Chapter 19, Ol' sins and other fun stuff
"Art thee awake?"
"Awake, yes," Janus grunted, turning over and pulling the bedspread over his head against the sunrays torturing his head through the eyelids, "alive is another thing."
"I'd almost be able to call you adorable when you're like that," Lai smirked, not really mean however.
"Leave me alone…"
"Aw, you big baby!"
'Well you are adorable!' Flea cheerfully said, clasping his hands stupidly.
Before Janus had time to reply he felt a familiar weight swinging the mattress.
"You sorta remind me of last New Years eve right now," Lai rather cruelly said after seating herself properly, "remember that?"
The wizard ripped the bedspread away from his face and glared at her through half opened eyes.
"Lai, now is really a bad time…" he groaned.
"I was not present, what happened?" Frog snickered.
'Ohh, this sounds tasty,' Flea grinned, flashing his sharp teeth.
'I think I'm getting a headache too, from all these surprises,' the Prince grunted with a sigh.
'Now, now,' the Pawn said, 'you two are being too hard on him. He hasn't shocked us too badly for what, three days?'
"Well, on New Years day our royal wizard looked much like he does now, and we almost lost him in a battle against three imps," Lai happily chuckled, "it was really pathetic."
"You were the one getting me drunk!" Janus defended himself, grunting at Flea's giggle and the Prince's groan.
'Oh shut up…'
"Oh dear…" Frog said, trying to hide his wide smirk with a way too small hand, "I take it the hangover nearly became thy demise as thee could not free thyself from it due to thy burning head?"
"Precisely. Are you two here just to torture me or what?" Janus muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"Bringing thy breakfast, the truth to be told," Frog informed.
"How come you need two people to…"
Janus blinked.
"Does the cook suddenly think I'm Ozzie?" he asked, slowly managing to work his way up in a sitting position.
"As far as everyone knows you've been gone for two days and supposedly in the Mystic's castle until yesterday," Lai said, waving at the two new, loaded trays, "it's not believable that you were fed there."
"I simplified the tale, if thee pardon me," Frog explained.
Janus tried to smile a bit.
"It was probably the best thing to do," he agreed.
"Lai has revealed to me that she knows the truth," the knight continued, "therefore I know I can speak freely. Instead of mentioning thy two guardians and the Gate, I claimed that thee as a last resort released all power thou still had, thus causing the castle to crumble. Our escape seemed impossible, but as through wonder a path to the underground trail was ripped open in the dungeon and we rushed to safety before it collapsed."
"Works for me," the wizard nodded with a faint smile.
'What did you tell them about my abduction?' he sent to Frog's mind.
'That the grasshopper was faster and stronger than thee had awaited, how come?' the knight replied.
'Oh good, that's about what I told Lai. She'll definitely kill me if she finds out.'
'Cherish it not yet, I still ponders whether to cut thy head off or not for it.'
'Damn, I'm surrounded by enemies.'
Their silent conversation ended when Lai rather forcefully placed one of the trays in Janus lap.
"Ouff!"
"Now eat," she stated, "and you shouldn't sleep in your clothes, come to think of it."
"Too late for that now," Janus pointed out.
"You're staying right here and sleep more after you've eaten, you're still exhausted," Lai ordered.
"Less we shall have to tie thee down," Frog agreed, "'tis an order from the king and queen."
"Alright, alright…"
With a rather dry smile Janus took the spoon and buried it in the mountain of porridge.
Though it was some time since he had eaten properly there was no possibility that the wizard ever could have finished off all the food that had been brought up. Frog and Lai stayed and chatted for a little while about common things, avoiding the subject of the Mystics and future plans quite well. When Janus couldn't eat anymore the two friends took the trays and left him alone to rest.
'One could think they were feeding me up for slaughter,' he chuckled in his thoughts as he stood and almost stepped on his thrown-off boots on the floor.
'No use,' Flea thoughtfully said, 'I'd say you'd be way too leathery… well, cooking for a few hours and…'
'Flea!' three almost identical voices growled.
'Eh, nothing…'
'I suppose I asked for that one,' Janus sighed while searching through the pile of books.
He found the one he wanted and headed back to bed, throwing the bedspread away and lifting the blanket.
'Now what did your morbid student tell you?' Flea pointed out.
'No way am I taking off anything with you watching,' the wizard snorted.
'I'm a man, remember?'
'I rest my case.'
Janus leaned the pillow against the wall to get something softer to lean against as he heavily sat down and opened the book. For a start the text was just a precaution for the possibility that somebody would come in during the silent talk, though. Just sitting there in the bed doing nothing wasn't like the royal wizard at all.
'So, are they up to something?' he asked, more grave than just a moment ago.
'They've moved to their second stronghold,' the Prince reported, 'you might have some more troubles taking them out than we had, as almost the whole army was saved. A big part of the monsters seems to have gone disillusioned and given up, however.'
'I don't see what they're complaining about,' Flea snorted, 'in my experience they were all dead or at least halfway there by now. Not that it's as bad as everyone thinks, still…'
'Just regrouping, then?' Janus summed up.
'Pretty much,' the Pawn nodded, 'at this point you can be fairly calm, they don't know that you're back yet and Flea probably don't feel like sacrificing any leftover warriors as assassins in the current situation.'
'Well, that's a relief.'
Janus rubbed his forehead.
'I wouldn't stand a chance against any of them right now either.'
'You sure have a nasty headache here,' the Pawn said with a frown.
'With a stupid hairdo,' the Prince nodded.
'I am not a headache!' Flea stated, stomping his foot in anger which only caused Janus to wince.
'Watch it!' he grunted.
'No really, you should sleep,' his teacher stated, 'put that book away, there's no telling when they'll come to get you and Frog back. Use the time.'
'You're right…'
Janus put the book aside and laid down again.
"Wake up, wizard!"
"Not again!"
The blue-haired warrior grunted and rubbed his eyes with one hand.
"Now what?" he sighed.
"You're sleeping in your clothes again!" Lai scolded.
"You'd do that too if you were in my situation…"
"What?"
"Never mind…"
Janus stretched his arms with a sigh.
"What is it?" he asked.
"They're coming to get you," Lai grunted, pointing at the door with her thumb.
"Fine, I'm coming."
It took him a few moments to get to the bedside; his whole body felt lightly said heavy.
"Offhand," Lai said while the wizard before her rubbed his neck, "have you slept since Frog and I were here with your breakfast?"
"Yes," he muttered, "why?"
"It's past lunchtime now. And the next day."
Janus groaned something, rubbing his forehead.
"You're definitely overdoing it, sweetheart."
"Yeah, I know," he grimaced and stood, "but I'll be fine in a moment."
Lai rolled her eyes but nodded.
"Alright, I'll tell them that. But the king and queen aren't happy."
Janus looked up at her.
"And you?" he carefully asked.
"I think you're a self-sacrificing bastard."
She suddenly grabbed his crag and tore him up to her eye level. Despite the fact that Janus didn't exactly have a chance to gain balance due to the fast move he didn't fall. Lai held him still and more or less hanging.
'She's stronger than she looks,' the Prince acknowledged.
'Amen to that,' Flea agreed with raised eyebrows.
"And then you'll be bloody done with the whole damn thing and leave here forever, you accursed creep!" Lai snarled.
Janus finally got a grip of gravity and straightened up. That was, until Lai forced him to bend his back the bit needed instead.
"Face me when I'm swearing at you, dammit!" she growled.
'Spy mission, now,' Flea grunted and began to fade, 'I know, I know…'
'You're getting the hang of it, yes,' the Pawn agreed as he and his mirror also left.
Janus put his hands on Lai's shoulders and finally managed to make her let go.
"I will never leave Guardia forever," he firmly said, "this is my home."
"You can't promise that and you know it," Lai retorted.
"I'll be damned if I go and die somewhere in the past or future."
Lai shook her head, bitterly.
"You self-righteous bastard…"
And with that she encircled his neck with her arms and hugged herself tightly against the wizard. Janus let out a deep, bitter breath before he allowed his own arms to move around her back.
"I'm sorry, Lai."
He didn't feel much, but that was only because he forced every sparkle of warm emotion down so that none of them would be able to shoot needles into his soul.
"Save Schala and the boy is just something I have to do," he muttered, "if it was you who were in trouble you know I'd come for you too."
"Yeah, I know."
She pulled away with a sigh, with a strange sort of relief watching his eyes flash with battling emotions.
"It's not going to make me jump off a cliff in order to get you to make it up to me, but I know," she said, trying to smoothen what she'd just done a little.
Janus managed to smile a bit, with a lot of effort.
"It'll be alright, somehow," he said, not really believing himself.
"Sure," Lai forced out, doing her best to keep up.
She backed away and turned to leave.
"I'll tell Frog and the others that you're on your way," she said and walked out.
Janus heavily sighed.
'Say…' Flea's voice thoughtfully said, a bit distant but fully audible, 'are you sure she's Lucca's ancestor?'
'There's too much pointing at it,' Janus bitterly said, 'her looks, her magic. She's got no siblings, her parents live in Truce. The only other relatives live in Choras, her uncle's family.'
'Ah well. I'll leave you to changing clothes, then.'
A few minutes later Janus walked down the stairs of the castle with his staff in hand, wearing a pair of blue pants and a darker shirt than before.
'Well. Here we go again.'