(Stupid filter! I thought my story had disappeared!!!)
Chapter 14
Ozzie's Fort - 600 A.D.
«Oh, Flea, it's...it's wonderful!»
«I was sure you'd like it. It's my favourite too. But mind the wall...the ceiling!»
They were floating in mid-air, Auree laughing loud like a little girl. Now she had understood why Flea had brought her in that large empty room with a vaulted high ceiling.
«Avoid brusque movements...you have to move slowly and with care» he advised, «You could get hurt against the wall, otherwise. It's a bit like swimming»
«No, a lot easier! I don't have to fight for breath! Flea, I really don't understand why, if you can fly...»
«This is not really flying, just floating. We can't travel fast or going too high...»
«If you can float in the air, why do you bother to walk at all? It's so much more fun this way!»
He seemed to think hard about it.
«I suppose...for the same reason I don't ask you to stay with me every night. I think that pleasures, to be truly appreciated, must be savoured...sparsely»
She considered this philosophy and agreed.
«This spell has one defect: you cantouch the ground until it's gone or until you revocate 't it with a counter-spell, unless you want the magic to discharge through your body!»
He drew her besides him, took her hands and spoke softly.
«Auree, I've been a fool not telling you...I know you were waiting for this, but I waited too...to be sure, I don't like to speak at random, especially about important issues...but now I want to assure you that I'm deeply in lo---»
A terrific noise cancelled the rest of the sentence. An incorporeal, menacing, annoying voice coming from nowhere. The distorted voice of Ozzie -already unpleasant as it was- calling for his lieutenants.
«Flea! Slash! To the great hall, quickly!»
«Oh, no!» Flea sighed, letting her go «Green Whale is calling...I must go»
He pulled a small mirror out of his pocket and examined his face.
«My God! Why didn't you tell me I was looking like this?» he exclaimed, noticing the mascara stains under his eyes. He looked for a handkerchief.
«We're under attack!»
«Under attack?» Auree repeated, impressed «Shouldn't you hurry up?»
«No...Just one of Ozzie's stupid military trainings, I bet» he said, quickly reapplying his make-up «Just a simulation, to see who's ready and who's not»
He waved a hand and Auree was surrounded by small golden sparkles.
«The floating spell will last for one hour, slowly fading. You won't fall abruptly from the air, don't worry. But be careful, don't go high and don't try to jump from a window, you're not prepared for the outside, understood?»
«Yes»
«And don't try to touch the floor»
«You've said I can't»
«You can, but it will hurt! I hope I will come back soon. Have fun...Oh, uhm...»
He looked at her with a strange, intense expression, then approached her again and whispered something in her ear.
It was a single word, in a language Auree didn't know. Nevertheless, after a brief moment of uncertainty, she understood what that meant...the realisation struck her so fiercely that her eyes widened while she took a deep breath...
Flea hushed her putting a finger over her half-opened mouth.
«Please, don't repeat it. Never pronounce it in this fortress. I have told you just...because I like to think there's still someone calling me that way... although only in her thoughts...»
She nodded, unable to speak.
«See you later, Auree!»
Her lips just formed the word .
Alone in the great room, Auree danced merrily in the air, spinning and twirling.
She wandered happily all over the large hall, peering through the encrusted panes of high skylights. At the end, she descended almost at ground level, to look out of a window. She rested there, enjoying the nice view and the spring-scented air.
Auree could hardly believe Flea had revealed to her his best kept secret, so well hidden that only few persons knew there was a secret at all. An annoying voice in her head was insisting that perhaps he hadn't told her anything; perhaps he had just made up a meaningless word to fool her.
But she knew that voice very well; it was her mother's, the same continuously repeating that there weren't honest people anywhere in the world and however nobody would dream of being honest -or simply kind- to her daughter because she hadn't money nor beauty. Of course, if Auree had had money or beauty, her mother would have said that nobody could have been honest to her daughter because they would be busy trying to rob or cheat her.
She sighed, thinking about a conversation she had had with Flea some weeks before...
***
Flea took hold of Auree's wrist, stopping her from serving him a cup of milk.
«Why are you doing this? Sit down and eat your breakfast without worrying about mine. I can manage»
Auree meekly obeyed. She wasn't entirely comfortable eating at the same table with her master, and using nice white porcelain cups. There was a silver sugar-basin and a small plate full of fragrant cookies...
As if reading her mind, Flea spoke softly.
«You're not my servant anymore. You don't have to work. Forget all those annoying errands, the laundry, the food...»
He laughed, remembering how, after their first night together, Auree had suddenly awaken in the morning terribly worried about his food, since it was nine already and she hadn't brought him breakfast. She wanted to run in the kitchen, he almost had to restrain her by force.
«But I like working for you!» she protested anxiously.
«I'm offering you an easy life, and whatever money can buy. Please, don't tell me you love houseworking»
She lowered her gaze, confused.
«No...I don't think someone could possibly love houseworking. And me...I've always been lazy! But now...it's different. Perhaps because it's not just for me. It has another meaning. No, I'm not talking about the physical works, I won't miss them. I'm referring to...»
«...organising»
«Yes» she smiled «I feel good if I can take care of your things and of you, like...»
«Like a wife?» Flea suggested, almost casually.
Auree gaped, shocked, while turning a deep shade of red. She hadn't thought of that...but...actually...
«I suppose so» she breathed, without looking at him.
«Hmmm, each of us is discovering something new about ourselves» he observed, and finished his milk in a long draught «I've just found out I like being cared of»
There was a long silence.
«But you seemed troubled this morning» he said, putting down the empty cup «What's wrong?»
Auree stared at the Mystic. Everybody had always reproached her for being too cold and impassive, they used to say it was impossible to understand her true feelings from her facial expression.
But Flea didn't seem to have that problem; he had often given her the impression he could read her like a book. Perhaps because he cared.
She nodded.
«Today...it would have been my mother's birthday»
«Oh. I understand»
Auree slowly shook her head.
«Don't know...no, I'm afraid nobody can understand how I'm feeling»
He sighed.
«My mother, as you know, has been dead for more that thirty years...yet, when something special or unusual happens to me, my first thought is to run and tell her. I always need some moments to realize I can't»
Auree spoke with a broken voice.
«It's not that...Actually, I...I envy your feelings!»
She had to take a deep breath before going ahead.
«I'm so ashamed of myself! I don't miss her at all! She was my mother, she had died two years ago and I am somehow relieved not to have to listen to her voice anymore!»
She passed a shaking hand over her face.
«I mean...it's a horrible thing to say...»
She heard Flea hiss and for a moment she feared he too might disapprove of her.
« was the life she has made you live» he said coldly.
«She couldn't help!» Auree exclaimed «She had been so unlucky, she had suffered so much...and now...It's not fair that she's remembered only as a nuisance!»
«But she was» Flea sighed, gently but firmly «Auree, I hate judging people, especially people I never met, but look at the facts: your mother has tried to ruin your life like hers had been ruined. She has made you believe you're stupid, useless, ugly and unworthy of love. Should we thank her for this? I'll never forgive her! Living a difficult life doesn't give you the right to abuse your children!»
He suddenly stopped, grabbing her hand.
«Sorry, I got carried away» he murmured to the shocked girl «I know I shouldn't speak this way. Well, Auree...you see, when a child is born, his parents can love him or not. It's their problem, their choice. If they love you, they will forever, no matter what happens. But if they don't...if parental love hasn't lighted, there nothing you can say, or do, or become to strike the sparkle again. They'll never change their hearts, it's not your fault...and perhaps not even theirs»
He slowly touched her cheek. She put her hand over his.
«I'm not saying your mother was evil...I'm pretty sure she believed she loved you...and she thought she was doing everything for your sake, but...actually, she wasn't»
The Mystic brightened up with a sweet smile.
«This is just the past, Auree. All we can do is to acknowledge it and go ahead»
***
A hiccup and a strange, strangled sound drew her attention toward the floor.
A Hench was staggering around the hall, sniffing and mumbling to himself, a round bottle in his fat green hand. He was obviously drunk, but not so cheerful as he used to be. He lifted his gaze and didn't seem so much surprised to see a woman floating in the air than he did recognising her.
«You...here?» he stuttered, coming closer.
He shook his big head as to clear his thoughts.
«You here» he repeated «Sir Flea...is lucky...»
«Gorgl?» she murmured, not really sure about his identity. It was hard to tell one Hench from another...
He waved the bottle in front of him. He was weeping, and it was an impressive view. The thick, dense tears that covered his face like opalescent mucus were fairly disgusting, but...at the same time, Auree felt true pity for that creature. It reminded her of that day in her childhood when she had tried to kill a large spider but had succeeded only in maiming it -she had always loathed spiders, but seeing the half-crushed thing still writhing and probably suffering she had felt so much remorse for having harmed an innocent living being, and had cried while finishing it off.
«Yulanna's gone!» he wailed at last.
She didn't know what to say.
«Oh...I'm sorry...»
And she was.
«I believed...she was happy with me...Sir Flea is lucky» he continued with great difficulties «I didn't have money or gifts...or stuff for her, but she...I really liked her»
She nodded silently.
«I don't think it's your fault» she said, trying to sound sincere «Probably she is that kind of woman...who doesn't like to be...bound»
Better not to tell him what she was actually thinking of Yulanna.
The Hench raised the bottle.
«You've stayed»
«Uh...yes»
«Why?»
«I love him» she answered in a whisper, half embarrassed, half proud of it.
Gorgl passed the back of his hand over his eyes.
«I'll miss her...» he sighed.
Then he turned away and tottered out of the hall.
Auree hardly had time to recover from that melancholy encounter before being startled by some kind of commotion from the outside. She couldn't see anything from her point of observation, everything seemed normal at the main gate. People were shouting somewhere else, perhaps in the courtyard. She quickly went to another window.
There was a small fight. Hences, Diablos and Imps were milling around shrieking ominously, enraged against some -still invisible- enemies. There was an explosion, and the Mystic soldiers were thrown in the air or slammed against the thick walls. Most of them didn't show signs of life anymore. A few fled.
With disconcert, she finally saw who had caused such a mayhem. A bunch of strange individuals -the majority of the group formed by plain humans. Humans with a power like that! They looked around in the courtyard and, not spotting any other Mystic to defeat, decided to enter the castle. They passed exactly under Auree's window.
A red-haired boy holding a big sword and a blonde girl dressed in white led the company. There was also a tall man with unusual blue hair and a discontented look, a woman who seemed not to know how to walk properly (for most of the time she was on four legs!), a strange kind of machinery gleaming vividly under the sunlight, and someone who was probably wearing a silly green mask. In the rear-guard came another girl that at first seemed to have purple hair. Auree blinked and looked at her again. She realized the girl's hair was actually reddish brown, the sun was giving it that hint of violet. It was strange, mesmerizing...
Auree was startled again at the noise of alarms and calling that came from everywhere.
That isn't a simulation! The attack Ozzie had spoken of is real!
She gathered her courage and tried to float as quickly as possible toward the door. Knowing the castle very well, she had an idea of where the enemies could go first...what she had not was an idea of what she was supposed to do once there before them. But what else? She couldn't simply wait.
Flea was in danger.
----
Sorry...I'm afraid every chapter will end with a cliffhanger from now on! ^__^