and as he glanced back over the plains to the lights of Budehuc Castle. "You humans wouldn't understand," he muttered. "If the mission has been aborted for tonight, then we can go, can't we?"
"The mission's security was compromised for tonight," Luc agreed. "We'll try again some other night - and Albert? Next time, see if your informants can find an out of the way place that doesn't smell like horse dung." His nose wrinkled again at the reminder. "I think I stepped in some..."
"I'll see what I can do," Albert told him with a cool nod.
As Sarah made ready to transport them back to their temporary headquarters, she stole another glance at Yuber. He still peered off to the west, his eyes fixed on Budehuc - and as the magical glow of teleportation illuminated him, Sarah became even more certain that the look in his eyes was indeed anxiety. What on earth had Yuber so unnerved over a dog, she wondered?