I still don't own. Read below for importain AN!
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In all actuality, the generals weren't waiting beyond the next door. A pair of Imps was waiting, each with a pile of clothing beside them. Upon seeing the young pair enter, the Imps dug around in their respective piles. The green Imp finished first, handing Janus a pair of purple pants and a boiled leather cuirass. The young man barely glanced at the girl before changing, grabbing a blue silk sash and red cape as well, much to the Imp's displeasure.
As Janus was changing, the blue Imp neared the distracted girl. It bore red leggings, a blood-hued corselet, and a white cotton skirt. Not looking away from Janus' bare chest, she took the clothes from the small creature, sighing and turning away from the man.
Is this actually happening? Why am I being given these, what's going to happen now? she was thinking as she drew the raiment around her. Confused ruby eyes drifted back towards Janus, and the girl sighed a little when she saw he was pulling on his cape. There went that distraction. Well, she was almost done, anyway. Tying the corselet with nimble fingers, she stopped and looked at her hands. With a feeling of vague surprise, she realized that her hands, while dirty, were not even tinged with red. She could still feel the Human's dying struggles, though, the helpless gasping. But there was no blood on her hands.
"Come on," Janus said, breaking the red-clad woman from her thoughts. His look held something of… respect, or was it disgust? "You don't want to keep the generals waiting," he added, opening the door. Still in silence, she followed his lead.
The door led to a large hallway, which was lined with the male and female representatives of the various Mystic races, males to the left and females to the right. At the far end, there was a small dais, raised about two steps above the floor. Unafraid, Janus began walking toward the stage, ignoring the Mystics who likewise ignored him. A few moments later, he heard footsteps from behind and slightly to the right of him. He wasn't afraid of the Mystics, but the girl who had changed so quickly and completely, who now followed him… He didn't fear her, but she did make him uneasy.
As she walked, white skirt swaying slightly with her steps, she looked at the Mystics between whom she walked. Her mind was not on them, however, but on the circumstances. What was this? Some sort of ceremony, she knew; Janus had told her that earlier. But what would happen? She had killed, and currently wanted an ether pretty badly, so why were they going through all this? Absently, she looked at her hands again. There were tiny abrasions where the chain had dug in. The chain… oops, she had left that in the room. Well, Janus didn't have his scythe, so it couldn't be too important.
Reaching the end of the hall, Janus knelt before the empty dais. Again, it was a few moments before he heard her follow his example. A door left of the dais opened, and Ozzie floated out, wearing his normal white clothing, but with a laurel crown of gold around his green head, the sign of his rulership. Slash and Flea followed, the swordsman dressed in finely sewn white linen with velvet accents; not gaudy, but rich. The mage wore silk, a shimmering yellow dress hanging from one shoulder. These were the generals in their role of Mystic rulers.
It was odd, the girl thought, watching the leaders come forth. All this time as Lady Flea's slave, and she'd never actually knelt to the sorceress. As she pondered, Ozzie moved to the middle of the stage, Slash to his right and Flea to his left.
The Mystic King raised his hands, almost as though he was preparing to give a blessing. "On this day," his voice filled the room easily, "we recognize two who have joined our ranks. Rarely have any passed the trials with such ruthless cunning. They wait, now to begin their service as loyal Mystics."
Ozzie's speech finished, Slash glided down the step, stopping in front of the kneeling boy. "I submit my protégé," the purple humanoid said ritualistically.
"What is his name?" Ozzie asked in the same manner.
"Magus."
Dead silence greeted this announcement, not because of the name chosen, but rather who chose it. The young man had raised his head, cerulean hair cascading past his face. It was he who had spoken, taking Slash's traditional line for himself. Slash looked to Ozzie, then nodded slightly, recognizing the youth's right to name himself.
Ozzie licked his lips a little, not liking the boy's rebellion. But Slash had supported him, so the Mystic King didn't have much of a choice. "We confirm the Mystic, Magus. Let him rise and take his place." Thus admitted, Magus stood and wordlessly followed Slash, standing to the swordsman's right in the same way he stood to Ozzie's right.
Is it my turn now…? the still kneeling girl thought. It must be. Are they going to give me a name? I suppose I need one, since I'm a Mystic. She had accepted the truth, although she still wasn't happy about it.
Flea, in contrast to Slash, walked down the steps, regarding her no-longer-slave with interest. She had never expected the girl to make it, really. Her gaze on the girl, Flea began the ritual, "I submit my protégé."
Protégé… the girl nearly laughed at the word. At least this meant she had some standing, but it wasn't much comfort. She would still serve Mystics.
"What is her name?"
There was a pause as Flea tried to decide on an appellation. She hadn't prepared one. "Crimson," the mage said with a small shrug. It would do as well as any, and it did seem to fit, really.
"We confirm the Mystic, Crimson," Ozzie intoned, glad that this part at least had gone as expected. "Let her stand and take her place."
Moving slowly, as though in a daze, Crimson stood and mounted the steps behind her -teacher-. The Mystic, Crimson. The words echoed in her mind, giving her a focus and stabilizing her damaged mind. Crimson. The Mystic, Crimson. Her. She was Crimson, the Mystic, and Lyn… was dead.
"Respect those who stand before you as they are due," Ozzie concluded. "Now go, and spread word."
The room slowly emptied, Mystic filing past the dais and through the door in pairs, talking softly amongst themselves. The generals stood with the newly named youths until the room was empty but for them, then Ozzie turned and regarded the pair. "Magus, Crimson, listen up now," he ordered. Inwardly, Crimson gasped slightly. She hadn't expected her new name to be used by Ozzie.
"You might be Mystics now, but you're still students. Your lessons will continue, for the most part. You'll take meals with us, and don't you go getting disrespectful. We're still your betters, after all." His brief orders given, the fat Mystic waved his hands. "Now go do something. You have some time before dinner. Oh, and Crimson, you might want to retrieve your chain." Ozzie smirked slightly as he made his suggestion.
"Yes sir," Magus said, bowing slightly, then leaving through the door.
Crimson stood for a moment longer before inclining her head. "Y-yes sir." She hurried down the long hallway, back toward her weapon. She didn't really want to retrieve it, but in this, as in so much else, she didn't have a choice.
The room where she'd been given the clothing was empty now. Very slowly, Crimson opened the far door, the one that led back to the dungeons. She wasn't looking forward to what lay beyond.
The bodies still lay as they had fallen, one with it's head nearly removed, one strangled, the chain still around his neck. With soundless steps, Crimson walked over to the body, then dropped to her knees and reached for her chain. She worked quickly, freeing the iron links from their tangle and doing her best to avoid looking at her earlier handy-work. When she was finished, she gladly stood and left the room, not looking back.
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First, RRRT.
Campin' Carl: yes, you can complain about chapter length all you want. I'm glad you enjoy, even so.
Erik (Ej-kun): You already know what's going on, if not what's going to happen.
Crazy Joker: Thanks for you ideas, talking to you is helping me imensily.
ShadowCatYumi08: Shadow Cat Dream? Nice. I'm glad you enjoy!
Now, for the announcement. Nobody is going to be happy with me, I think. First let me say, I am -NOT- killing the story! Everyone hear that? Understand? Good. Now, the bad news. I am pausing it. I need to go through ALL the chapters and re-tool them, re-edit them, ect. However, that means I might not be writting new chapters for a while. The good news is I know what I'm going to do for all the rest of the story. I just need to re-do some of the begining.
Also, for what it's worth, Lyn/Crimson isn't going to get TOO much darker. There WILL be two more rather dark chapters, but than she'll get nicer and level out. Even with the re-writting, I'll try to post some new chapters, when I can.
That is all. Flames accepted.
