Author's note:
As you've already noticed, we're in Magus' Quest, Janus style. There will be many parallels, but things will not – as you surely can guess with ease – be the same. Hehehe…
Chapter 3, Memory lane and disrupted spells
It was rather impossible to miss the fact that Janus and Lai suddenly were wearing engagement rings. Then again, Lai's clearly possessive leaning against the wizard gave the first, strong clue. Not that their knight-friend had expected less, though the lack of blood was a bit puzzling.
"Aye, so Cyrus' wit spoke true once more," was Frog's first observation as he sat up in a cross legged position, smiling warmly.
"Welcome back. And you mean his 'that wasn't what I meant when I said you should get a girlfriend!' comment back when we first met Lai?" Janus casually smirked.
Speaking of their dead friend has been painful once, and the two men had avoided it. But the guilty pain had faltered after the release of the fabled knight's soul. He had assured them that it hadn't been their fault, and now his soul could rest in heaven.
But as for now, things were heading in a less than peaceful direction.
"Oh really, the golden hero said that?" the lady of the three asked, dangerously soft.
"I believe thy threat to punch Janus was the wellspring of such a dishonoring remark, my friend," Frog diplomatically said.
"Don't say it wasn't called for, he's got no social graces."
"Had none, I hope," the wizard said in a mocking hurt voice.
In his own silent mind he grunted about having been around a certain spirit too much.
"That's still under prosecution, sweetheart."
Lai smirked and pushed his shoulder with her own.
"'What the hell are you looking at?'" she tried to snap without starting to laugh as she quoted herself.
Janus caught on, accompanied by Frog's chuckling.
"'Dunno. What am I looking at?'" the wizard replied.
"'It'll be stars dancing with fish fins soon if you don't get lost,'" Lai growled, unable to stop herself from grinning.
"Love at first sight…" Janus ironically snickered.
"Yeah, sure. I think that was the only time you actually ducked, too."
"Such is not the truth," Frog smirked, "I took a hold of his shirt and tore him out of harm's way."
"I was perfectly able to shield myself," Janus protested through the chuckles.
"You could just have told me you were staring at my head because you tried to figure out if you really felt slumbering magic vibes," Lai snorted, "you were just lucky that your pals were smart enough to recognize danger."
The wizard absentmindedly rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I knew danger. It was just that I was too used to it having fangs and a mission. Though getting a fist covered in fish scales and entrails in my face is one thing that I'd like to keep avoiding."
He blocked the backhand with his wrist.
"And I'm never ever gutting another damn fish in my entire life," Lai triumphantly said and let the hand fall, "got to hand you as much."
"Glad to be able to help, milady."
"Goofball."
'Oh, I'm so happy that there aren't any spirits watching me now…' Janus thought with great relief.
He paused in his thoughts for a moment, bracing himself for hearing Flea's snicker.
It didn't happen.
Thank God.
After the laughter died down, Frog spoke again with a slightly grimmer tone.
"What is our next course of action?" he enquired.
Janus straightened up.
"I think that if we're going to fight Flea and his pets we'll need help. We better try to collect the team again. But first of all, you two need to recover. And I think that first of all we should let king Guardia and queen Leene know that you two are safe."
There were determined nods to that.
Then Lai smirked faintly.
"Since we were walking down memory lane and speaking of the cross dresser anyway," she said and poked Janus' chest, "in all honesty you still owe me seventeen silver coins."
Frog tried to save his ribs, fighting not to go down in hysterics at the memory. He sounded like he was one inch from death by choking as the wizard glared at the young woman.
"Your loss," Janus sourly said in a not too honest tone.
"No, it was your fault," Lai insisted, snickering.
"You were putting your money on my assassins!"
"Well, everybody else put their bets on you, had to make a difference!"
"You wanted me dead!"
Frog had to lie down, though perhaps "crashing" was the proper word.
"Ahh…" he groaned, clutching his chest, "the look on thy face!"
Janus rubbed his forehead with two fingers, sighing deeply.
"Enemies wherever I look…"
As night seeped in, Janus sat on guard while Frog and Lai slept. Listening to their breathing he leaned back against a crumbled wall with the shadow of a smile. Crickets lazily chirped, but their choir was growing fainter in the chilly air.
Of course, no chill would touch these three warriors if the wizard among them had anything to say about it.
Janus smiled again, looking towards the shadow of Lai's form on his bedroll.
This was a good feeling…
But as he looked up at the stars, he realized that there was something he had forgotten up until now.
Raising two fingers to his forehead he sent out a mental call that pierced dimensions.
'Hey.'
A moment passed. Then the answer came.
'What's up?'
Janus ignored the choice of words, at least he tried to. In the back of his mind he was groaning at how the male Flea had manipulated the youngster.
'There's something you should know, about Lai…' the wizard told his student, smiling in his thoughts as well.
Two days later they prepared their return to Guardia. Despite all attempts to make him laugh to death Frog had survived, and with Janus' healing both he and Lai were ready to face the assassins and their puppet master again.
It really wasn't much to prepare considering their light packing, only healing had been required.
Janus secured the button of the light cloak by his throat and stretched a little. Despite the fact that it was only temporary and for the purpose of fighting again, he was looking forwards to seeing his home again.
'Guardia,' he corrected in his thoughts.
It had been his home, but as it was right now he didn't have one. Not until he found Schala so that his soul could relax enough to find a secure place in the world. Or history.
But for now, he would be the royal wizard again for as long as it was needed.
The thought brought a wide smile to his lips as he raised his arms and begun to prepare the time travel. Lai and Frog stood beside him, waiting.
'Better make it a day later so that we don't get a split time stream by existing in two places at the same time,' the wizard thought and focused as there was a flash of darkness in the air before him, 'eleventh of May, 60- huh?'
He saw something in the corner of his eye, swiftly ducking. A stone at the size of a fist flew over the stream of blue hair, barely missing.
"Freelancers?" Lai growled to the sound of the Masamune being brandished.
Janus squinted against the sun, frowning as he saw the mass of giant birds approaching. Most of them casually juggled with a projectile each, and they had enough small rocks to go around in this stone filled area should they need more.
"What seeketh they here?" Frog grimly wondered, changing the grip of his weapon, "treasures within the ruins?"
"Or dinner, but I don't understand why they didn't come for us earlier if so," Janus scowled, calling upon his staff.
The buzz of the Gate grew loader as it fully opened, the command completed despite the fact that the caster had been disturbed. He wasn't sure if it would lead them to the right place after the distraction, but on the other hand there were about forty birds. Not that the monsters were among the strongest, however they were not to be underestimated. Especially not in these numbers.
"I say we withdraw," the wizard muttered so that only his companions heard, "there's no use risking our throats on a pack of hens."
"Sounds sensible to me," Lai nodded, warily eying the advancing force.
She was perky and foulmouthed. Not stupid.
Frog grunted his agreement.
"But be careful," Janus warned as he motioned at the Gate, "I'm not sure if it'll lead us to the right place since I didn't complete the direction commands. I don't think it'll send us into a lava stream or anything though."
"It's with words like that you set a girl's heart on fire," Lai dryly said.
However, she leaped into the darkness and her companions quickly followed before the warrior monsters realized that they were loosing their quarry.
The Gate closed, leaving only angered and disappointed screeches behind.
And the three travelers stumbled out on a grassy hill, finding themselves showered in warm sunlight.
"Okay, where are we?" Lai immediately demanded, looking around.
From their vantage point they could look out over the blooming meadow encircled by a lush pine forest. Most of the trees weren't very tall though, showing that they had only started to grow a few years ago.
"One moment, I'm not sure…" Janus said, pressing his right fingers against his forehead while holding the staff in the left hand.
After a couple of seconds he blinked.
"We're in Zeal," he said and looked ahead in confusion.
"Zeal?" Frog repeated in disbelief, "but 'tis not a floating island…"
Janus shook his head, frowning.
"True, we are on the ground," he said, "it's the year 11992 BC."
"How can eight humble years change the winter lands so thoroughly?" the knight said in wonderment.
"The sun stocked up on power out of boredom?" Lai absentmindedly suggested, curiously looking around as well.
"I guess that once the clouds cleared it went pretty quick," Janus nodded.
He shrugged.
"Well, this is nice to know, but we have to get going."
Expelling the staff again he raised his hands once more.
A shadow fell over the area.
Lai looked up.
"Uh…"
Frog looked up.
"What in the…?"
"Hmm?" Janus murmured, turning to his companions as he heard the surprise in their voices.
He noticed their fixed gazes.
He looked up.
"What?!"
The sun almost fearfully glistened on black metal and the crazily blinking lights of the giant contraption as it hovered over the world. The plan was without a doubt that the monstrous creation would appear to be the personification of lazy evil.
And it worked.
"'Tis the Black Omen?" Frog said in disbelief.
"No, it's smaller…" Janus scowled, clenching his fists in confused irritation, "what in Lavos' name…?"
The idly blinking lights suddenly flashed all at once, as if in alarm.
"Can it see us?" Lai worriedly asked.
"I don't kn…" Janus began.
Another flash of light, a visibly bigger and red one, gave them the warning one second before a thick glowing beam burnt a crater in the hill. But by then, the three time travelers were already on the flat ground and heading towards the forest.
"No need to answer!" the lady of the troop growled between the curses.
A second beam sent burnt grass and crumbling flowers flying but once again missed its prey. There was a third one taking out a few trees, but Janus and his companions were already shrouded by the lush branches and whoever was aiming the cannon gave up after a couple more blasts.
The dark fortress floated onwards towards the southwest.
"Whoever is up there has no sense of honor!" Frog growled, trying to catch his breath again after the dashing.
Lai shook her head with a dangerous scowl, while Janus just silently looked towards the moving shadow.
"My belief was that magic and its technology was lost in this era," the knight added, "who wouldst be able to create such a thing?"
"I'm guessing that whoever it is somehow salvaged pieces of the fallen Black Omen and sew them together," Janus said without taking his eyes off the fortress.
"Don't you know?"
The three snapped in the direction of the new voice. It was a young woman with her long blond hair in a pony-tail, wearing a simple grayish dress with a leather belt. She couldn't be older than sixteen, eying the strange group in confusion.
"No, we're…"
Janus paused for a second, wondering just how much to say.
"… Not from around here," he finally settled for, himself hearing the idiocy in that one.
But it seemed the lady didn't listen, her eyes darting between Frog and the wizard.
"I am not a monster," the general quickly assured, "although I might appear otherwise."
"No, no…" the stranger absentmindedly said, her eyes narrowing at Janus.
"What are you staring at?" Lai asked, warningly.
She had spent the better part of six years in heartache for the wizard's sake, and now that he finally was hers she was bound to be itchy.
The girl caught the tone and took a step backwards, apologetically.
"Fear not, I can divert her attention towards me so that you have time to run if need be," Janus assured with a vague smirk, earning a punch in his side.
"What ails thee, young lady?" Frog gently asked to calm the girl.
She managed to get a grip again and pointed at the wizard's head.
"Blue hair," she rather awkwardly said, "who are you?"
Good one.
Janus gave up.
"Do you remember the fall of Zeal eight years ago?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied in a hesitant voice, "I was an Earthbound one… you…"
"I am prince Janus," the wizard said, as gentle as possible.
At first, the girl's eyes bulged. Then she blinked.
The final reaction brought the blue-hair and his friends rather close to the stranger's state of mind, however.
"Prince Janus, princess Schala is here!" she blurted out.
She nearly fell backwards, but the strong hands on her shoulders held her fairly upright.
"What?! Where?"
The girl gulped and once again tried to pick herself together from the swirling chaos in her mind. She weakly waved at the sky.
"The fortress… Dalton took her…"
A blood vein nearly popped on Janus' temple.
"Dalton?!"
"Sweetheart, you're going to crush her bones if you don't let go," Lai growled, grabbing his arm, "down, boy!"
Janus' brain finally caught up with the girl's wince and he quickly released her.
"I'm sorry," he honestly said, pressing his fingertips against each other.
Quickly whispering a prayer for power and a spell so silently that he hardly heard it himself, he released a small stream of healing stars. The girl blinked again as the faint ache subsided.
"I've got a little magic left," the wizard quickly explained to avoid any questions that could slow down his answers, "now, what about Schala and Dalton?"
He had to clench his teeth to stay calm as the girl tried to calm down enough to explain. It only took a few moments but it felt like hours.
"Dalton returned five years ago," she finally began in a still slightly shaking voice, "he started collecting pieces of the Black Omen and most of his old soldiers returned to him, as well as some other people who were scared of what he'd do if we revolted. Just a week ago he finished his castle and since then we've truly lived in fear of him. Princess Schala showed up a few days ago and he captured her and her friends at once… we don't know if they are alive or not."
Her voice grew even weaker towards the end, sounding like she was trying to ask for forgiveness.
Janus' lips were thin as needles, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked towards the sky.
"We'll get them back," he promised, "I swear I'll kill that bastard…"
A thought pierced the darkness in his mind and his expression softened a little.
"Who was with her?" he asked the girl, gentler than a moment ago.
"A man with red hair and a gigantic snake…" she hesitantly replied.
The wizard almost smiled. But just almost.
'Her husband and Molor… will be interesting.'
"Very well. Go back home and tell everyone that we're going to do something about that lunatic," he said aloud.
The girl nodded, nervous hope glistening in her eyes.
"Thank you, prince Janus."
With those words she spun around and hurried away between the trees.
Janus glared at the distant fortress for a moment.
Then he noticed the silence and looked around.
"What?"
Lai faintly smirked.
"Never seen you angry like that before," she acknowledged, "it suits you."
"I dost not know if I can share that opinion, Lai," Frog said and shook his head.
Janus just chuckled dryly until the green one grimly crossed his arms.
"Now then, how shalt we proceed? We must confront that filthy slime, but how?"
"I can get us there, but we'll need a plan," Janus nodded.
Frog was about to drop a comment about that being revolutionary, but let it slide.
"Dalton will doubtlessly focus on me," the wizard continued, "that means you two should get chances to strike."
"I'll need new daggers for that," Lai concluded and patted her waist were her belt of throwing weapons should be, "my own are left in the future."
"Fair enough, I'll see what I can do."
A few loose hairs, a simple pigtail made of dry grass and a transformation spell later Lai buckled the new belt while Janus leaned against a tree, Frog casting a healing spell over him to ease the headache. Spells that changed the appearance of things should not be done too much or often, as it was a strain on the mind to transform any being or thing.
But Janus recovered quickly with the help. As he straightened up, Lai spoke.
"Alright," she said with a glance at the sky, "how will we get up there?"
"I could try to use a wind spell to bring us up, but then I'd only be able to carry one of you with me at the time or it would be too heavy," Janus explained.
"How about teleportation then?" Frog suggested.
But the wizard shook his head.
"There are two rules for that one," he dryly said, "no using too old memories and no going to things that are moving."
"That doesn't apply, the world moves all the time, albeit slowly," Lai pointed out.
Janus paused for a moment.
"Don't make things needlessly complicated, please…" he finally muttered, earning a smirk from her.
"Jokes aside, flying it is then?" Lai said.
Janus nodded.
"Yes, I suppose. Hmm…"
He frowned.
"Then again, since we were attacked he must already know that we're here."
"Wise conclusion," Frog acknowledged, nodding, "we cannot make a surprise assault, then."
"Precisely," Janus said, narrowing his eyes, "as I said, we don't have to make things needlessly complicated."
He raised both his hands and pressed two sets of middle and pointing fingers against his forehead, closing his eyes.
The mental call probably shook the entire fortress.
'Dalton! Land that damn thing, your son wants a word with you!'
Even the breeze seemed to falter for a moment.
"T'was a new approach…" Frog dryly commented.
"Well, it's not like he's not expecting us anyway, might as well irritate him," Janus said, lowering his hands.
None of them had really awaited a reply. So it was a bit of a surprise when it came.
'What, you've settled for the fact, son?' Dalton's voice called back, smirking slightly.
'I have spent almost fourteen years making peace with the idea, I think I can handle it,' Janus replied in suite.
His voice turned colder.
'I know that you have Schala. Either you land and I and my friends walk in the front door or we come up there and rip your walls apart.'
'There is no need to be that harsh, boy,' Dalton said, dangerously amused, 'be patient for a few minutes, my castle moves slowly.'
'I'm not dumb enough to not think it's a trap.' Janus informed.
Dalton mentally laughed.
'And I was not going to deny it either. Come on in, if you dare.'
'Oh, I dare,' the wizard grimly said, watching the distant shadow slowly move towards the ground.