Gabriel and Rena were headed to the armory for last minute preparations. Celine and Ashton had decided that they would wait at the docks. When they had reached the plaza, Gabriel spun on his heels and stared out over the ocean with a deep frown.
"Gabriel?" Rena looked up at the redhead. "What's wrong?"
"A spell was just cast. I felt it. Nothing nearby though." Gabriel continued to frown. "We need to find Ashton and Celine."
As the two were about to walk off, the ground began to shudder.
"Oh no." Gabriel started off in a run toward the docks with Rena following closely behind.
Rena fell with a shout as the ground began to violently shake. Gabriel ignored the earthquake as he ran into Ashton and Celine. The trio began to run back into town, Gabriel picking Rena up on their way through to higher ground.
Once the earth stopped shaking, the four of them looked around. Celine shook her head. "Hopefully survivors will be found."
Gabriel looked out over the ocean and shook his head. "That was just the beginning. I can't explain how…" His voice broke off as he frowned.
"Gabriel? Another spell?" Rena stepped up to Gabriel's right side and took his hand.
"Yes. The first was Earthquake. If I'm right, Clik is about to be the victim of Noah." Gabriel was the only person that wasn't surprised when the tidal wave struck Clik.
Celine stood on Gabriel's left side. "Who could have cast a spell that powerful?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I don't know, but…" He breaks off as he just stares out at the ocean.
"But?" Rena and Celine looked at him and spoke in unison.
"Doesn't matter. Let's go." Gabriel turned and walked off, the other three behind him. "We'll walk as far as we can, then we'll make camp."
Celine dropped back to walk next to Ashton. "Ever get the feeling he's hiding something?"
Ashton nodded. "Yeah." The dragons on his back began to argue. "Stop it!" Ashton hissed up at them.
"Can you understand them? What are they saying?" Celine looked at the two dragons, then at Ashton.
"They're saying that he's not what he seems to be." Ashton and Celine watched Gabriel from behind. "Rena is really taken by him, isn't she?"
Celine nodded. "Not that I blame her. He's cute."
Ashton shrugged. "I guess, if you like guys." He shook his head.
Celine looked at Ashton for a moment. "You aren't so bad yourself. Those two really add something there." She smirked and caught up with Gabriel and Rena, leaving a stunned Ashton in the back.
******************************
After several hours of walking, the sun began to set. Gabriel and Ashton went about finding wood for a fire and setting up the main camp. Rena and Celine pulled the blankets out and made four pallets.
Gabriel came walking up, carrying several rabbits. He set them down and glanced at Rena and Celine. "I hope you like rabbit. All I could catch. Now if you'll excuse me, I better find Ashton before he gets himself into trouble."
Rena nodded with a smile. Celine grabbed one of the rabbits and started preparing dinner. Rena did the same.
Not long afterwards, Gabriel came back with Ashton and dinner was cooking. Ashton stayed nearby, though he began practicing with his swords. Gabriel lie down, resting on his pallet. Rena tended the cooking rabbits. Celine had already told Rena to wake her when dinner was ready.
Gabriel turned his head to look at Rena. "Are you okay?"
Rena looked at Gabriel. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Gabriel turned on his side and propped himself up. "I mean with everything that's happened?"
Rena nodded. "If you mean what's happened between us, yes. I'm perfectly okay with it. Better than okay with it."
Gabriel shook his head. "That too, but I was indicating the loss of your pendant. The guy that's nearly killed me twice that just won't die. Clik being destroyed. My being able to somehow sense when a powerful spell is used." He makes a motion with his hand to indicate everything else that's happened.
Rena turned the rabbits over and got up. She walked over to Gabriel and sat down next to him. "I won't lie. It scares me. I don't know who you are. You don't know who you are."
Gabriel sat up and pulled Rena against him. "What really scares me is what if that girl was right? What if I am responsible for all of this? She knew my name. That silver haired guy knew my name. When your pendant was taken, I saw the person that did it. He knew me. He had to. Who are these people and why do they know me?" He tightened his hold on Rena for a moment.
Rena relaxed against Gabriel. "I don't know, but it's something that we'll face together."
Celine looked up. "You aren't alone, Gabriel. Who ever that woman was, if she is right, and you do have a destructive streak, then use it against the people who did this to our home."
Gabriel looked over at Celine. "You don't understand. She implied that I was responsible for what's happening. What if she's right? That would make /me/ your enemy!"
Celine shook her head. "/You/ don't understand, Gabriel. If she is right and you /used/ to be the person responsible, then she'll just have to realise that you aren't that person anymore."
Gabriel looked up at the starlit sky. "What if my memory comes back and I forget all of this? Or if I am who she says, I can't resist whatever it is that I've done here." He looks at Rena. "I won't hurt you. I swear that to you."
Rena looked up at Gabriel. "I know."
A shout sounded through the night and the three looked off into the distance. "Ashton!" came the shout from all three of them.
Gabriel, Celine, and Rena joined Ashton prepared for the worst. In front of them was a single competitor.
"I can't touch him." Ashton growled out as he jumped at the man. The man moved quickly and Ashton's swords met only air. "Damn!"
Gabriel raised his hands and began to chant. Celine took the cue and began to cast her own spell. Rena smiled and did the same.
The man took his attention off of Ashton and dashed toward the spell casters. His sword came down, hitting Gabriel across the chest. The mage screamed as he fell to the ground.
Celine and Rena's concentration was broken as Celine caught Rena's arm, as she was about to run to Gabriel's side. They watched helpless as Gabriel was left subject to a fist beating by the man. Every attempt Ashton made to stop it left Ashton thrown away.
Once Gabriel was unconscious, the man backed away. He turned to Rena and smiled at her. "That's only a taste of what's to come. Give it up, children." He disappeared.
Rena jerked away from Celine and ran to Gabriel. She slid to a stop on her knees and began to cast healing spell after healing spell.
Celine and Ashton watched with worried looks. "I couldn't touch him, Celine. I tried to stop it. He was too powerful."
Celine nodded as she hugged herself. "This scares me, Ashton... Who was that guy? Why did he go after Gabriel like that? He obviously could have killed Gabriel, so why did he stop?"
Ashton shrugged. "I really don't know."
***************************
"Is it done?"
"Yes, Lucifer, it's done."
"How bad?"
"He's unconscious, but that Nedian woman has probably healed him."
"Good. Let him remember the pain."
"What happens if he turns against us completely?"
"Then we kill him."
"Lucifer, I know you don't want to hurt Gabriel, but you should consider that the longer he doesn't have his memory, the harder it will be to convince him to come back to us."
"I know, Berle. I have a plan if he's resistant after we return his memories. I'm hoping that, if he gets this far, this tower will make him remember."
"Seeing you didn't make him remember. Seeing Zadkiel didn't make him remember. Seeing me didn't make him remember. What makes you think his being here will make him remember?"
"I can only hope."
"Gabriel?" Rena looked up at the redhead. "What's wrong?"
"A spell was just cast. I felt it. Nothing nearby though." Gabriel continued to frown. "We need to find Ashton and Celine."
As the two were about to walk off, the ground began to shudder.
"Oh no." Gabriel started off in a run toward the docks with Rena following closely behind.
Rena fell with a shout as the ground began to violently shake. Gabriel ignored the earthquake as he ran into Ashton and Celine. The trio began to run back into town, Gabriel picking Rena up on their way through to higher ground.
Once the earth stopped shaking, the four of them looked around. Celine shook her head. "Hopefully survivors will be found."
Gabriel looked out over the ocean and shook his head. "That was just the beginning. I can't explain how…" His voice broke off as he frowned.
"Gabriel? Another spell?" Rena stepped up to Gabriel's right side and took his hand.
"Yes. The first was Earthquake. If I'm right, Clik is about to be the victim of Noah." Gabriel was the only person that wasn't surprised when the tidal wave struck Clik.
Celine stood on Gabriel's left side. "Who could have cast a spell that powerful?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I don't know, but…" He breaks off as he just stares out at the ocean.
"But?" Rena and Celine looked at him and spoke in unison.
"Doesn't matter. Let's go." Gabriel turned and walked off, the other three behind him. "We'll walk as far as we can, then we'll make camp."
Celine dropped back to walk next to Ashton. "Ever get the feeling he's hiding something?"
Ashton nodded. "Yeah." The dragons on his back began to argue. "Stop it!" Ashton hissed up at them.
"Can you understand them? What are they saying?" Celine looked at the two dragons, then at Ashton.
"They're saying that he's not what he seems to be." Ashton and Celine watched Gabriel from behind. "Rena is really taken by him, isn't she?"
Celine nodded. "Not that I blame her. He's cute."
Ashton shrugged. "I guess, if you like guys." He shook his head.
Celine looked at Ashton for a moment. "You aren't so bad yourself. Those two really add something there." She smirked and caught up with Gabriel and Rena, leaving a stunned Ashton in the back.
******************************
After several hours of walking, the sun began to set. Gabriel and Ashton went about finding wood for a fire and setting up the main camp. Rena and Celine pulled the blankets out and made four pallets.
Gabriel came walking up, carrying several rabbits. He set them down and glanced at Rena and Celine. "I hope you like rabbit. All I could catch. Now if you'll excuse me, I better find Ashton before he gets himself into trouble."
Rena nodded with a smile. Celine grabbed one of the rabbits and started preparing dinner. Rena did the same.
Not long afterwards, Gabriel came back with Ashton and dinner was cooking. Ashton stayed nearby, though he began practicing with his swords. Gabriel lie down, resting on his pallet. Rena tended the cooking rabbits. Celine had already told Rena to wake her when dinner was ready.
Gabriel turned his head to look at Rena. "Are you okay?"
Rena looked at Gabriel. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Gabriel turned on his side and propped himself up. "I mean with everything that's happened?"
Rena nodded. "If you mean what's happened between us, yes. I'm perfectly okay with it. Better than okay with it."
Gabriel shook his head. "That too, but I was indicating the loss of your pendant. The guy that's nearly killed me twice that just won't die. Clik being destroyed. My being able to somehow sense when a powerful spell is used." He makes a motion with his hand to indicate everything else that's happened.
Rena turned the rabbits over and got up. She walked over to Gabriel and sat down next to him. "I won't lie. It scares me. I don't know who you are. You don't know who you are."
Gabriel sat up and pulled Rena against him. "What really scares me is what if that girl was right? What if I am responsible for all of this? She knew my name. That silver haired guy knew my name. When your pendant was taken, I saw the person that did it. He knew me. He had to. Who are these people and why do they know me?" He tightened his hold on Rena for a moment.
Rena relaxed against Gabriel. "I don't know, but it's something that we'll face together."
Celine looked up. "You aren't alone, Gabriel. Who ever that woman was, if she is right, and you do have a destructive streak, then use it against the people who did this to our home."
Gabriel looked over at Celine. "You don't understand. She implied that I was responsible for what's happening. What if she's right? That would make /me/ your enemy!"
Celine shook her head. "/You/ don't understand, Gabriel. If she is right and you /used/ to be the person responsible, then she'll just have to realise that you aren't that person anymore."
Gabriel looked up at the starlit sky. "What if my memory comes back and I forget all of this? Or if I am who she says, I can't resist whatever it is that I've done here." He looks at Rena. "I won't hurt you. I swear that to you."
Rena looked up at Gabriel. "I know."
A shout sounded through the night and the three looked off into the distance. "Ashton!" came the shout from all three of them.
Gabriel, Celine, and Rena joined Ashton prepared for the worst. In front of them was a single competitor.
"I can't touch him." Ashton growled out as he jumped at the man. The man moved quickly and Ashton's swords met only air. "Damn!"
Gabriel raised his hands and began to chant. Celine took the cue and began to cast her own spell. Rena smiled and did the same.
The man took his attention off of Ashton and dashed toward the spell casters. His sword came down, hitting Gabriel across the chest. The mage screamed as he fell to the ground.
Celine and Rena's concentration was broken as Celine caught Rena's arm, as she was about to run to Gabriel's side. They watched helpless as Gabriel was left subject to a fist beating by the man. Every attempt Ashton made to stop it left Ashton thrown away.
Once Gabriel was unconscious, the man backed away. He turned to Rena and smiled at her. "That's only a taste of what's to come. Give it up, children." He disappeared.
Rena jerked away from Celine and ran to Gabriel. She slid to a stop on her knees and began to cast healing spell after healing spell.
Celine and Ashton watched with worried looks. "I couldn't touch him, Celine. I tried to stop it. He was too powerful."
Celine nodded as she hugged herself. "This scares me, Ashton... Who was that guy? Why did he go after Gabriel like that? He obviously could have killed Gabriel, so why did he stop?"
Ashton shrugged. "I really don't know."
***************************
"Is it done?"
"Yes, Lucifer, it's done."
"How bad?"
"He's unconscious, but that Nedian woman has probably healed him."
"Good. Let him remember the pain."
"What happens if he turns against us completely?"
"Then we kill him."
"Lucifer, I know you don't want to hurt Gabriel, but you should consider that the longer he doesn't have his memory, the harder it will be to convince him to come back to us."
"I know, Berle. I have a plan if he's resistant after we return his memories. I'm hoping that, if he gets this far, this tower will make him remember."
"Seeing you didn't make him remember. Seeing Zadkiel didn't make him remember. Seeing me didn't make him remember. What makes you think his being here will make him remember?"
"I can only hope."
