Chapter 12, Flea's fury

Not long after sunrise, Kada's ears twitched and her golden eyes shot open a moment later.

    Teleport magic!

    Flea just muttered something and wrapped his graying robes tighter around him, sleeping too deeply to have noticed the disturbance.

    But the other four assassins stirred. However, their agitated growling was cut short as Kada landed her paw on Syreth's sharp mouth. The mantis' black eyes ogled her in surprise, but accepted being silent at the wolf's warning wave.

    With a quick glance around, Kada pressed her free paw against her snout in a silencing sign and then pointed upwards. Her friends skeptically watched her, but she shook her head. Hesitantly, they let her go as she stood up without a sound and sneaked out.

    The werewolf creature slipped up the tunnel outside, starting to run as fast as her transformed body was able to as soon as she could. And she was quite happy that her new form allowed her far greater speed than her normal "sorcerer" body would have been able to offer.

    Ah yes, she was a sorcerer, but it was more an assembling name for her sort and cared very little for details such as true sex.

    She was fast, but the tunnel still seemed far too long to her. After what in her view appeared as several long, precious minutes she finally reached the stair and the horizontal door that lead up to the ground. Knowing that the hinges were questionable she opened it with as much care as she dared to, afraid of wasting more time. And praying to Magician that she wouldn't be met with a blade as she got out.

    It seemed that her wish was heeded as she glanced out through the first small crack and saw nothing. Opening the door further she crawled outside and closed the opening behind her. Quickly she straightened up and spread her long ears, with her eyes scanning the crumbling, overgrown remains of the castle walls around her and trying to determine where the intruders were. 

    The wind decided to be on her side and carry the distant voices to her sharp ears from the east, though the speaking ones cautiously talked as quietly as possible.

 "… Was in a hurry, my mind is rather blurred."

 "It's here somewhere… harder to tell when everything's ruined."

    Kada's lips twitched a little in a dry, humorless smile as she heard the acid tone of Slash's mutterings. She silently moved towards the sound, making sure that there were remnants of walls between her and the intruders.

 "'Twas nothing but a fault of thy own!" the frog's voice hissed.

 "No, your wizard and his teachers were the ones summoning the earthquake if I recall correctly!" the Mystic snarled back while looking around, surely for the entrance door to the underground tunnel.

 "To preserve their comrades and him, if I may add!"

 "I believed that causing earthquakes were beyond human capabilities," a hissing voice calmly intervened.

    Kada peeked though a small crack in a wall to see the magician hunters. She blinked at their numbers, and especially at the pure white snake. That hadn't been a part of the equation…

    A blue-haired woman looked at Janus just then, frowning. Not only did their hair have the same color; even though Kada didn't look too close she noticed that they had similar features. That the woman also carried a battle staff didn't make a wider difference.

    Janus didn't even return her gaze, but hid his wince by turning his head as if searching for the entrance.

 "We'll talk about that later…" he muttered. 

    Kada didn't bother to wait. They were a bit distracted by their argument right then, but soon they'd be completely focused again. She took in a deep breath.

    And stepped aside, into sight.

 "Look out!" the first one to spot her hissed, a young human male with red hair reminding mostly of a bush held up by a headband.

    A pair of thin swords flashed into his hands from his back, and his weapons weren't the last to be drawn. Kada quickly raised her paws, taking a step back before the six intruders had come to the decision to attack her.

    It was easier to think now. The first time she had seen the royal wizard in her new body, the only thing her brain had been able to conjure was a mantra going "killkillkillkillkillkillkill!", but now after the adjustments Flea had made since he had left the Mystics she was able to control herself.

 "Hold up!" she harshly snarled, trying not to show all her teeth in order to seem a little less intimidating, "I'm alone!" 

    They hesitated, but didn't seem too happy to do so. Distrustful eyes watched her as she let her hairy arms slowly fall.

 "Listen to me," she said, unable to keep her voice from growling.

 "What do you want?" Slash coldly demanded, "where is Flea?"

    Kada shook her head with a snort.

 "I know that you won't do it, but I beg of you to leave him be," she said in a low voice.

 "We can't do that," Janus said, his words laced with ice.

 "No surprise."

    The werewolf held up her right paw.

 "At least listen."

 "Make it quick, furball," Lai snapped, her fingers drumming against her belt of daggers.

    Kada forced herself to ignore the insult, grunting to swallow the frustration. She knew it was hopeless as she already had stated, but besides fighting there was nothing else she could do. It could be the only hope, if the traps failed they'd… not even if they worked it would help, not in the long run. If this troop failed then two armies would be next, sent by even further enraged kings. Flea knew that too, but he had appeared more afraid of this assault.

 "Flea didn't want to betray the Mystics," the werewolf said, knowing her master probably would make her a necklace of her own fangs if he knew what she was doing, "what happened to Skeeza was a mistake on Gyde's, the specter's, part and he would answer for it if allowed."

 "'Tis the shadow of queen Leene's blood on Flea's hands which call us to battle!" Frog snarled, changing his grip of the Masamune warningly.

    Slash glared briefly at the green general, but let it slide for the moment.

    Kada held back a wish to sigh.

 "Flea loves the Mystics, but he has been angry with you for a long time," she said, watching the monster of the troop as a new frown appeared on his forehead, "he didn't trust you anymore. He knew it was a mistake to attack the human general and the new wizard when they fell into his reach, but his hatred for Janus made him ignore it. But as he sent Gyde to relay a message to the Mystics, it was more an attempt to let you know he was alive so that you could stop him before he lost control though he probably didn't understand that himself."

    Well, that sounded really sensible. She quickly went on to avoid comments; they all looked highly skeptical but at least they were listening for whatever it was worth.

 "But when Gyde accidentally hurt Skeeza, Flea knew who was going to get the blame. He never admitted that he wanted to return, he was too proud. But it was still a hope, that died when Gyde returned and had to tell what had happened. There was nothing left for him then, apart from the blame he placed on Janus."

 "He could have returned before and we wouldn't have turned him away, but it's a bit too late now indeed," Slash growled through his teeth, "he got himself into this mess and he will pay for it!"

    He paused, the frown growing deeper.

 "But answer me this, why was he mad at us, why didn't he return?"

 "It was whe-"

    But Kada was cut off by a shriek and a blurred vision of pink and gray-white, which dove at her from her right. The walls had hidden Flea until then, and now as the werewolf stumbled aside he set off a teleportation spell to bring both of them away from the intruders.

 "Damn it!"

    Slash was on the other side of the wall almost sooner than anyone else had managed to take a single step. But it was too late of course, the spell had worked long before even the swordsman could arrive.

 "Bring us in, Janus!" the monster called, furiously slapping at one last wisp of magic light.

 "What of traps?" Lai warned while she passed through the opening where Kada had stood, following the first wizard of Guardia.

    Frog just leapt over the broken wall though it was three times his height.

 "He seemed a little too distraught to… argh!"

    Slash's voice turned into a wordless growl and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 "I don't care even if he's been eating glowing mushrooms and decides to blame that!" he snarled under his breath, more to himself than anything else.

    Janus, who had been moving his hand back and forth above the ground to ensure the teleportation track, heard the monster but pretended not to. He was himself doing his best to ignore the hesitant voice in the back of his head. It was irritating, but too weak. He was angry.

 "Hold up, are you sure about this?"

    Schala's words brought him out of his thoughts. She stood in the opening between the two walls, leaning slightly on her staff with a concerned look in her eyes while Molor silently slithered past her feet like a river of pearls.

    Slash refused to turn around to look at her.

 "I've been fighting Flea since I arrived here, Schala," Janus said, fighting not to let his frustration at the pecking hesitance show as he spoke to his sister, "he's caused nothing but grief. He went too far when he attacked my friends and the queen, I cannot forgive him for that."

    Schala looked aside at Frog, who grimly shook his head. The one who had cursed him and helped murder Cyrus, tortured his other friend and tried to murder his liege deserved no mercy in the knight's eyes. And had never done so. Peace with the Mystics had never quite fitted into Glenn's bitter soul.

    Lai pursed her mouth, similar thoughts apparent in her mind.

    The princess of Zeal looked back at her brother, who's ruby eyes were set on her intently. For a moment he looked at Cered however. It appeared that he did not feel a need to question the snake.

 "If you…"

    Cered shook his head, cutting off the wizard's words.

 "I shall come with thee, worry not."

 "As will I," Schala said and folded her left hand around the staff as well, "I rather wondered if you would."

 "There is no choice here, not for us," Janus said, shaking his head.

    He straightened up.

 "I'm teleporting then, so prepare yourself. Ready?"

    As he had received the simple nods as answers, he raised his staff and reached out his mind for the magical footprints that Flea and the werewolf's escape had left behind. In a flash, the six left the island's surface.

    The dusk of the huge cavern was hardly silent. Because Flea was shouting at the cowering wolf, the other visible assassins standing a bit to their master's left, apparently unsure what to do.

 "… can just write my memoirs while I'm rotting in my grave you hairy basta-"

    Flea spun leftwards, at the light flashing around the intruders. Light reflected in the blades that hungered for his flesh.

    The assassins were between him and the invaders before the skipped heartbeat had passed.

    For a moment the two sides just stared at each other.

    The thunk and the zipping sound as Janus released the metal hidden in his staff echoed through the cave hall.

    Slash's left arm slammed into the wizard's chest and sent him half a step backwards. But he had almost expected the restraining demand.

 "Why were you angry with us, enough to stay in hiding, Flea?" the swordsman questioned, in a dark voice.

    The werewolf pinched her eyes closed as she felt the burning gaze at her neck. But it moved away, nailing itself onto the purple general.

 "I think I had fully valid reasons, Slash," Flea spoke in the same dead voice as he had used in Guardia castle.

 "Humor me, because I see none."

    At those words, rage flared up in the magician's rose quarts eyes and his face turned into a grimacing mask of fury.

 "How dare you, how can you?!"

    His voice even drowned the hissing and growling of the assassins, dark lightning bolts crawling around his fingers.

    Simultaneously, Schala and Janus threw up a magic shield to fight back the explosion of power that appeared guaranteed, but a head-on attack was not what they should have prepared for. The real assault was silent until it hit.

 "What the hell?!" Lai shrieked, each syllable more distant than the last. 

    Her friends and Slash spun around in time to see her fly upwards, pulled by the black threads that encircled her arms and waist. The fire flowing from her hands did little more than illuminate the huge black spider web she was ripped into high up there. Her cussing was cut off as the threads crawled over her face to cover the angry lips. It didn't stop her from continuing to struggle, of course.

 "Let her doouff!"

    Janus' staff hit the floor and so did he, with the full weight of the invisible assassin pinning him down. As he was on his stomach he had few means to fight back but the well-hidden beast sprung away quickly as several weapons and fangs blindly aimed for him. The wizard rolled over and stood almost in the same moment, holding out his hand for his staff…

    Just in time to hear Glenn shout in rage and surprise.

    The Masamune was torn out of the knight's hands by the same kind of threads that had captured Lai moments earlier, and which now encircled the green warrior as well. He was placed on his companion's right side, several feet away from her however. His sword was left hanging below him.

    The assassins drew closer as the remaining warriors turned towards Flea again, the intruders' eyes shifting suspiciously all the while however. Diverted attention would not win them any favors and they knew it, but it was hard to focus on one danger only.

    This would normally be a scene where Flea laughed or at least smirked, but what could be seen of him over the ghost's shoulder only showed the same bitter fury from before.

 "Cered!" Molor called in alarm, giving his friend a chance to throw himself aside.

    The threads barely missed the man from Garadia, Schala stumbling in the other direction to get away from the hundreds of thin ropes. Janus grabbed her shoulder as she came within reach, pulling her up behind him for whatever good that would do. Swinging his staff at the threads proved to little surprise useless; they were just thrown aside but then shot after Cered again.

    Molor got himself in the way, hissing wildly and rising up until he almost stood on the tip of his tail. Now that was a sight that even got the mantis backing a couple of steps. The red-haired warrior got to his feet behind the snake, cautiously holding his katanas ready even if he had a feeling they'd help very little.

 "Laohn sha nebal!" Schala called, sending one of her glowing half moons through the air.

    It hit the threads, and though the crescent didn't catch all it nailed a bunch of them to the ground as it buried itself in the stone.

    Flea's eyes thinned.

 "You'll have to teach me that," Janus muttered with a moment's small, grim smile.

    Schala's returned smile was cut short as she felt something around her waist. Threads had slithered over the floor, unseen.

 "Oh no…"

    She was ripped backwards, desperately reaching for her brother as another few ropes tore the staff out of her grip.

 "Schala!"

    Janus dove forwards, stretching his right hand after his sister's twitching fingers. Vaguely, he felt Molor hit the ground and shoot forwards as fast as he could, carelessly running over the twitching, caught threads. Those that were still free tried to catch him but he tore himself free and continued, Cered dashing forwards by his side. But even as they moved, Schala was pulled out of Janus' reach though their fingers briefly touched.

 "Look out, you idiots!" Slash shouted.

    He slapped his own forehead with a groan as Cered's protesting shout pierced the air half a second later.

 'This is what I get for teaming up with humans. Thank you so much Skeeza, I swear that I will haunt you.'

    With a hiss Molor threw himself after Cered. Which Flea seemed to have counted correctly on. Janus rushed towards his violently twisting friend as even the snake got caught by several bunches of threads, but the lizard swept up in the human's way and he was forced to leap backwards to avoid the whipping tail. Even as he did, the wizard saw the other visible assassins dash forwards and around until the last two remaining intruders were surrounded. According to the moving sand on the ground, the invisible one was filling the hole to Slash's left.

    Janus caught the swordsman's mildly said vexed gaze, the crimson eyes not very joyful either.

    Brave last stand, hm?

    Great.

 "Well, you know Janus, it's kind of funny," Slash dryly said as the man and monster backed up against each other cautiously, "ever since I saw you the first time I have wanted to see you die, I just didn't expect us to go together."

    The wizard didn't bother to answer, his eyes darting between glares and pained glances as they switched from the assassins to his hanging family and friends.

 "Who wants the honor?" Flea coldly said.

    Where glee and scorn would have been proper was only chilly rage, as it had been for a long time now. Perhaps there was still something that could help…

 "Answer my question, Flea!" Slash growled, knowing he was probably asking for it but seeing no other hope but pushing his luck, "why did you leave?!"

    Flea's already pale face whitened even further in fury.

 "You… have… some… nerve…!" he hissed through his teeth, hardly moving his lips at all.

 "No, I really don't understand!" the swordsman snarled, trying to keep track of the assassins and their master at the same time.

 "Stop pretending to be stupid!"

    Flea was shivering with anger now, his fists clenched so hard that the fingers almost broke.

 "You sold me off you bastard! You and all the others!" he screamed on top of his lungs, the words nearly incomprehensible by the force of his voice.

 "What?" Slash and Janus said almost simultaneously, brought slightly off balance by the accusation.

    The magician took half a step backwards, trying to catch his breath. In a calmer voice, though it was colder than ice and the eyes was petrifying with hatred, he spoke again.

 "I knew Janus was probably stronger than me," he hissed, "but one of the reasons I still dared to fight him was that I believed that if I failed, somebody would still avenge me."

 "Oh hell…" the wizard murmured as the realization hit him.

 "But as I woke up, hidden," Flea went on, seething, "all I see is you and a group of warriors calmly, without a scratch, talking peace with the man who you thought killed me."

    Slash shook his head, trying to make sense of the idiocy of it all.

 "We were loosing, damn you!" he finally called out in frustration, "all of us were on our knees when Janus suddenly decided to be friendly and healed us to…"

 "Shut up!" Flea shouted, "I don't care about your half-assed excuses!"

    The assassins drew closer, growling.

 "Didn't you see anything of it?" Janus snarled at the werewolf as she bared her claws.

 "No! Traitor!" the mantis hissed, slashing the air a couple of yards from Slash.

    And the wolf shook her head, growling. The time for diplomacy had run out, all that was left was battle to the death.