Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai, minna-san! I am sooooo sorry about my lack of updates! I've been having a hell of a couple of months. You see, in the beginning of September, I moved up into a new apartment. Well, my roommates and I were lazy and didn't get the whole internet thing set up for a while. And, when we did, my computer didn't work with the wireless network. So, I had to wait until the network at my BF's place was working before I could steal his computer and use it. Well, after that happened and I finally got internet access...I stumbled across MAJOR writer's block. I just didn't know how to get chapter 1 started. The prologue was so easy to write and when I actually needed to get into the story, I just couldn't. I realized that the beginning was going to be shit, and, being the perfectionist that I am, just couldn't deal with that. So, I took some time off and worked on some other projects that I've been working on for some time. Then school started. Most of my classes are for my engineering major and they're pretty hard. My only fun class (Japanese 1, woohoo!!) is very time consuming and needs a lot of effort. So, I haven't had any time and I've been concentrating on getting good grades in my classes. Add that on to writer's block and no internet and you get FateChica who hasn't updated in 2 months. And I humbly apologize. I know most of you are probably very annoyed with me, but there are just some things in life that take precedence over writing a fanfic. So, I'm going to try and be better, now that I have a direction for my story. I'm going to tell you know, it's going to be a little slow as I try to write with a lot of school stuff going on. So, expect updates, just not frequently. Jaa mata, minna-san! Hope you enjoy chapter 1 here...that's what this is, incase you didn't know...
Disclaimer: Kami, it's been so long since I've written one of these things that I'm not quite sure how to do these things. Well, I guess I could start by saying that I don't own Dragonball Z (damn it all to hell) and that Toriyama Akira-san owns it instead (lucky bum...it should be mine!).
-------------Judgment of the Heavens---------------
Milena heaved a great sigh as she sat in her throne room, a glass of liquor by her side. Her finger lightly traced the rim of the glass, the singing sound produced echoing throughout the grandiose room. She ignored the sound, however, as her mind wandered through the events of the past few days.
She had thought that those days would be filled happiness and fulfillment, but she had never felt so stretched in her life. She had clearly underestimated her new prize and she was not referring to her sacrifice, Videl. Her new pet was not bending to her will as easily as she had predicted. Gohan's own will was strong and resilient, a thing not to be conquered easily. Milena had expected him to submit to her with ease like all of her other conquests; she had never figured that she would have to try a more subtle approach.
Milena would have to do something she had never done before: in order to win over Son Gohan, she would have to befriend him, treat him as an equal. But it would not be an easy thing. She was the last person he would ever want to befriend. She had locked away his power and taken away his love. She knew that if she were in his position, she would be most unwilling to become a friend to the person who took away her life. She needed to find a hobby of his, a passion in his life that she could give to him. She needed to learn about him in order to ensnare him. But, in order to do that, she needed to speak to him.
She called out for one of her servants, pleased at the immediate response as the young woman came rushing into the room. The servant knelt and cast her eyes to the ground.
"Yes, your Highness?" she murmured in the polite tone she had been taught as a child.
"Go and fetch High Priest Saloman. I wish to speak to him about something of importance." The young maid rose to her feet and curtsied for her queen.
"Yes, your Highness," she said, rushing out of the room in a flurry of skirts, her feet tapping gently against the ground. All Milena could do for the moment was await the arrival of her Head High Priest.
***
Saloman was much in the same mood as his Queen: contemplative and tense. There never seemed to be enough time to complete what was required of him. He felt like he was being stretched in many different directions, that life was pulling him apart. It was times like those that he wished he weren't burdened with the number of responsibilities that he had. It was also times like those that the only thing that helped was the glass of cordial that rested in his hands, the heat from his palms warming the thick liquid, bringing out its full and rich flavor.
With the dawning of a new era on Cresilia, Saloman's responsibilities piled on top of him, the muscles in his shoulders knotting up with tension so that he felt as if he were stiff as a board, leaving him unable to relax. Not many people knew of his stress; he had mastered the art of hiding his emotions long ago. He just wanted everything to disappear for a little while, for all of his fears, worries, and concerns to leave his troubled mind alone so he could relax.
But with Milena's upcoming ceremony, time was not a luxury he had; being Milena's Head High Priest, he couldn't afford to let go of his responsibilities. His life held little pleasure and he knew that until the after everything was over, he couldn't truly let pleasure back into his life.
Saloman thought about all those things, occasionally taking sips of the cordial in his hands, his gaze focused on the painting above the mantle in his study. His thoughts absorbed him so completely that when there was a knocking on his door, he thought he had imagined it. But when it sounded again, louder and more insistent, Saloman knew that he hadn't been imagining things. He set his glass down on his desk and rose to the door, grabbing the handle and swinging open the smooth, wooden door.
On the other side, he found one of Milena's maidservants, her hands at her sides with a nervous expression on her face. When she noticed that the Head High Priest was looking at her, her hands clutched at her skirts, pulling them up as she curtsied for him.
"Excuse me, your Holiness," she said in a small voice, "her Majesty requests your audience in her throne room." Saloman nodded.
"Thank you. You may go," he said, brusquely dismissing the girl. She rushed off at the order, leaving Saloman alone. Saloman took a few seconds to gather himself before leaving his study for the throne room. Once he left, he walked with brisk steps, not wanting to keep his Queen waiting for long. She rarely called upon him and, when she did, it usually happened to be something of importance.
With his quick steps, it took him little time to reach his destination. Pushing open the great doors to the throne room, Saloman strode in and stopped in front of Milena, bowing deeply in her presence,
"You requested to see me, your Highness?" he said, rising to his full height.
"Yes, Saloman, I did," Milena said slowly, "You see, I have been thinking about Gohan. Now, I hate to admit this, but I haven't yet been able to make him mine and I'm afraid that I've been going at this the wrong way. Instead of trying to break him, I'm going to try and befriend him, treat him as an equal so I can figure out what it is he likes so he'll trust me. I need you to go and bring him here so I can speak to him. Is that clear, Saloman?" Saloman bowed his head at Milena.
"Quite, my queen. I'll return with him shortly." Saloman gave Milena one last bow before leaving the room. As he walked, his thoughts wandered over the task that Milena had given him.
I wonder what about this boy fascinates her so much that she's willing to put forth so much effort to win him over? Saloman wondered to himself, his mind running over the possible reasons for Milena's behavior. With his thoughts occupying him, it took seemingly little time to make the long trip over to the room where Gohan was being held. With out any warning, Saloman burst in through the door, entering the room with a flurry of robes. The unsuspecting Gohan, who appeared to be wearing nothing but a loincloth, jumped at the sudden noise.
Saloman looked over the young man, noting the blanket that was pooled around his feet and the way he shivered from his lack of ki that normally would have warmed his body had it not been for the Ring of Hanoi around his neck.
"Come on, boy. The queen has summoned you," Saloman said.
"Why?" Gohan asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. He would never admit that he was slightly afraid of Milena.
"She wishes to speak to you," Saloman said, looking over Gohan, "And, for the sake of the gods, put on some clothes." Gohan glared at Saloman.
"I don't have any clothes," Gohan spat out bitterly. Saloman sighed.
"Well, I suppose I could fix that," Saloman drawled, raising one of his hands in the air, a set of clothes immediately appearing in front of Gohan's face. For all that Gohan didn't like Saloman, he couldn't help but be impressed.
"Wow! How did you do that?" Gohan asked, his jaw slack as the clothing fluttered down to rest in his open hands.
"Simple: magic," Saloman said, "Now, put them on. Her Highness doesn't like to be kept waiting." Gohan put on the clothes, which turned out to be a loose pair of pants and a long-sleeved, tunic-type shirt, the measurements of the clothing fitting Gohan perfectly.
"There, now you're ready to go," Saloman said, walking out the door, dissolving the bonds that held Gohan in the room so he could leave it. Gohan obediently followed, his bare feet padding softly against the tile floor.
The warmth of the clothes restoring some of the sharpness of his mind, Gohan looked around the castle as he trailed behind Saloman. He knew he would never be able to remember the layout of the maze that Saloman seemed to have no difficulty maneuvering through, Gohan occupied his mind with the paintings on the wall. Most of them were large portraits of tall, elegant women. Gohan figured, knowing a little bit of the society on Cresilia, that the women were probably queens of the past, the paintings sustained by magic that prevented them from aging and deteriorating.
As Gohan looked at all of the artwork that scattered the walls of the hallways, he wondered why Queen Milena wanted to see him.
I wonder what she wanted to talk to me about? She doesn't seem like the type to summon me for just a chat. She must have some purpose in mind, Gohan thought, praying to a higher power that she wasn't going to subject him to anything horrible. After a many minutes, Saloman stopped in front of a huge doorway, the tall double doors towering over Gohan's form.
"Wow, this place is huge," Gohan whispered to himself, awed at the sheer size of the castle. Saloman pushed open the doors, surprising Gohan as the doors moved easily and quietly on their hinges, and entered the large room in front of Gohan. Gohan followed slowly, his mind trying to take in the dimensions of the room; it was just too much for him to take in all at once.
Gohan was led to the center of the room, a few yards away from Queen Milena. Gohan noticed that Saloman had stopped walking and he, too, stopped, looking forward at Milena. Milena currently had a small, satisfied smile on her face, looking, for the first time, somewhat friendly.
"Hello, Gohan," Milena said, her tone gentle, "How are you doing today?" Gohan shrugged.
"Dunno," he said, "Finally warm, I guess. Not too happy, though." Gohan knew he didn't have the power to afford not to answer her question, fearing her temper. Without any of his powers, Gohan was in no place to be disobedient.
"Why aren't you happy, Gohan?" Milena asked, "Is something the matter?" Gohan let his own temper get the better of him at her question.
"Yes, something is the matter. You've taken away my mate and you're going to kill her for your evil power. You've also kidnapped me and are keeping me prisoner," Gohan spat out, immediately regretting letting his temper get the best of him. Gohan seemed to visibly shrink in front of Milena and she knew he was awaiting punishment for being rude to her. But, Milena wasn't going to deliver the expected.
"I'm sorry, Gohan, I really am. It's just that this is the way the universe is fated. If I could change it, I would, but I don't have the power to do so. Is there anything I can do to make you happier?" Milena asked.
"Yeah," Gohan answered, "Let Videl and me go." Milena shook her head.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that. So, let's try to find something else that will make you happier. What do you like to do, Gohan? And don't lie to me either." Gohan sighed; might as well be truthful. It couldn't hurt.
"Well, I do like to read," Gohan admitted and watched as the look on Milena's face brightened.
"That's perfect!" Milena beamed, "Since you're going to be staying here for a while, you'll need to learn about our society and the perfect way to do that is to read about it! Saloman, show our young guest to the library." Saloman bowed to Milena, murmuring an acceptance of the order, before leading Gohan out of the room. As they walked, Saloman spoke to Gohan.
"Well, considering that you don't know how to read our language, or speak it really, I'll cast an entire language spell on you, one that allows you to read and speak it." Gohan looked at the older man in front of him.
"Is that why I can speak your language?" Gohan asked. Saloman nodded.
"Yes. When you were brought here, a language spell was cast on you that would allow you to speak and understand our language. I'll have to cast the complete language spell," Saloman explained.
"Does that take a lot of energy?" Gohan asked, still curious about magical energy.
"Well, the language spell does not take a lot of energy. But other spells do. It depends on the difficulty of the spell. Since the language spell is an easy one to cast, it doesn't require a great deal of energy."
"Oh," Gohan said, "Sorry for all of the questions. I guess even in captivity, I'm still curious." Saloman turned to Gohan and smiled.
"A curious mind is the key to freedom," Saloman said, not explaining his meaning. Gohan looked at Saloman with a confused look on his face. What a cryptic statement. What does he mean by that? How is a curious mind the key to freedom? Gohan pushed the issue to the back of his mind as Saloman slowed to a stop once again in front of another pair of double doors, not as impressive as the doors leading into the throne room, but impressive nonetheless.
Saloman led the way, opening the doors in front of Gohan. As the room beyond the doors was slowly revealed to him, Gohan couldn't help but gasp. Inside contained hundreds of shelves full of books. Gohan pushed past Saloman rather rudely and entered the library, his mind not able to take in the vast amount of books on display in front of him.
There has to be thousands of years of information and knowledge stored here. And I get to read whatever I want? I may not like Milena, but she has given me a luxury that could possibly help me find my way out of here, Gohan thought in shock, not noticing Saloman come up behind him.
"I take it you like what you see," Saloman said dryly. Gohan nodded dumbly, not saying anything.
"Well," Saloman continued, "Because of the Queen, you have special permission to come here anytime you want. You see, this library is off limits to anyone but the Queen, the High Priests, and those given permission to come here. After I cast the full language spell on you, I'll alert the Warrior-Mages who guard and upkeep the library about your permission to come here when you please."
"Does this mean that I'm not going to have the magical barriers around my room anymore?" Gohan asked, curious to know if he was no longer restricted to just his room. Saloman gave a curt nod.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. You will not be allowed to go anywhere you please. I will make a magical barrier that restricts you from going anywhere else but your room, the library, and the path that will take you between the two rooms. You try to get off the path, you will feel like you're running into a wall," Saloman explained.
"Oh," Gohan said, "Well, at least I'm not restricted to just my room." Saloman looked at Gohan with a small smile.
"Don't worry. With time, the more the Queen trusts you not to try and escape, the more freedom you will have around the castle. Now, let me cast the language spell on you. Just stand right where you are and keep still." Gohan did as he was told and stood still, watching as Saloman cast the spell on him. With a few mumbled words from Saloman's mouth, Gohan felt a slight tingle wash over his being. He knew it was from the magical spell cast over him and he wasn't afraid to admit that he didn't like the feeling.
"I can sense that you're uncomfortable with the spell-casting," Saloman said, watching as Gohan nodded "Well," Saloman continued, "You won't have to go through that again, so take comfort in that. I'm going to talk to the Warrior-Mages about not restricting your entrance into the library at anytime. Just stay here."
Saloman walked off in search of these so-called "Warrior-Mages", leaving Gohan to stand by himself in the library. Gohan was still in awe of the sheer number of books in front of him. Permission to explore the library was a luxury that he was glad to have seeing as how he was being kept prisoner on Cresilia. Gohan had highly overestimated Milena's overall intelligence.
If she were as smart as I had thought, she would have never let me come to the library. With all of these books, I could easily find the key to my escape and to Videl's. Maybe it's like Saloman said: "A curious mind is the key to freedom." But, surely he didn't mean freedom like that, did he? I mean, he's the enemy. But, he has been rather polite to me today. Maybe he isn't so bad, Gohan thought, his mind going over the curious events of the past hour or so. It wasn't long until Saloman returned, approaching Gohan as calmly and quietly as a summer breeze.
"I have spoken to the Warrior-Mages. They will not prevent your entrance into this library no matter the time of day. Now, I have pressing matters to attend to, Son Gohan. I will leave you to your pleasure," Saloman said, giving Gohan a slight nod of the head, a small display of respect that Saloman had bestowed. With that, Saloman walked off, leaving Gohan the freedom to explore the library at his own pace.
Gohan walked further into the library, his mind still trying to wrap around the size of the library. He could be at Cresilia forever and never finish reading all of the books within. Gohan randomly chose a section of the library at the far left of his position.
Looks like a good of a place as any to start, Gohan thought, walking towards one of the far shelves, his mind fully focused on absorbing as much knowledge as possible.
***
He couldn't believe it. He hadn't figured on Queen Milena being quite so idiotic. When he had heard that Son Gohan was given exclusive permission to visit the Royal Library whenever he pleased, he had nearly died from shock.
Milena is greatly underestimating Son Gohan's intelligence, he thought, From what I've heard, Son Gohan holds an intelligence that is unparalleled. It took months of watching him to find the right time to capture him and the sacrifice. Although he was very shocked, to say the least, over Milena's decision to allow Gohan the opportunity to discover a way to beat her, he was overwhelmed with joy at the fact.
I can lead him in the right direction, steer him towards where he'll need to be to find out the key to beating Milena. And, when he discovers that, I'll be by his side, ready to help him. By the gods' sake, I will not let Queen Milena have her way. I will beat her, he thought, looking down at the book in his hands. It hadn't been hard to smuggle it out of the library. High Priests often took books out from the library, for private research or simply just for convenience. High Priests did it often enough that the Warrior-Mages had no need to question or examine the books that were removed from the library, their faith in the High Priests unshakable.
If the Warrior-Mages had inspected the book within his hands, they would have never let him leave with it. While "Dakaran's Journal" was written in a language that the Warrior-Mages had no understanding of, they would have been able to tell the value and age of the book; had they known of its existence, they wouldn't let it out of the library, no matter who wanted to remove it. He knew it was his position that allowed his actions to go unnoticed.
The other High Priests had no interest in the visiting the library every evening, their minds exhausted from the dutiful and highly taxing spell-casting they did everyday in preparation for the ritual of the sacrifice. With the ritual only 6 weeks away, there was much to be done.
The spells involved were of the most complex kind and took months to prepare and cast. All of the High Priests worked diligently for hours everyday until they were ready to collapse. Most High Priests went straight to bed after a long day of spell casting, but he had much to do besides prepare for Milena's ritual.
If he was to end Milena's rule, he had much to research on his own. He had learned much from Dakaran's Journal, but there was still more to learn. In all of his research, he had not figured out what the Judgment of the Heavens entailed. His curious mind needed the answer so he could know how to prepare. But, for all of his effort, he had not come any closer to finding out the answers to his question after first learning of the test.
I don't suppose I'll ever figure it out, he thought, disappointed in his lack of findings. Whatever the Judgment of the Heavens is, I certainly hope that Gohan has what it takes to pass the test, he thought, knowing that without the incredible talents and skill of Son Gohan, the universe would be doomed.
--------------------
Well, what did you think? Not bad for my reentrance, ne? Well, minna, it's time for me to go and study for my Japanese midterm (watashi no nihongo no "midterm", minna-san!). Sayonara, minna-san! Jaa, mata!
Disclaimer: Kami, it's been so long since I've written one of these things that I'm not quite sure how to do these things. Well, I guess I could start by saying that I don't own Dragonball Z (damn it all to hell) and that Toriyama Akira-san owns it instead (lucky bum...it should be mine!).
-------------Judgment of the Heavens---------------
Milena heaved a great sigh as she sat in her throne room, a glass of liquor by her side. Her finger lightly traced the rim of the glass, the singing sound produced echoing throughout the grandiose room. She ignored the sound, however, as her mind wandered through the events of the past few days.
She had thought that those days would be filled happiness and fulfillment, but she had never felt so stretched in her life. She had clearly underestimated her new prize and she was not referring to her sacrifice, Videl. Her new pet was not bending to her will as easily as she had predicted. Gohan's own will was strong and resilient, a thing not to be conquered easily. Milena had expected him to submit to her with ease like all of her other conquests; she had never figured that she would have to try a more subtle approach.
Milena would have to do something she had never done before: in order to win over Son Gohan, she would have to befriend him, treat him as an equal. But it would not be an easy thing. She was the last person he would ever want to befriend. She had locked away his power and taken away his love. She knew that if she were in his position, she would be most unwilling to become a friend to the person who took away her life. She needed to find a hobby of his, a passion in his life that she could give to him. She needed to learn about him in order to ensnare him. But, in order to do that, she needed to speak to him.
She called out for one of her servants, pleased at the immediate response as the young woman came rushing into the room. The servant knelt and cast her eyes to the ground.
"Yes, your Highness?" she murmured in the polite tone she had been taught as a child.
"Go and fetch High Priest Saloman. I wish to speak to him about something of importance." The young maid rose to her feet and curtsied for her queen.
"Yes, your Highness," she said, rushing out of the room in a flurry of skirts, her feet tapping gently against the ground. All Milena could do for the moment was await the arrival of her Head High Priest.
***
Saloman was much in the same mood as his Queen: contemplative and tense. There never seemed to be enough time to complete what was required of him. He felt like he was being stretched in many different directions, that life was pulling him apart. It was times like those that he wished he weren't burdened with the number of responsibilities that he had. It was also times like those that the only thing that helped was the glass of cordial that rested in his hands, the heat from his palms warming the thick liquid, bringing out its full and rich flavor.
With the dawning of a new era on Cresilia, Saloman's responsibilities piled on top of him, the muscles in his shoulders knotting up with tension so that he felt as if he were stiff as a board, leaving him unable to relax. Not many people knew of his stress; he had mastered the art of hiding his emotions long ago. He just wanted everything to disappear for a little while, for all of his fears, worries, and concerns to leave his troubled mind alone so he could relax.
But with Milena's upcoming ceremony, time was not a luxury he had; being Milena's Head High Priest, he couldn't afford to let go of his responsibilities. His life held little pleasure and he knew that until the after everything was over, he couldn't truly let pleasure back into his life.
Saloman thought about all those things, occasionally taking sips of the cordial in his hands, his gaze focused on the painting above the mantle in his study. His thoughts absorbed him so completely that when there was a knocking on his door, he thought he had imagined it. But when it sounded again, louder and more insistent, Saloman knew that he hadn't been imagining things. He set his glass down on his desk and rose to the door, grabbing the handle and swinging open the smooth, wooden door.
On the other side, he found one of Milena's maidservants, her hands at her sides with a nervous expression on her face. When she noticed that the Head High Priest was looking at her, her hands clutched at her skirts, pulling them up as she curtsied for him.
"Excuse me, your Holiness," she said in a small voice, "her Majesty requests your audience in her throne room." Saloman nodded.
"Thank you. You may go," he said, brusquely dismissing the girl. She rushed off at the order, leaving Saloman alone. Saloman took a few seconds to gather himself before leaving his study for the throne room. Once he left, he walked with brisk steps, not wanting to keep his Queen waiting for long. She rarely called upon him and, when she did, it usually happened to be something of importance.
With his quick steps, it took him little time to reach his destination. Pushing open the great doors to the throne room, Saloman strode in and stopped in front of Milena, bowing deeply in her presence,
"You requested to see me, your Highness?" he said, rising to his full height.
"Yes, Saloman, I did," Milena said slowly, "You see, I have been thinking about Gohan. Now, I hate to admit this, but I haven't yet been able to make him mine and I'm afraid that I've been going at this the wrong way. Instead of trying to break him, I'm going to try and befriend him, treat him as an equal so I can figure out what it is he likes so he'll trust me. I need you to go and bring him here so I can speak to him. Is that clear, Saloman?" Saloman bowed his head at Milena.
"Quite, my queen. I'll return with him shortly." Saloman gave Milena one last bow before leaving the room. As he walked, his thoughts wandered over the task that Milena had given him.
I wonder what about this boy fascinates her so much that she's willing to put forth so much effort to win him over? Saloman wondered to himself, his mind running over the possible reasons for Milena's behavior. With his thoughts occupying him, it took seemingly little time to make the long trip over to the room where Gohan was being held. With out any warning, Saloman burst in through the door, entering the room with a flurry of robes. The unsuspecting Gohan, who appeared to be wearing nothing but a loincloth, jumped at the sudden noise.
Saloman looked over the young man, noting the blanket that was pooled around his feet and the way he shivered from his lack of ki that normally would have warmed his body had it not been for the Ring of Hanoi around his neck.
"Come on, boy. The queen has summoned you," Saloman said.
"Why?" Gohan asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. He would never admit that he was slightly afraid of Milena.
"She wishes to speak to you," Saloman said, looking over Gohan, "And, for the sake of the gods, put on some clothes." Gohan glared at Saloman.
"I don't have any clothes," Gohan spat out bitterly. Saloman sighed.
"Well, I suppose I could fix that," Saloman drawled, raising one of his hands in the air, a set of clothes immediately appearing in front of Gohan's face. For all that Gohan didn't like Saloman, he couldn't help but be impressed.
"Wow! How did you do that?" Gohan asked, his jaw slack as the clothing fluttered down to rest in his open hands.
"Simple: magic," Saloman said, "Now, put them on. Her Highness doesn't like to be kept waiting." Gohan put on the clothes, which turned out to be a loose pair of pants and a long-sleeved, tunic-type shirt, the measurements of the clothing fitting Gohan perfectly.
"There, now you're ready to go," Saloman said, walking out the door, dissolving the bonds that held Gohan in the room so he could leave it. Gohan obediently followed, his bare feet padding softly against the tile floor.
The warmth of the clothes restoring some of the sharpness of his mind, Gohan looked around the castle as he trailed behind Saloman. He knew he would never be able to remember the layout of the maze that Saloman seemed to have no difficulty maneuvering through, Gohan occupied his mind with the paintings on the wall. Most of them were large portraits of tall, elegant women. Gohan figured, knowing a little bit of the society on Cresilia, that the women were probably queens of the past, the paintings sustained by magic that prevented them from aging and deteriorating.
As Gohan looked at all of the artwork that scattered the walls of the hallways, he wondered why Queen Milena wanted to see him.
I wonder what she wanted to talk to me about? She doesn't seem like the type to summon me for just a chat. She must have some purpose in mind, Gohan thought, praying to a higher power that she wasn't going to subject him to anything horrible. After a many minutes, Saloman stopped in front of a huge doorway, the tall double doors towering over Gohan's form.
"Wow, this place is huge," Gohan whispered to himself, awed at the sheer size of the castle. Saloman pushed open the doors, surprising Gohan as the doors moved easily and quietly on their hinges, and entered the large room in front of Gohan. Gohan followed slowly, his mind trying to take in the dimensions of the room; it was just too much for him to take in all at once.
Gohan was led to the center of the room, a few yards away from Queen Milena. Gohan noticed that Saloman had stopped walking and he, too, stopped, looking forward at Milena. Milena currently had a small, satisfied smile on her face, looking, for the first time, somewhat friendly.
"Hello, Gohan," Milena said, her tone gentle, "How are you doing today?" Gohan shrugged.
"Dunno," he said, "Finally warm, I guess. Not too happy, though." Gohan knew he didn't have the power to afford not to answer her question, fearing her temper. Without any of his powers, Gohan was in no place to be disobedient.
"Why aren't you happy, Gohan?" Milena asked, "Is something the matter?" Gohan let his own temper get the better of him at her question.
"Yes, something is the matter. You've taken away my mate and you're going to kill her for your evil power. You've also kidnapped me and are keeping me prisoner," Gohan spat out, immediately regretting letting his temper get the best of him. Gohan seemed to visibly shrink in front of Milena and she knew he was awaiting punishment for being rude to her. But, Milena wasn't going to deliver the expected.
"I'm sorry, Gohan, I really am. It's just that this is the way the universe is fated. If I could change it, I would, but I don't have the power to do so. Is there anything I can do to make you happier?" Milena asked.
"Yeah," Gohan answered, "Let Videl and me go." Milena shook her head.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that. So, let's try to find something else that will make you happier. What do you like to do, Gohan? And don't lie to me either." Gohan sighed; might as well be truthful. It couldn't hurt.
"Well, I do like to read," Gohan admitted and watched as the look on Milena's face brightened.
"That's perfect!" Milena beamed, "Since you're going to be staying here for a while, you'll need to learn about our society and the perfect way to do that is to read about it! Saloman, show our young guest to the library." Saloman bowed to Milena, murmuring an acceptance of the order, before leading Gohan out of the room. As they walked, Saloman spoke to Gohan.
"Well, considering that you don't know how to read our language, or speak it really, I'll cast an entire language spell on you, one that allows you to read and speak it." Gohan looked at the older man in front of him.
"Is that why I can speak your language?" Gohan asked. Saloman nodded.
"Yes. When you were brought here, a language spell was cast on you that would allow you to speak and understand our language. I'll have to cast the complete language spell," Saloman explained.
"Does that take a lot of energy?" Gohan asked, still curious about magical energy.
"Well, the language spell does not take a lot of energy. But other spells do. It depends on the difficulty of the spell. Since the language spell is an easy one to cast, it doesn't require a great deal of energy."
"Oh," Gohan said, "Sorry for all of the questions. I guess even in captivity, I'm still curious." Saloman turned to Gohan and smiled.
"A curious mind is the key to freedom," Saloman said, not explaining his meaning. Gohan looked at Saloman with a confused look on his face. What a cryptic statement. What does he mean by that? How is a curious mind the key to freedom? Gohan pushed the issue to the back of his mind as Saloman slowed to a stop once again in front of another pair of double doors, not as impressive as the doors leading into the throne room, but impressive nonetheless.
Saloman led the way, opening the doors in front of Gohan. As the room beyond the doors was slowly revealed to him, Gohan couldn't help but gasp. Inside contained hundreds of shelves full of books. Gohan pushed past Saloman rather rudely and entered the library, his mind not able to take in the vast amount of books on display in front of him.
There has to be thousands of years of information and knowledge stored here. And I get to read whatever I want? I may not like Milena, but she has given me a luxury that could possibly help me find my way out of here, Gohan thought in shock, not noticing Saloman come up behind him.
"I take it you like what you see," Saloman said dryly. Gohan nodded dumbly, not saying anything.
"Well," Saloman continued, "Because of the Queen, you have special permission to come here anytime you want. You see, this library is off limits to anyone but the Queen, the High Priests, and those given permission to come here. After I cast the full language spell on you, I'll alert the Warrior-Mages who guard and upkeep the library about your permission to come here when you please."
"Does this mean that I'm not going to have the magical barriers around my room anymore?" Gohan asked, curious to know if he was no longer restricted to just his room. Saloman gave a curt nod.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking. You will not be allowed to go anywhere you please. I will make a magical barrier that restricts you from going anywhere else but your room, the library, and the path that will take you between the two rooms. You try to get off the path, you will feel like you're running into a wall," Saloman explained.
"Oh," Gohan said, "Well, at least I'm not restricted to just my room." Saloman looked at Gohan with a small smile.
"Don't worry. With time, the more the Queen trusts you not to try and escape, the more freedom you will have around the castle. Now, let me cast the language spell on you. Just stand right where you are and keep still." Gohan did as he was told and stood still, watching as Saloman cast the spell on him. With a few mumbled words from Saloman's mouth, Gohan felt a slight tingle wash over his being. He knew it was from the magical spell cast over him and he wasn't afraid to admit that he didn't like the feeling.
"I can sense that you're uncomfortable with the spell-casting," Saloman said, watching as Gohan nodded "Well," Saloman continued, "You won't have to go through that again, so take comfort in that. I'm going to talk to the Warrior-Mages about not restricting your entrance into the library at anytime. Just stay here."
Saloman walked off in search of these so-called "Warrior-Mages", leaving Gohan to stand by himself in the library. Gohan was still in awe of the sheer number of books in front of him. Permission to explore the library was a luxury that he was glad to have seeing as how he was being kept prisoner on Cresilia. Gohan had highly overestimated Milena's overall intelligence.
If she were as smart as I had thought, she would have never let me come to the library. With all of these books, I could easily find the key to my escape and to Videl's. Maybe it's like Saloman said: "A curious mind is the key to freedom." But, surely he didn't mean freedom like that, did he? I mean, he's the enemy. But, he has been rather polite to me today. Maybe he isn't so bad, Gohan thought, his mind going over the curious events of the past hour or so. It wasn't long until Saloman returned, approaching Gohan as calmly and quietly as a summer breeze.
"I have spoken to the Warrior-Mages. They will not prevent your entrance into this library no matter the time of day. Now, I have pressing matters to attend to, Son Gohan. I will leave you to your pleasure," Saloman said, giving Gohan a slight nod of the head, a small display of respect that Saloman had bestowed. With that, Saloman walked off, leaving Gohan the freedom to explore the library at his own pace.
Gohan walked further into the library, his mind still trying to wrap around the size of the library. He could be at Cresilia forever and never finish reading all of the books within. Gohan randomly chose a section of the library at the far left of his position.
Looks like a good of a place as any to start, Gohan thought, walking towards one of the far shelves, his mind fully focused on absorbing as much knowledge as possible.
***
He couldn't believe it. He hadn't figured on Queen Milena being quite so idiotic. When he had heard that Son Gohan was given exclusive permission to visit the Royal Library whenever he pleased, he had nearly died from shock.
Milena is greatly underestimating Son Gohan's intelligence, he thought, From what I've heard, Son Gohan holds an intelligence that is unparalleled. It took months of watching him to find the right time to capture him and the sacrifice. Although he was very shocked, to say the least, over Milena's decision to allow Gohan the opportunity to discover a way to beat her, he was overwhelmed with joy at the fact.
I can lead him in the right direction, steer him towards where he'll need to be to find out the key to beating Milena. And, when he discovers that, I'll be by his side, ready to help him. By the gods' sake, I will not let Queen Milena have her way. I will beat her, he thought, looking down at the book in his hands. It hadn't been hard to smuggle it out of the library. High Priests often took books out from the library, for private research or simply just for convenience. High Priests did it often enough that the Warrior-Mages had no need to question or examine the books that were removed from the library, their faith in the High Priests unshakable.
If the Warrior-Mages had inspected the book within his hands, they would have never let him leave with it. While "Dakaran's Journal" was written in a language that the Warrior-Mages had no understanding of, they would have been able to tell the value and age of the book; had they known of its existence, they wouldn't let it out of the library, no matter who wanted to remove it. He knew it was his position that allowed his actions to go unnoticed.
The other High Priests had no interest in the visiting the library every evening, their minds exhausted from the dutiful and highly taxing spell-casting they did everyday in preparation for the ritual of the sacrifice. With the ritual only 6 weeks away, there was much to be done.
The spells involved were of the most complex kind and took months to prepare and cast. All of the High Priests worked diligently for hours everyday until they were ready to collapse. Most High Priests went straight to bed after a long day of spell casting, but he had much to do besides prepare for Milena's ritual.
If he was to end Milena's rule, he had much to research on his own. He had learned much from Dakaran's Journal, but there was still more to learn. In all of his research, he had not figured out what the Judgment of the Heavens entailed. His curious mind needed the answer so he could know how to prepare. But, for all of his effort, he had not come any closer to finding out the answers to his question after first learning of the test.
I don't suppose I'll ever figure it out, he thought, disappointed in his lack of findings. Whatever the Judgment of the Heavens is, I certainly hope that Gohan has what it takes to pass the test, he thought, knowing that without the incredible talents and skill of Son Gohan, the universe would be doomed.
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Well, what did you think? Not bad for my reentrance, ne? Well, minna, it's time for me to go and study for my Japanese midterm (watashi no nihongo no "midterm", minna-san!). Sayonara, minna-san! Jaa, mata!