Chapter 7: Devils in this Angel Town

"I can't believe our luck," Opera muttered as they walked out of Cross Castle. Sure as she had thought, Ernest had been here, and subsequently gone after he'd gone through the Mountain Palace he'd wanted to investigate.

For that matter, the party was in bad straights at the moment. Between Mars and Cross they had been caught in a sudden rainstorm that thoroughly drenched them, and the cold that followed did nothing to help. They were now stranded in Cross waiting for the recovery of Celine, Rena, Precis, and Claude. Bowman was caring for them, leaving Opera and Ashton to roam the town so the others could rest in silence.

Now Opera found out that she had indeed missed Ernest, leaving Ashton as the only person either not caring for others, depressed or ill. Then again, Gyoro was grouchy from the cold weather. Urunrun loved it. Ashton...

"Its a wonder I just haven't had worse happen lately," he muttered. "I'm the one with bad luck, and nothing's happened to me."

Opera stopped, staring at him a bit incredulously. "Are you saying you want something to happen to you?" She pursed her rouge-painted lips slightly as her brow furrowed.

Ashton turned to look at her, mixed emotions in his eyes. Gyoro hunched down closer to Ashton to keep warm. "Well, I mean, I've always had bad luck. Everything happens to me, not everyone else. And now Claude, Rena and the others are sick, Bowman's caring for them - which certainly isn't much fun - and you've missed your boyfriend. I can't think of anything bad which has happened to me."

"Aren't you happy about that?" Opera asked, continuing walking. The alley they were passing through was silent save the breeze which stirred leaves as it wound through the corridor. The rain had stopped for the moment, but the winds were enough to add the damp chill which added to the mood.

Ashton trailed along, pondering the question. "Well, I should be, but I feel bad. I'm the only person who doesn't have a problem. Gyoro's cold, but I should feel fine and be happy. But I don't." He shrugged and sighed. "I'm just not happy because no one else is. I wish we were back at Mars."

A pair of eyes watched the two leave. 'Happiness ... something unattainable. At least when you still have unfinished business and empty hearts about.'

~*~

"Where is he?"

The snarl in the voice was unmistakable, as well as the silhouette in the mirror from the doorway. Besides that, only one person would actually bother looking for the missing wise man. 'There's only a one letter difference between 'bother' and 'brother',' Indalecio thought sourly. His day had been fine, filled with quiet reflections and calming weather, and now the whole mood was shattered by this interruption. One which wasn't about to go unpunished.

"You could learn more decency, Cyril," Indalecio said softly, rising from his chair to turn and face the silver-haired man in the doorway, "such as knocking, and a civil tongue in your mouth. What matter is it of yours to wonder where someone is, and ask [i]me[/i] about this?" His voice was a mere whisper, but intense.

The faint lighting of the room showed the frown on Cyril's face, but the fire in the eyes from anger was unmistakable. "Its my concern and matter when its my brother who seems to be missing," he hissed. "Where is Ruprecht?"

Indalecio snorted. "I sent him out to do some information gathering," he said flatly, narrowing his eyes. "That's all you need to know."

"Jibril and Nicolaus have been back for two days. What of my brother?"

"Concerned, Cyril?" he asked, his tone icy. "What a time to try out that emotion." He walked over quickly, raising a hand and striking the other wise man before he even realized what had happened. The fire faded slightly from the other man's eyes and Indalecio stared him down. "Now, you'll bother keeping your nose out of other people's business now, and learn to respect your seniors. When Ruprecht comes back, he'll report directly to me. If I hear one thing about you interfering, your punishment will be a lot worse than one strike."

He turned, heading back to his seat, the faint candle glow revealing a cold expression on his face in the mirror. "I left him out to do some follow up investigation on something he's found out, for your information. I'm not going to let Nede slip out of our grasp easily, despite our power. We may be powerful, but you'd best remember which of us has more. I doubt you'd last long in the Elurian wilderness on your own." One hand waved negligently, a signal for the other to leave. He watched without another motion as the other stalked off.

'He'll ruin everything if he doesn't keep his nose out of this, and I really don't need to lose anyone right now. If I must, I will, but Cyril is still too useful.'

~*~

"Who does he think he is?" Cyril snarled, his robe flaring about him as he stalked down the stairs in anger, a hand pressed to the still warm and reddened mark on his cheek. "He's gone too far. I'll show him how to deal with problems."

He saw Shin and Decus standing near the doors at the bottom of the tower. 'Then I'll just do this another way.'

~*~

The drizzle had started up again, sending people scattering for buildings to keep warm and dry. Opera had gone to the inn, while Ashton had sought the solace of the restaurant for food and warmth both. He held the hamburger he'd ordered appreciatively, and took a few bites, reveling in the tender juiciness of the ingredients and excellent cooking skills used. The dragons were munching on some meat dumplings.

Ashton had chosen a small table in the corner that looked outside. He could see the large urn and assorted barrels resting out in the drizzle still as the keeper of the shop had dashed into a nearby building. That urn was so fascinating and wonderfully done. He still wondered what was in it. Perhaps after the rain let up, he would satisfy his curiosity.

He took another bite of hamburger, leaving a little left as he chewed and just let his mind wander. Thanks to Chris, he had averted a potential loss of life. True, the dragons had possessed him without so much as a thought, but that left one question. [i]'Why?'[/i]

He would find no such chance to ask as his attention was drawn to the unnatural light from outside which sent the people within the building into a tizzy. Ashton stood, his chair sliding back, looking out the window over the heads of some others who were already crowding it. Through the drizzle he could make out a figure crouched slightly, something in his hands. Ashton squinted, and made out the shape of it - a spear, much like Chris's. In fact, the silhouette looked about right. Another figure approached, an unnatural glow about one raised hand. Ashton frowned and weaved for the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" he heard form outside as he neared the door. No one seemed to want to go out to do anything. Ashton intended to change that by himself.

"What should be done, brother mine. What should be done to preserve our integrity!" The other figure, garbed in dark robes trimmed in red flared the light about his hand. The fiery spell took form and launched for the younger figure-

"Northern Cross!"

Ice shards cut the flames short, muting them instantaneously as more slipped through the flickering remnants and lanced the other's robes. Ashton was now standing between the two, swords drawn and in hand, his brow furrowed as he focused.

"What the hell?" Cyril shook the rainwater from his hair, glaring at the odd person before him who interrupted his work.

"Ashton!" The young man was surprised, and stepped back from his stance in shock.

"I don't think so," Ashton growled, crossing his blades before him. "No one's going to threaten him. Not while I'm around."

"Unfortunate fool," Cyril purred. "At least you won't go alone."

Ashton blinked and straightened a bit. When his eyes opened, an unnatural blue glow alighted the green irises. "You are mistaken. We will not go so easily. Your power may be great..."

The eyes flashed red. "...but ours is equal, and these blades and skills are powerful as well. Do not underestimate us." The eyes flickered between red and blue. "We will not allow his death, dark one. And we won't allow the death of someone he wishes to protect. He let us live, and we shall repay him for such."

Ruprecht stood in amazement, realizing it was the dragons speaking through Ashton, who took a defensive stance then.

Cyril smirked. "How noble of you ... beasts. But you underestimate my own powers as well." He flipped his arm around, facing his palm up to the rain, drops falling gently upon it. He clenched his fist suddenly, the power unleashed from the spell flaring in the minds of the demon dragons too late for them to realize what had happened. Their possession broke as Ashton whirled, knowing what the dragons had assessed - a spell from behind.

Ruprecht realized it in the moments as Cyril had closed his hands, but was far too late to avoid the blade of dark magic that struck into his back, sending him forward into Ashton's arms. The heraldic swordsman caught him but barely, some blood splattering onto his face as Ruprecht collapsed and lost consciousness. Ashton knelt in shock, unbelieving of what had just happened. The dragons hissed in disapproval, Urunrun twisting to fix cold eyes on Cyril. Ashton laid his friend's body down carefully.

"Well, brother, it may be a slow painful death, but its fitting of a traitor like you. Slower than the one I would have given you had someone not interrupted." Cyril floated up slightly, a flash of lightning illuminating him against the sky as Ashton rose and turned to look at him.

The blood ran slowly in the rain, a marker of the atrocity committed to his friend barely clinging to him. His grip tightened on his swords, and his eyes narrowed. Gyoro hissed softly, rearing back. "You'll pay for that," Ashton growled between clenched teeth.

"Oh, really?" Cyril scoffed. "Like you could even touch me." He thought a moment, and threw his head back in laughter as he dropped his defenses. If it was a game the child wanted, so be it. Besides, he was obviously the one who had corrupted his brother, and for that he would die a slow painful death. "Try me," he hissed.

"My pleasure," Ashton said, smirking. He tried a few swings, watching how the robed figure seemed to glide back out of the way of each swipe.

"Try a little harder before you die," Cyril called out, gliding back quickly and bringing a hail of ice down on his target. Gyoro denied him a hit by lifting his head high and flaming into she sky, melting away the attack before it could strike. Cyril cursed, deciding to pull something even better.

In the meantime Ashton took advantage of the apparent wizard's pause to strike. Winds kicked up as both attacks began, the winds sending people cowering back into the buildings more, but Cyril looked to find his target gone amidst the winds as leaves and twigs were gathering in his spell. He frowned, looking for his toy. The only person out there was Ruprecht, still passed out on the cobblestones.

"Leaf Slash!"

No warning, and no hint was given as the heraldic swordsman suddenly appeared from nowhere amidst the leaves and wind. The first blade bit deep, slicing cloth and flesh equally across his left arm, and the second blade slashed upwards, striking sensitive flesh on his cheek and spraying blood into the dark sky.

Cyril snarled and cursed, enraged that he had let himself be so deluded and struck. He would not fight further as he resurrected his defenses. "You may be lucky now," he snarled, wiping blood form his face onto his dark gloves, "but I'll remember you. Oh, I know we'll meet again, swordsman. I hope you're lucky, because next time you'll need all of it you can muster." He flickered out of view, Gyoro snorting in disdain and making a few noises as Urunrun grunted to agree.

"I'm glad he's gone too," Ashton said, trembling slightly as the adrenaline wore off. "Who was that, and-" He whirled, his mind in a panic as it remembered the person this had started over. "Chris!!"

~*~

Ashton paced in the hallway. Bowman emerged from the room, wiping his brow. Ashton was right there suddenly before him. "Well?"

"He'll survive," Bowman pronounced, "though he'll need a few days of rest. I gave him something which should help that along."

"What about Claude, Rena, Precis, and Celine?" Worry filled Ashton's eyes.

"They'll be up and ready in a few days too." Bowman yawned. "I think I'll retire. Opera, you mind watching everyone while I sleep?"

Opera nodded, "Of course, that's why I came back and napped."

Ashton put a hand on Bowman's shoulders. "Rest well, alright? I'll keep an eye on Chris, Opera. Take care of Precis, and the others, for me."

Ashton let go and walked quietly into the room, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed. Gyoro and Urunrun bowed their heads, resting as Ashton sat there in the dark. The only sound was the occasional chirp of crickets and the drip of water from rainwater falling off the roof. Suddenly a soft voice broke the silence.

"Why?"

Ashton looked down on the bed. He didn't understand the question, but he offered an answer. "You deserve your life, so I stepped in to protect a friend. Now rest."

'Do I deserve a life where I've supposedly betrayed my allies and supposed to kill my 'friend'?' he wondered as he drifted off, leaving Ashton once more to the silence.