Chapter 7 - And His Name Is - - - - - - -
Author's Note: Hm, could it be that the mysterious man get's his name now? Since I said it that way, you're probably thinking that I won't. Then again, since I said THAT right after, you probably now think that I will, but think that I won't because you knew that I would follow the second sentence with this sentence, but then you realized that I will just move on to the story now that you are probably getting tired of this.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Within the sanctum, Terra tried to stiffle a yawn as she sat down on a bench near the entrance. The last three hours had been full of healing Meitei's wounds, burying the dead and dismembered, and trying to figure out what in the name of Mai made her friend, if she could call him that, say what he did. Or for that matter, why he said it.
She had been to stunned by what he said, and replied only as she could by reflex alone. Burying those remains was one thing, but turning around, and asking forgiveness, and actually MEANING it? Terra had learned long ago how to tell sincerity from both voice and eye contact, and the fact that he had passed at both stunned her.
Possibly even more stunning was that he had not tried to rush her off after what had happened. After killing so many and destroying so much, she had expected him to lasso her in psynergy and drag her off. Yet he had not done so. What kept him from doing what he was ready to do before?
The soft noise of a side-door opening drew her back to reality, and she saw him walk towards her, his robes now one of a male healer. Not dissimillar fro hers, with the exception of being more form-fitting and not as ragged as the clothes she had lent him before. Oddly, his hair was slightly longer now, reachng to about mid-way below his neck.
She watched as he moved to sit next to her, and she made no move to stop him. They sat in silence for a time, both staring ahead, though their minds were elsewhere. Terra knew that he apparently needed her for something, and those Tolbibi soldiers were obviously in the area, probably looking for either her or him, given how the few that got close handled their weapons. What was so important about her?
She cast a sideways glance at him, knowing why anyone would want to capture him. As powerful as he was, Terra was suprised that she had never heard of him, if only from traveler tales or merchants passing through. If there was another reason they wanted him, it was beyond her. Even his name was beyond her grasp.
"Satsu."
Blinking, Terra almost jumped at the sudden sound in the sanctum. Turning to give him her full attention, she stared at his face, wondering why he did not return her gaze. Puzzled, she ask, "What?"
"My name," he replied, his tone oddly warmer and more emotional, almost moreso than when he begged for forgiveness. "Satsu. You were wanting to know my name, were you not?"
She nodded dumbly, wondering if he had somehow read her mind. Given how powerful an Adept he was, it was not an impossibility. "Yes, I was." She paused, wondering what to say next. "Where were you wanting to take me?"
For some reason, his brows furrowed, his features tightened, and he frowned. "We need you to assist us in acessing the World's Heart to keep Weyard afloat."
Hearing that the world was floating in the sky was not an unheard of legend to Terra, but it was more of a myth than a reality. To think that someone so powerful and so beautiful had said such to her.
Did she just think that!
Blinking and trying to keep her mind focused, she pursed her lips questioningly. She wanted to know what this "World's Heart" was, but there was something else bothering her, "Why do you need ME?"
This time, he turned to stare at her, his eyes, his features, his whole body seemed to be filled with a sudden happiness, a surge of strength. Or maybe Terra was reading more into his change in posture than was necessary. "We need an Adept aligned completely to one of the four elements to open the door. They also need to be immensely strong in their element, as well."
She forced a smile, trying to be friendly and keep her awkward feelings to herself, "So besides me and you, who else do we need?"
She was stunned when he smiled and...laughed? This man, Satsu, the man who was acting like a puppet, who killed dozens of people, who was so attractive and so deadly, was laughing at her question?
"Sadly, you are the only adept we have found alive of sufficient power needed to open the door for your element. Most of our other leads have either been killed or captured by the Tolbibi Empire, or by the Ascendency."
"Wait." Terra shook her head, trying to clear it. "The Tolbibi Empire, I can see where they would do such, but what in the name of Mai is the Ascendancy?"
"Mia. And the Ascendancy is-"
She placed one of her hands on his arm, pausing him in mid-sentence, "Why do you keep saying 'Mia?' My ancestor was named Mai, and the Savior of Imilian-birth was named Mai."
He raised his eyebrows, apparently amused at her puzzlement. Now why would he-
"Perhaps the tales have been altered through time, but the savior from Imil that assisted in lighting the Elemental Lighthouses was named Mia."
This time, Terra's brow furrowed, "What makes you so sure?"
"The Silent Saviors have detailed archives, and I..." He cut himself off, and looked away, almost as if he was trying to forget something painful. Or to remember what it was he was going to say. Or that he heard something. Whatever it was, Terra was too puzzled to understand.
Abruptly, he rose, taking her hand in his, "We do need to be on the move. Without the Command Chair, the retreating soldiers will take about two days to reach the nearest Tolbibi Sage, and we will need at least that long to get to a ship to take us to a safe place."
Terra thought of asking Satsu of why he did not tell her more, but decided that it would be unkind to force potentially painful thoughts from an unwilling person. Though she did have to admit, he couldn't tell her that much and not believe that she was suspicious. Nodding her head, she stood, taking his hand, "Where do we go?"
End of Chapter 7
Again, in case you don't get the reference of the name, Satsu is, again, another Japanese word. Amusingly, there are at least SIX seperate definitions of the word in my dictionary, but the one I am using means, and I quote, "kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split, diminish." Take that as you will.
Please read and review, as I do like to know what you, the reader thinks.
Mikaa